Archive for the ‘floor plans’ Category

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

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What’s in European Floor Plans?

Monday, June 7th, 2010

The European home plans are comprised of numerous architectural styles. These include a wealth of popular home floor plans, such as and not limited to the following:

  •  
  •   Country French Home Plans
  •   Georgian House Plans
  •   English cottage plans
  •   Italian House Plans
  •  Spanish
  •  Tudor House Plans
  •  Victorian home plans

 

What is evident at these European floor plans are the spaciousness, attention to detail and stately ceilings.  These home plans are not limited to wooden, structures. Architected from brick, stucco or stone exteriors,  European floor plans exude a luxuriousness built to withstand the test of time. Some people consider European architecture to be the original innovator of build “sustainable” floor plans.

Best House Floor Plans compiled a list of the most prevalent architectural features associated with the European floor plans:

  • Tall to narrow windows
  • Low pitch roof
  • Overhanging eaves
  • Wrap around porches

Hot Design Ideas for Any Home Floor Plan

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Hot design ideas are those aesthetic furnishings and artwork that exude a sense of timelessness. Best Home Floor Plans went exploring new hot design ideas for any home floor plan. Here are the findings:

Certain hot design ideas begin with the path leading up the walkway, incorporating an eco-lighting solution. Using the Hampton Stainless Steel Solar Walk Light as an example, the outdoor light source is a high efficiency LED, defined in a stainless steel slender form, with clear, fluted plastic lens (for only $3.88).  For additional, eco-friendly, walkway lighting, Home Depot has a slew of energy saving (green) outdoor lighting fixtures.

Makeover the kitchen with lucid counter space. Give the kitchen an easy facelift with tinted-glass countertops. These hot design ideas are the latest trend in kitchen surfaces. From the cut of the countertop to its color, counter-space is a customized order for any home floor plan. To ease the schematics of the new workspace, three critical steps are essential to the selection process: 1) Measure current counter space dimensions. 2) To determine which surface space best serves the needs, create a list, describing the various uses of the kitchen workspace.  2) Set a budget and shop.  (Don’t forget to update kitchen fixtures to match the new countertops).

Garden Tubs | Garden Tub

Garden tubs accessorize the restroom

In the restroom, garden tubs are just one of the hot design ideas, making a comeback. To take this restroom to another level, add an alcove and /or canopied space.

Don’t let an outdated deck/patio deter outdoor time.   A peeling deck, rickety railings, and drab patio furniture are a call for an exterior restoration. Also, excessive splits and soft spots in the wood may be a sign of rotting wood or the need for a complete new deck replacement. For those ambitious do-it-yourselfers, ample hot design ideas on deck floor plans are featured at Home Floor Plans and More.

For additional hot design ideas, please visit Home Plans and More.com.

Wood Floor Maintenance Tips for Home Flooring

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

Wood floor maintenance exceeds taking a mop and wax to cherry, walnut or ash hardwood flooring surfaces. From the first step in the home to a regular cleaning regimen, wood floor maintenance begins at the door.

Shoes attract tiny particles similar to sand. These diminutive elements scratch the hardwood floor’ surface and finish.

Stiletto heels and a cat or dog’s nails can leave dents, scratches and mars in hardwood flooring.

There are two options for preservation and to minimize wood floor maintenance. One suggestion entails the removal of shoes or simply placing a doormat to capture those tiny particles. Also, have the pets nails or paws clipped,

Wood floor maintenance does not require a lot of water. Since excessive amounts  cause hardwood flooring to expand and then crack, use moderate amounts of water for cleaning.

Wood floor maintenance is not restricted to cleaning and dusting. Sometimes stubborn marks render stain removal merely impossible. Because bleach has been found to weaken wood, many hardwood floor specialists do not recommend the process. Using bleach to remove a stain should be done with prudence. This Old House provided a comprehensive overview on using bleach for hardwood floors.

Since certain types of throw rugs are comprised of scratchy, wool backings.

According to the World Floor Covering Association, floors with urethane should not have wax applications. The same rule applies to floor cleaner that leave a filmy residue.

10-Facts to Know About Log Home Floor Plans

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

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 17th and 18th 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

How to Dress-up the In-Law Suite or Guest room

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

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 House Floor Plan Guidelines

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

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

Bungalow Floor Plan Design Facts

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

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 20th 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/