Coastal House Plans

Coastal Home Plans are open, light, and airy. They are ideal for most any waterfront lot—coastline, seaside, lakefront, or riverside. They range in plan size according to the building lot size and are commonly built tall and narrow just to accommodate that lot. The lot may even be suited for your own pool—maybe even a saltwater pool! The Coastal home plan style ranges from cottage to modern. Special attention to detail is a must with the Coastal home plans due to the elements of where the home is constructed. Coastals are often built with piers or pilings to protect from rising surfs and to withstand coastal winds. Surf, higher winds, and inclement weather all impact the codes of construction for the sake of safety. Strict codes and guidelines set standards for pilings, roofing, exterior components, and all areas of construction.
The architectural design is typically two or more stories. With this design style, there may be dramatic two-story foyers, open areas from the floor above and below, and of course, lots of windows! Coastals incorporate open air living and open air dining areas. Many Coastals have the family rooms or living rooms on the second floor to maximize the amazing views of the coastline and to enjoy the ocean breeze. Sunlights and sunrooms are great fits with the Coastals. Open air kitchens and grilling porches with outdoor ovens and barbecues are perfect for preparing meals while enjoying every moment of the scenery. These “outdoor in” areas include decks and porches that tend to wrap around the house. The porches may be covered, screened, front, back, or sun! Covered balconies, lanais, verandas, patios, porticos, pergolas, gazebos, terraces, and open sundecks offer many choices for the outdoor living that is right for you. Adding a hot tub or Jacuzzi and a ceiling fan for the hot days and fireplace for the breezy evenings makes for complete relaxation. Double master suites with each suite having a bedroom and bathroom are a good choice for lots of family and friends visiting and vacationing! Lofts are quite popular to add to the living space, yet still keeping with the open feel. For the logistics, easy access laundry facilities are a good component to consider. Tile is a popular choice for the interior flooring to make dealing with the sand and water quick and easy (but isn’t it so worth it?!) Inclined, vaulted, and cathedral ceilings add to the element of openness. Exposed beams add a dramatic flair. Interior paint colors may range from warm neutrals to pleasant pastels to Caribbean brights! Diverse architectural features such as lookout towers, widow’s walks, and spiral staircases up to the lookout add excitement to the Coastal home plan.
Dormers, tin roofs, shingle siding with fish scale accents add the perfect seaside touch. Garages and carports offer parking underneath the house. This makes for great storage for bikes, rafts, kayaks, surfboards, beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, and any other outdoor items. Elevators may be necessary and convenient for some family members and for shopping trips. Colors for the exterior range, just like the interior, from the warm neutrals to the pleasant pastels to the Caribbean brights.
Obviously, there is a bit more “red tape” when building a Coastal style home plan, but being in that setting is definitely worth the extra effort!

Red Doors

There are many design choices and decisions when choosing your perfect house plan and building your dream home. Has a Red Front Door ever caught your eye? Did you wonder what does the color red mean, and what does painting your front door red signify?

Red is one of the primary colors. This bold, vivid hue is said to be welcoming. It is commonly associated with the attribute of strength. Red is highly linked to the meaning of love (i.e. just picture the color of hearts and roses and valentines). It is recognized as a stimulant color. Red is inherently considered an “exciting” color thus related to “energy”. It is believed that red signifies a sense of protection. What qualities (welcome, strength, love, energy, and protection) to grace the entrance of your home. Red is the color worthy of just such a task.

The history, origin, and significance of a home’s red front door definitely varies. Here are a few suggestions found:
1.) (Just) Loves Red. For starters, it just may be that the homeowner loves the color red! What a bold color to brighten the entrance to your home.
2.) Provides Protection. In Biblical times, a Red Door provided protection. The Hebrews placed the blood of a lamb on the front door to show that the home was covered by the blood to protect their first born child from the angel of death. If the home had the marking on the door, the death angel literally passed by. Also, in Catholic churches long ago, the front doors of the church were painted red to represent the blood of Christ. Since the red paint signified the blood of Christ, it meant that the parishioners were on holy ground. These interpretations then spur on the belief that a red door protects the home’s occupants from evil.
3.) Shows Welcome. A red door in early American traditions meant a warm, welcoming place to rest for the night for weary travelers journeying by horse and buggy. When they saw a home with a red front door, they knew they would indeed be “welcome”!
4.) Means Welcome. In the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, a red front door also means “welcome”! Feng Shui defines that the front door, also called the “Mouth of Chi”, is where the energy enters the home. So in this Chinese philosophy, painting your front door red means “welcome” as well.
When deciding on your dream home plan, give some thought to a Red Front Door to compliment your perfect house plan!

Soapstone

Soapstone, also known as steatite or soaprock, is an advantageous choice for kitchen countertops. Beautiful and practical can best describe soapstone and the character and utility it adds to your new home plan. Soapstone is a metamorphic rock (This talc-schist is largely composed of the mineral talc and is in turn, very rich in magnesium.).
Soapstone does not need to be chemically sealed liked other natural stones. It doesn’t harbor bacteria, so it is perfect for kitchen counters. Soapstone’s anti-absorbance of bacteria aids in keeping the food preparation area safe and sterile. Soapstone is stain resistant. This feature takes the worry out of spills and makes clean-up quicker and easier. It is extremely durable and strong. Hot cookware, pots, and pans may be placed directly on the surface without causing damage. In fact, soapstone is so substantial that chemistry lab tables are made of it, and fireplaces may also be constructed of soapstone.
There are no two pieces of soapstone exactly alike. Each section or piece is totally unique, and there is not another one formed or will ever be formed like it in the world. It is truly a one-of-a-kind work of art from God! Simply treat the soapstone with mineral oil to bring out the hues of color and details of the veining.
The cost of soapstone solid surface countertops does generally run higher than other stone or solid surface countertops; however, the benefits and beauty bridge the gap between price and worth!

Ranch House Plans

Ranch style home plans are indeed practical and functional. They offer quite efficient use of the living and dining area arrangement. The Ranch style house plans were made popular during the pre-depression housing boom of the United States. The name “Ranch” also identifies their origin in the western part of the U.S.
Ranch style homes are characteristically single story or one level house plans. They are built narrow, long, and close to the ground. Ranch homes have low-pitched overhanging roofs with deep-set eaves. They may be constructed in a rectangular shape, L-shape, or U-shape design. Ranch plans offer an efficient use of the living space and dining areas and may have sprawling floor plans. The interior design has few interior walls making a great open, airy living, kitchen, and dining area. This design is perfectly conducive for allowing lots of natural light. There is usually a separate formal living room or a formal dining room to accommodate those more structured occasions like holidays or celebrations. Generally, the Ranch home is reflectively simple in architectural appearance with clean, straight design lines. However, simple in design terms never indicates boring! These open floor plans incorporate double French doors, full-glass paned doors, and even sliding glass doors that open onto a deck, patio, or porch that leads out into the backyard. The exterior is usually brick or wood siding or even vinyl siding and may be symmetrical or asymmetrical in design. Simple facades complete the Ranch style house plans. Large, fixed picture windows, double windows, triple windows, and sometimes even bay windows are a common design element on the front exterior. Ranch style house plans are recognized as one of the first home plans to incorporate an attached garage.
Ranch style house plans are light and open and offer efficient use of living space. If you are looking for an open, light, airy floor plan, the Ranch style home plan may just be your perfect dream home plan.

Colonial House Plans

Colonials are known for having a timeless, historical, regal style. They have simple, classical design details. Colonial style house plans were influenced by traditions brought by the settlers of the 13 original colonies. They are rectangular in architectural design and have symmetrical facades. Colonials are 1, 2, and even 3 stories. The 2 story designs with grand front columns are the most common. Today, Colonials have family rooms or great rooms and attached garages. Attached garages are convenient and add additional living space with the completion of the area over the garage. The living and dining areas are typically on the first floor, while the bedrooms are on the second floor or upper floor. To maintain that symmetrical facade, a central front door, (which may be slightly offset), is a definite identifier. Central front doors may be paneled and have window sidelights, transoms, or fanlights. These centralized front doors allow for a center entry hallway and center entry floor plan. Multi-paned, double hung windows are equally spaced on both sides. Colonials may also have beautiful Palladian windows. Palladian windows are usually divided into three sections with the center section being arched and the largest. Shutters and dormers complete this classic, polished look.
Colonial exteriors may be brick, stone, wood siding, or vinyl siding. The wood siding exteriors or vinyl siding exteriors of Colonials are often painted white and accented with black shutters. Roofs are generally gabled. The roof ridge is often horizontal. This roof pitch facilitates the prime setting for a covered porch. Great pillars and grand columns decorate the front of the Colonial. Detailed dentil moldings are features of the Colonial. Another distinguishing note is the large chimneys and fireplaces that may be on both ends of the home. This enables fireplaces to be both upstairs and down. The great rooms, or family rooms, kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms may all have fireplaces as well.
If you are looking for a timeless, classic home design that offers functionality and convenience, consider the Colonial style house plan for your dream home plan!

European House Plans

European style house plans offer grand exteriors and exquisite ornamental details. This style offers as many architectural influences as diverse as the countries from which they originate. European house plans have quite a romantic feel that is reminiscent of castles of long ago. Luxury is implied at first sight. European style home plans offer a touch of elegance and refined style combined with large, oversized proportions. They are a reminder of the history and the beauty of the Old Country while exhibiting that old world charm. European house plans have a wonderfully centralized layout.
European home plans may be 1, 1 ½, 2 and even 3 stories. The two story versions are the most common. The impressive exteriors are clad with brick, stone, or stucco with dramatic polished wood accents. The façade is elegant with rich ornamental detailing. Generally large, these homes work best on good-sized lots, where their grand facades can best be appreciated. Today, most European style plans have large attached garages as well.
Multiple roof lines of the European style house plans tend to be hipped (a type of roof that all sides slope downwards to the walls) and steep. This hipped roof is ideal for the many gables. Copper-topped bay roofs are common. Keystones and elegant polished wood add to these outside design features. Subtly flared curves at the eaves complete that grand ornamental detail. These areas are faced with stucco and stone. The roof typically connects down to the windows. The second floor often is in the roof.
As earlier mentioned, the European style house plans have a great centralized layout. The Living room is the main focus of the home and is on the first floor. The bedrooms may be on one side or on the second floor and the living and dining areas located on the other. Palladian windows (the three sectioned windows with the largest in the center and an elliptical above) and large vaulted or cathedral ceilings are perfect in these expansive, open homes—especially the foyer. Grand marble staircases and glimmering chandeliers transport you straight from the foyer to the old world! These large, open, airy areas allow for lots of natural light. Tile floors and regal, arched doorways add to this sense of luxury. Potfillers, stone ovens, and large islands make the kitchen warm and inviting.
European style home plans offer a sense of luxury inside and out. If luxury and expansive living areas with a touch of elegance are your criteria for your dream home plan, then perhaps European style house plans are exactly your style.

Victorian Homes

Simply, a Victorian style house plan originally meant a home style built during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Victorians may typically bring to mind story book images of a fairy-tale home. They are indeed famously known for quite ornamental facades. Picturesque, grand towers and steep, regal turrets are two of the most common features associated with the Victorian. However, today, Victorians may vary in many architectural styles and combinations of these diverse designs. These homes are asymmetrical. From romantic to cottage-like on to unique and even a bit whimsical, these can be a Victorian.
Victorians may be one, two, or three stories; however, the two and three stories are the most common built. Exteriors may be wood siding, clapboard siding, or shingle-shake siding. They may even be brick or stone. “Gingerbread” trim work, fanciful dormers, decorative cornices, striking spindles, beautiful dentil moldings, grand gables, and florid brackets are some of the features of the Victorian. Roofs have multiple roof lines with varying roof pitches that are steep. Wood roofs or slate roofs with patterned shingles often decorate and define the Victorian’s roof. Exterior siding and trim work paints range from pretty pastels to bold, primary colors, and even to deep, jewel-toned colors. There are certainly no strict boundaries nor set limits to the exterior paint scheme. Decorative, detailed porch railings and intricate, turned posts make the wrap-around porches just perfect! Sunrooms and enclosed porches are also functional, visually pleasant traits of the Victorian.
Interiors are similarly composed of diverse architectural styles. Octagonal rooms make a unique design statement. Bay windows and sash windows add to this romantic style. Stained glass windows are a beautiful addition. The paint scheme from the exterior may be transferred to the interior to carry on the design theme throughout. Creating the right balance of both color and texture between walls, moldings, ceilings, and woodwork further create the Victorian. Wallpaper and paint finishes in marbleizing, stenciling, and spattering add to this design style. Spiraling floral themes, Gothic inspired trellises, stylized leaf work, and even simulated woodgrain texturing are often found. Tin ceilings with hammered designed details complete the look. Wall sconces, claw foot bath tubs, and deep, dark hardwood floorings are complementary. Today, truly, a Victorian’s interior may range from old world charming to modern convenience to unique whimsy or a great combination of them all.
When choosing your home style, consider the Victorian as a possible match to your perfect home plan!