Just recently I have done a bunch of plans that I am not really in love with, this being a very good example of them. The enormous study is a waste, the combined dining room/living room is not really my thing, I don’t like the fireplace on the outside wall and the house will be dark. So I’m sitting here singing, the Christine Lavine song that goes, “What was I thinking? What was I blind? I must have been completely out of mind…”
Here is the finished first floor sketch, as I promised! It is on the large side for a regular house but much much smaller than some of the houses I see in plan books. I designed it to be a house for someone with a large budget who wants to build a “smaller” house with beautiful details perfectly proportioned. One thing that is flexible is the basement door. It can either be placed across from the pantry or, if the site allows, it could be a walk in basement.
As a special surprise, I did an elevation last night at 3:00am!
Many of the plans I have seen in books like to add a fancy window above the front door but I like the elegance of a simpler second story. I also really love all the closets, it even has two closets outside the front door for skis and other outdoor equipment (such as snow shovels).
I forgot and made the interiors walls way too large, they should be more like 6 inches.
I was warding off a cold that had hit Eva full force this week. In addition to Vitamin C and Echinacea, I checked out of my library Craftsman Homes: More than 40 Plans for Building Classic Arts & Crafts-Style Cottages, Cabins, and Bungalows
Here is Gustav’s version:
First Floor:
Second Floor:
And my version:
The secret room is my office/guest room. One thing I love, butler’s pantries- there is something so yummy about them- I wonder if I would like it as much in real life. Ah well, who cares about real life anyway! :P
One thing I was sad to lose is the veranda- it is seriously drool worthy.
First Floor:
I saw a similar house once in a house book and here it is- half remembered from long ago and changed. I loved the T shape with all the windows around each room and the centrally located fireplace.
Second Floor:
I love the laundry centrally located and near the bedrooms. I also love the hall linen closet and the book shelves by the toilet. The big second bedroom is to accommodate my daughter’s trampoline and gym equipment.
I’ve been thinking and talking to people about the last plan. T suggested it might be good if the living room was larger- I decided to make it bigger to the right so it wouldn’t block the bathroom window. C suggested putting the front door over so it would go in through an existing window instead of through supporting walls, a very fine idea :). I decided to move the bathroom door so it wouldn’t be right in front of you when you first came into the front hall.
This is a proposed renovation to a Cottage in Maine. The front door used to come in through the diningroom, and there also used to be a back entry off of the kitchen door. Parking is closest to the new proposed front porch. Hum… I noticed that I forgot to put in most of the windows…
First floor:
I extended the 2nd floor to be above the kitchen and gave it walls. This provided a sound barrier (you couldn’t do anything in the original house without everyone else knowing) and helped provide support for the southern wall (It flexes alarmingly in the winter winds)
Second Floor:
