Best House Floor Plans

Ranch homes and bungalow style homes share their efficient use of space housed in a single story building.  Aside from originating to accommodate working class families, and farm help, the two house plans have distinct characteristics. Review the difference between a ranch home and  bungalow style home:

• According to Britannica.com, the online encyclopedia a ranch home is a residential building, which generally encompasses one level.

• Unlike the low roof characteristic of the ranch home, a bungalow style homes has a sloping roof.

• Different from the ranch home’s open floor plan, bungalows maximize floor space demarcating each detail of the home floor plan

Check out these ranch home floor plans

• Ranch homes were the by product of Spanish colonial floor plans, while bungalows style homes derived the name from the Bengali style architecture, when the English occupied India. (In Britain, the term “bungalow” had a negative connotation with poorly constricted bungalow style homes).

• In the 1920s with its expansive windows and high ceilings, bungalow style homes commanded popularity in northern cities, such as Chicago and Milwaukee. Meanwhile, it was not until the 1930s that the ranch homes cropped up in the southern states as the housing solution for range help.
• A surrounding veranda is indicative of bungalow style homes and a rarity for ranch homes.

Please click on bungalow style home to peruse house plans 

Over the years, the ranch home has evolved into split levels and bungalow style homes  sometimes have an extra story integrated into the house floor plans.

Which style home to do you prefer: a ranch home or a bungalow style homes?

Solar house plans are not only eco-friendly but cost efficient. Not to mention, the single family dwelling , developed incorporating green home design, has a higher property value. But, aside from reducing energy costs and carbon footprint on the planet, there are several facts to consider and know about solar house plans:

• There are two types of solar house plans. Solar house plans come in two green home designs: passive or active

• With a passive solar house plan, the material used to build the house  utilizes the sun to to manage the inside climate. 

• An active solar house plan uses solar panels to collect and store sunlight.
• Solar house plans require exacting land plotting to maximize southern sun exposure.

• For ultimate energy savings and green home design, solar house plans incorporating both passive and active solar energy.

• With the passive solar house plan, bedrooms and most popular rooms of the domicile should be situation on the south side of the home.

• Solar house plans are highly effective in cities where there is ample sunshine.

• The ultimate land for the solar house plan is a deep lot with north and south exposure, allowing for the most autonomy over the solar zone.  To maximize solar access, explore lots with a south sloping versus a north sloping land.

• For instance,  House Plans and More features adobe style house plans, which are comprised of mud bricks to absorb the sun in the day to warm the household in the evening.
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• Prior to finalizing solar house plan, it is critical to check with the local zoning laws. Depending on the developments easements and the covenants associated with the deeded lot, certain restrictions may prevent the building of a solar house plan.

Browse these solar house plans for green home design ideas.

When many homeowners ponder the dream home, an expansive log home floor plan comes to mind. Unlike the practicality that log home floor plans originally played in housing immigrants, farmers and ranchers, the house plan is preferred today for its classic architecture. 

• The history of the log home floor plan chronicles the 17^th and 18^th centuries when Eastern European immigrants moved to America.

• The log home floor plan is prime for natural furnishings. Bamboo, teak, lava rock, glass and Jerusalem stone  are décor compatible.

• Some architects recommend that homebuyers experience spending the night in a vacation log home before opting for the floor plan.

• As for containing building costs, architects recommend opting for a log home floor plan with few corners.

• To save on building costs, shop for log home floor plans with a simple roof line.

• Select log home floor plans that are comprised of fewer intricate design features to allow for reducing energy costs. For example, a large window facing southern exposure heats the home during the winter months.

• The smaller the square footage and efficiently divided rooms, the more economical the log home floor plan is to build.

• According to certain heat and cooling contractors, well sealed wall logs coupled with a wood stove offers a better savings on the heating bill than an open fireplace.

• Today, many log home floor plans are architected in accordance with  various certification standards by Leadership in Energy and Environmental  Design (LEED).  

• House Plans and More.com maintains an extensive database of log home floor plans, an home floor plan estimator as well as other house plan styles.

Review related information by clicking on  ”log-home-floor plans“

With the summer months in close proximity, updating the in-law suite or guest bedroom is not an ambitious feat. Transforming an insipid space into visually-compelling guest suite requires a only a slew of  design tactics.

Our friends at House Plans and More.com tell us start with the size of the space. If the room is diminutive, take the furthest wall from the doorway and choose colors, which tend to give a room an expansive illusion. Choose between greens, blues and purples. These hues are from the cool side of the color wheel and tend to fade in the background. If the entire in-law suite is a dark solid color on each wall, then replace with a white or other light colors as mentioned previously.

How to choose the right color for a room?

Besides selecting background colors to make a room  appear more expansive, select tints to stimulate a mood. For instance, Greens are rejuvenating. Blue is associated with calm, while purple is symbolic of peace and joy.

• Regardless if the in-law suite is small or large, painting the room refreshes the ambiance. If the crown molding is already painted, repainting it another color that concurs with the room’s accents breathes new life into the room. In situations, where the crown molding is wooded, sand, refinish and stain.

• To introduce texture and color to walls, select a textile, which matches the furnishings.

• Fill in wall space with shelving units that can be affixed to the wall,

• Stones, plants, wood furnishings introduce an element of earthiness.

• Plants represent not only revitalization but are eco-friendly for producing oxygen. Select plants that are apposite for the rooms’ lighting.

• Mirrors are another smart design feature for giving a small space the illusion of expansive features. Not to mention, stocking the in-law suite with a mirror reduces their time in the bathroom.

• For the small in-law suite, buy furnishings that do double duty. For instance, a sturdy wooden chest multitasks as a place to sit as well as place to store extra pillows, comforters, sheets, etcetera. Many leather footstools come with a similar storage feature. Futons and pullout sofas are definitive storage savers in the mini-in-law suite.

Click on “guest room” for additional design tips.

Modular homes are touted as the eco-friendly alternative to building a home of any proportion. When most landowners consider the modular house  floor plan, there tends to be a misconception that the module house floor plan is the same as the mobile home. Review some of the guideline and detailed pertaining to the the modular floor plan.

The construction of the modular house floor plan adheres to the same guidelines as stick-built homes.

Modular house floor plans are structures, which are manufactured off site in a factory and then transported in one or more sections. 

Modular homes must be architected, meeting the guidelines of the Federal Manufactured Construction and Safety Standards and  be labeled accordingly.

As long as the modular home construction is completed within 30 to 60 calendar days, the borrower may seek a lender, who can use a line of credit in conjunction with the FHA-insured home loan.

In order for the modular house floor plan to qualify for an FHA mortgage insurance, it must be in compliance with the proceeding regulations:

• Occupy a minimum of 400 square feet
• Follow the construction in conformance the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.
• Be manufactured as a place of residence, built according to FHA codes and include a permanent foundation.

To read more about the requirements for building a modular home floor plan, review the Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH), by cutting and pasting the following URL: www.huduser.org/publications/destech/permfound.html.

Also, House Plans and More includes a comprehensive library of  modular floor plans, builders, checklists, decorating ideas and more.

Resource: //www.nls.gov/offices/pih/ih/homeownership/184/processing/chap4.htm

Influenced by English architecture, the Victorian Home floor plan features a distinctive domicile. Turrets punctuate the crown of the home, authenticating a regal yet welcoming façade. A covered porch stretches from each extent of the  home’s exterior frontage. The garage boards two-vehicles.

The size of the Victorian house floor plan ranges in square footage from 1800 to 3500. In cases where the Victorian house plan includes a full attic, the top floor accommodates the family with teenagers, a full attic serves as a separate living space from the rest of the home (with a kitchen, bathroom, and living space).

Bay windows punctuate each room, revealing a different perspective of the exterior landscape.

On the main floor, gathering rooms transition into one another. Sometimes, rooms are separated by glass French doors.

On the main floor, a foyer dressed in a wood carved coat-stand, is conveniently located next to a built in mirror, shrouded underneath a lengthy stair case.

Directly off the kitchen, a breakfast nook assures a cozy sanctuary to read the paper, enjoy a meal whilst remaining out of the kitchen’s hubbub of traffic flow.

A vaulted ceiling is the showcase for an antique chandelier. In the living room, modern materials presented in bold pattern colors maintain a sense of the Victorian house floor plan’s attention to detail and tradition. Crown moldings delineate the wall space and area between far-reaching ceilings. At House Plans and More.com sort through a wide variety of Victorian house plans.

Other features of the Victorian house floor plan include:

• Laundry Room/Utility
• Breakfast Nook
• Outdoor Kitchen
• Vaulted/Volume Ceiling
• Crawl Space
• Basement
• Bar
• Fireplace
• Family Room
• Balcony – Indoor
• Island

The Victorian floor plan requires a wide lot. For additional details, please click on  Victorian house plans to read more.

What is the origin of the Bungalow home floor plan?

Bungalow home plans are the result of a rebellion, per se. Subsequent to the formality of the Victorian period, the Arts and Crafts Movement of 1860’s ushered in a casual, comfortable lifestyle.

What are the basic characteristics of the bungalow home floor plan?

The bungalow house plan is quite energy conservative. Comprised of intricate architectural details, the house plan epitomizes comfort, and charm. Lauded for its proportionately sized rooms, short on hallway space, the bungalow is touted for efficient space usage.

Which American city parallels the history of the bungalow floor plan?

In Chicago, the bungalow floor plan was in step with a burgeoning influx of immigrants. From 1900 through 1930, the Windy City’s population went from 1.6 to 3.3 million. Meanwhile to accommodate that rampant growth, the bungalow house plan supplanted the landscape of prairies and farmland from 1910 through 1930.

Is the bungalow floor plan passé architecturally?

Today, these house floor plans remain timeless in nature, assuring a decent market value. The interior emphasizes extraordinary concise rooms, where superfluous space is void of the floor plan. Bathrooms are often attached to the master bedroom. The kitchen, generally, affords ample space for food preparation, serving and gathering.

Designers recommend accentuating the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts style bungalow with today’s innovative sustainable materials. For instance, tiles, kitchen fixtures and counter-space manufactured from recycled goods are the elements that complement living green.

Which rooms are associated with the bungalow floor plan?

Although bungalows built in the 20^th century pale in comparison to today’s floor plans, here is a list of rooms and features:

• Breakfast Bar
• Breakfast Nook
• Covered Front Porch
• Crawl Space
• Eating Bar
• Extra – bonus room
• Fireplace
• Great Room
• Laundry Room/Utility
• Loft
• Main Level Master Bedroom
• Media Room/Home Theater
• Mud Room
• One-Story
• Open Floor Plans
• Split Bedrooms
• Two-Car
• Vaulted/Volume Ceiling

Which online resources highlight a review of bungalow house floor plans?

Bungalow house floor plans are in ample supply at House Plans and More.com. Floor plans are categorized according to architectural style, size and other features.

Source: Historic Chicago Bungalow Association – http://www.chicagobungalow.org/

Gargantuan, expansive, and exuding a myriad of design options, mansion house floor plans are greener and more luxurious than ever. Given the magnitude and cost to heat and cool a mansion, opting for the home with eco-friendly features is non-negotiable. Aside from expansive floor plans and high-end amenities, we found these luxury mansions to include a short list of wondrous architectural floor plans:

-    Colonial
-    European
-    Mediterranean
-    Modular Homes
-    Traditional
-    Victorian

In quest of more than guest suites, media rooms, cabanas, Best House floor Plan went searching on the Internet for luxury mansion floor plans, highlighting green qualities or eco-friendly characteristics. The criteria consisted of solar panels, eco-windows, skylights and anything proving to be energy efficient and environmentally conducive. Here are the reports of our findings:

Imagine closets the depth and width of an average-sized bedroom. Watch television from a media room, which closely resembles a movie theatre. In the sunken great room, far-reaching cathedral ceilings are punctuated by fireplace layered in stonemasonry. This is what we found with mansion house floor plan #592-001D.

At HousePlansandMore.com, we were captivated by the magnitude of this Green Home Floor Plan. With 4958 square feet of living space, the upscale arts and crafts home plan is divided between two floors, five bedrooms, and a three-car garage. The green interior boasts an A-list of amazing features. Outside of the entryway, maintained between an angular roof, affixed with skylights, stately pillars are constructed of river stone. A recycled glass countertop serves as a sustainable alternative to granite, marble and other types of kitchen work surfaces.

At this luxury mansion home floor plans, the see-through fireplace and solarium evoked covetous feelings. During the winter months, a solarium offset, by a u-shaped staircase depicts a warmth and picturesque view. On the main floor, a see through fireplace offers heat and warmth throughout the hearth and dining rooms.

But with so many mansion home floor plans to dream about, one must see the homes at HouseFloorPlansandMore.com.

Meanwhile, be sure to check back in several weeks, when we deconstruct hearth rooms.

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An overview of the best southwestern home floor plans

Southwestern home floor plans used to be architectural styles exemplary of housing in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Today, the Southwestern inspired floor plan knows no geographic boundaries. This week at BestHomeFloorPlans, we went on a virtual tour reviewing information about the Southwestern floor plan. Here’s what we learned:

The Profile: Generally, the southwestern home floor plan is a single level abode, shrouded by a flat roof. The     structure is often asymmetrically structured with brick cloaked in stucco walls and an, enclosed porch

Other Aliases: The Southwestern home plan has several aliases, including: Dubbed, an Adobe, Mission, Pueblo and – or the Spanish Revival home.

Related floor plans The Southwestern floor plan is similar to the Native American and Spanish-Colonial styles.

Southwestern Home Factoid: If you switch placement of the letters, “B” and “D” in the word abode, “adobe” is a commonly used to describe the southwestern style of a home constructed from clay bricks.

Past and Present In the past, the Southwestern floor plan was protected by dense walls to keep intruders out. On the exterior, walls from both sides of the home adjoined to create an expansive courtyard. Today, the courtyard is not entirely enclosed and highlighted with a fountain and pool, as seen at HGTV.

Best Southwestern Floor Plans: At HomePlansandMore.com, this luxurious 3-floor southwestern floor plan was breathtaking. With 1300 square footage almost evenly split between two floors, the expansive space effortlessly accommodates four bedrooms, a 2-car garage, a full basement and more.

Statuesque windows, smooth-faced exterior walls in a light, earthy-toned stucco, this floor plan is representative of the architecture of New Mexico and Arizona.
As for a dwelling, reflective of the dream home, this southwestern home is to buy for.

Meanwhile, be sure to compare our other featured home styles.

Related Articles:

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The Southwestern Style Wasn’t Invented

Featured Home Plan Style – Cottage Homes

Where to find the best cottage home plans on the Internet? Review these luxurious cottage home plans that we found on three top-rated home floor plan Web site resources.

Cottage home plans are commonly mistaken for domiciles short on style, space and luxury. Although these homes do not have the levels and depth of a Victorian home, these smaller abodes epitomize comfort and coziness. The history of the cottage home plan is traceable to the Middle Ages, where peasant farmers were housed.

Today, the cottage home plan has evolved into the ultimate vacation respite. Ideally, these dwellings are situated in close proximity to a forest, an ocean or even near a lake. But, regardless of the location, the interior features are just as important:

We found the best cottage home plans on the Internet:

At House Plans And More, we fell in love with this sprawling, duplex cottage home plan. An airy atmosphere of French doors, paneled windows and a portico leading to an exterior porch view of the lake, is so picturesque that it looks like a dwelling right out of Architectural Digest.

The “Church Street” Plan that we found at Cottage Home Plans was a manageable with 1470 square feet of space, two bedrooms, an observation sundeck, two covered porches and a built in fireplace. Regardless of what lays outdoors, this cottage house plan exudes eye-popping appeal.

Among the other best cottage home plans that we found on the Internet, the French, Tuscan, and English cottage homes that we found at VCHousePlans.com were to live for…and reminiscent of somewhere else in time.

In the weeks to come, we’ll investigate how to obtain financing for your dream home floor plan.

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