Welcome to the Plan Collection Blog

The finished basement can add style, function, and value to a home. Recent remodeling trends include basement spaces that accommodate guests, work-at-home parents, relaxing spaces, and more. We focus on hot trends: the daylight basement and walkout basement, where you can just walk out onto a patio or walkway without stairs.

Pinterest is one of the world’s best databases for ideas, a social search engine with access to every single kind of inspiration you could possibly ask for. It’s the perfect resource for those looking to build a home. These house plans on Pinterest are the most current, popular, and stylish ones out there.

Focusing on the connection between indoors and outdoors, U-shaped house designs borrow from Spanish-Mexican haciendas and the perspectives of architectural pioneers Charles and Henry Green, Joseph Eichler, and Cliff Mays on the home’s relationship to natural light. Reinvented for contemporary times, the design makes sense for both traditional and modern homes.

From The New American Home 2021, with its innovative design concepts, to the creative use of features in home spaces, the International Builders' Show highlighted some key trends that are likely to resonate in the architectural residential market. Here are home-building-design and product trends gleaned from virtual sessions at the IBS Show.

Drab interior? Spruce it up with architectural trim and molding. All kinds of trim work – from wall frames and wainscoting to window trim and crown molding – can be used to dress up and personalize an interior that currently lacks personality. Here are tips and tricks on the ways to do this.

Farmhouse design remains as captivating and appealing today as it was during the early Colonial period. The style – with its wide wraparound porch, simplicity, and coziness – has been reinvented to fit contemporary aesthetics. Explore the Modern Farmhouse design, its elements, and how to achieve the signature look in your home.

Some homes are designed using truss roofs and others using rafter (stick-built) roofs Here, we’ll explain both types, the differences between the two roof systems, and answer whether – and when – one may be better than the other. A hint: as with so many things, it depends.

From lavish chandeliers and pendant lights to sconces and wall lamps, lighting your dream home can be tricky and challenging. Illuminating the home is part of its design and should figure into the building plan from the outset. We look at common lighting pitfalls and how to avoid them.

There are many contingencies to prepare for when living in a cold-climate home – or building a new one. We’ve put together this list of common considerations to ensure that you live in comfort and safety, and your current home – or new build – lasts through many winters to come.

Is it “New Year, New Home” for you? Have you designed the perfect home in your mind, with beautiful features and fixtures? While there are challenges, consider the benefits of building a home that exactly matches your lifestyle. Before you take the leap, explore our tips, which will help the process run smoothly.