House Plans: Editor’s Choice Dream Homes from 2011

by on January 12, 2012 in Floor Plans, Home Plans, House Plans

The editors of The House Designers have been busy going through over 6,000 best-selling house plans to choose their favorite designs from 2011. These particular house plans were chosen based on their innovation and energy efficiency as well as their interior detailing and curb appeal.

The timeless design of this traditional house plan will be one you will enjoy spending time in with family and guests. It is accented by gorgeous columns, shake siding and stone to create a unique, appealing exterior.

 

The Palladium House Plan was one of the newest additions to the traditional house plan collection. It was designed to create a multi-generational family-friendly home with flexibility and privacy throughout. The timeless exterior features traditional columns and arches, softened with Shingle-style accents and details. The welcoming front porch opens to a centered foyer, with an opposing den and formal dining room plus butlery and walk-in pantry. The beamed great room with built-in fireplace and entertainment center, gourmet kitchen with its huge island and multi-windowed eating nook create a spacious family area, all opening onto the large, wraparound outdoor living porch.

The Palladium House Plan from The House Designers features an open design accented by beautiful rich hardwood flooring from Lumber Liquidators® and bright white cabinetry, trim and wall coloring. There’s plenty of extra room for seating — something you’ll appreciate when you're entertaining guests.

 

To view this dream home and many others visit the latest issue of Dream Designs.

Don’t miss out on previewing some of the newest, most innovative house plans from The House Designers by receiving Dream Designs each week. The next issue features Fun, Flexible Living Spaces and showcases some of the most innovative game rooms, entertainment rooms, wine cellars and much more. Simply click here to subscribe to this free newsletter.

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House Plans: Innovative New House Plans from The House Designers

by on December 18, 2011 in House Plans, Open Floor Plans, two-story house plan

The newest house plans from The House Designers feature a mix of innovative green home products and building practices combined with timeless architectural styling and open floor plans to ensure years of comfortable and efficient home living. You’ll find everything from unique mountain homes to gorgeous Mediterranean estates to traditional two-story house plans, as well as designs from their exclusive collection of ENERGY STAR homes.

A gorgeous two-story stone turret welcomes guests to this new Mediterranean house plan from The House Designers.

 

Enjoy outdoor living on a covered patio featuring a fireplace and kitchen, which overlook the luxurious pool area.

The Cariati House Plan is one of The House Designers newest luxury Mediterranean designs. The two-story stone turret opens into a two-story living room with fireplace. Just outside is a covered patio with fireplace and outdoor kitchen that overlooks the in-ground pool and hot tub. Pamper yourself in a master suite with a sitting area and access to the outdoor living area. The master bath has an extra long vanity area, separate whirlpool tub and walk-in shower. There’s also a sauna room and his and hers walk-in closets. Other amenities include a gourmet kitchen featuring the latest appliances, a breakfast and formal dining room and a sunken media room. Upstairs are three additional bedrooms (each with their own full bath) and a game room that opens to the covered balcony. This dream home has it all.

Enjoy the view and warmth of the outdoors from the two-story wall of energy-efficient windows featured in this new log home from The House Designers.

The House Designers has also added a new mountain lodge home, which features all the latest energy-efficient building products and green building techniques. This log home can easily be customized to feature any exterior or interior styling.

Check out our editor’s favorite new house plans in the latest issue of Dream Designs.

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Leading architect from The House Designers designs a house plan for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Texas

by on December 6, 2011 in home building, Home Construction, House Plans

Leading architect from America’s best-selling house plan company, The House Designers helps design a custom house plan for a worthy family in Texas for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

ABC’s Emmy award-winning reality TV Show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will surprise a worthy family in Bastrop County Texas where wildfires destroyed 1,500 homes this past Labor Day weekend on Wednesday, Dec. 7 with its signature “Door Knock.” Ty Pennington, the show’s team leader will be joined by designers Paul DiMeo, Johnny Littlefield, Tracy Hutson and Jeff Dye, who worked closely with one of  The House Designers leading architects to create a brand new house plan for this next build.

This is no ordinary build. The show with the help of 3,000 volunteers and manpower builds a home in six days (a typical home can take up to six to nine months to build) working 24 hours a day.

According to Milan Vasic, the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” senior producer, “We actually have 106 hours from the time we knock down or start the demolition process until the family returns, so the builder has about 4 ½ days from start to finish.”

The Extreme Design Team approached Donovan Davis, an Austin-based architect from The House Designers, who has been designing innovative house plans for over 50 years back in October to design a brand new house plan for a deserving family. In literally two days, Davis and the Extreme Makeover Design Team knocked out a brand new design to fit the needs of the family and requirements of the show. It is part of the show’s trademark to include special/sentimental features in their design that will ‘literally’ bring tears to the family.

Davis was recommended by Eric Christophe, owner of EFC Custom Homes, who will be the local contractor overseeing the build. He was selected because of his strong ties to the community and reputation for high quality craftsmanship, energy-efficiency and attention to detail.

Davis is hoping to add this new custom design to The House Designers collection of over 5,000 award-winning, top-selling house plans. But for now everything is a secret until the family is announced on Wednesday and house plans for their new home revealed.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” airs on Friday at 8/7 c. You can also keep track of this new build by following Extreme Makeover on Facebook.

 

 

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Share Your Home Building Experience & Win $250

by on November 27, 2011 in Floor Plans, home building, Home Plans, House Plans

Share Your Home Building Experience

We would like to invite all our home plan purchasers to share their home building experience and rate our house plans to assist others in choosing their dream home.

Send us your photographs of your new home and share your experience building one of our house plans by DECEMBER 20 and you’ll receive a $250 AMEX card if we use them on our home page. First 25 customers who send us photographs (we love interior shots) will receive $50.

Sharing your comments is quick and easy – click here.

We would like to extend our thanks for purchasing house plans from The House Designers and hope you will share your story with us!

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House Plans: One-Story Floor Plans

by on November 20, 2011 in House Plans, One-Story House Plans, Open Floor Plans

Silverwood House Plan

 

Today’s one-story house plans go well beyond the traditional ranch home. Architects and designers are taking the single story house plans to a whole new level by incorporating a variety of innovative and unique shapes and sizes to meet the needs, budget and lifestyle of future new home builders.

Consumers and builders can expect to find energy-efficient floor plans featuring flexible rooms, open kitchen, living and dining areas, extended outdoor living spaces, tons of amenities and simple, yet elegant exterior features to reflect various architectural styles.

Many single story house plans offer the ability to have a finished basement to extend the home’s living space. Basements offer the ideal place to create a game room, entertainment or media space to kick back and have some fun.

You can easily expand your one-story living to the outdoors with a large deck, sunroom or patio. Many are designed with complete outdoor living spaces, including an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and a pool/spa area.

Because they are one-story and do not have staircases, they are a great design for first-time homeowners who have small children, people with mobility issues and anyone who wants to save money on maintenance and utilities.

And if you need make changes down the road, having an open, flexible floor plan will make that an easy and affordable remodel.

View an extensive collection of one-story house plans at TheHouseDesigners.com, featuring a wide variety of size, styles and gorgeous interior photography to inspire the designer in all of us.

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House Plans: Innovative New Cottage House Plans

by on October 28, 2011 in House Plans, Open Floor Plans

The House Designers recently featured some of their newest cottage house plans in their weekly newsletter Dream Designs, which keeps consumers and builders updated on their latest house designs.

These new cottage homes go well beyond the simple cabin or bungalow by combining luxury design features and amenities with traditional cottage styling, which include steep overhanging roofs with gables, large bay windows, panel front entry doors and ornamental detailing.

Regardless of the size and architectural styling, this collection of cottage house plans features gorgeous and flexible interior floor plans, innovative and energy-efficient home products and plenty of curb appeal.

This gorgeous luxury cottage house from The House Designers is the newest addition to one of the largest collections of online cottage house plans.

 

This luxury mountain cottage house plan is one of The House Designers newest designs, which features a large open living space that surrounds the kitchen to allow for plenty of entertaining. Homeowners can pamper themselves in a large master suite with spa-like bath, which occupies the right wing of the first floor. Three additional bedrooms occupy the second floor, which has a large bonus room. There are also plenty of green features to this home to ensure years of energy-efficiency. The entire home is wrapped in exterior insulated boards, which is like wrapping your home in a warm blanket. Combined with three high-efficiency gas fireplaces this home has a high R-value, making it perfect for colder climates.

The Marymoor is a popular compact rambler that combines a dynamic exterior facade composed from elements of cottage, country, Craftsman and lodge styles with an open floor plan that fits todays informal lifestyles.

 

This country cottage house plan mixes the styling of a Craftsman and rustic mountain lodge to create a beautiful exterior façade, which is accented by a front and rear covered porch for extended outdoor living. The interior features an open floor plan with vaulted great room, chef’s kitchen with island and cozy nook with large corner windows. There’s a flexible front room that can be used as an office, den or formal dining area. This house plan also comes with a basement and daylight basement option to add to its future living space.

Looking to make changes to a house plan? You can customize any house plan to fit your lifestyle and needs by simply requesting a free modification quote from The House Designers.

 

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Green House Plans Featured in Professional Builder

by on October 6, 2011 in green house plans, House Plans

Professional Builders October issue highlights some of the best and most innovative green house plans to promote efficient living. One of the plans selected for their House Review feature piece was the Evergreen Cottage House Plan from The House Designers.

This house plan took first place in The House Designers 2nd Annual ENERGY STAR Competition, where leading architects and designers presented their best concepts and design solutions to address the challenges faced by home builders to build innovative, energy-efficient homes.

“This competition is just one way we try to encourage our architects and designers to create new, authentic, sustainable, energy conscientious home plans in support of our partnership with ENERGY STAR®,” said Tammy Crosby, CEO of The House Designers, the internets leading provider of residential house plans. “Being featured in publications like Professional Builder and Green Builder Magazine are all part of our initiative to educate consumers and builders about the benefits of building a green home.”

The results of this year’s competition produced a new collection of sustainable homes that mix high-tech and low-tech materials and systems with timeless architectural styling with up-to-date floor plans to ensure years of easy, efficient living. These plans can only be found at The House Designers exclusive ENERGY STAR® Approved/Green House Plan collection.

The Evergreen Cottage House Plan was selected because it offers tremendous flexibility in its design, while offering the latest in green technology and innovation. Both active and passive energy saving technologies have been considered, with such features as 6-inch SIP exterior walls, a 20-square-foot grass roof tile system, a Gale Vertical Axis Winder Generator or a Wind-Finder hidden in the traditionally detailed cupola, a rainwater capture and storage system, along with photovoltaic and water heating panels.

“One of the things we want to come through [with House Review] is the fact that designers don’t have to radically change their design approach to incorporate green elements and energy efficient features,” said Larry W. Garnett, FAIBD, House Review Lead Designer. “Take the Evergreen Cottage where you have a very traditional design with a lot of sustainable features built into it.”

Equally important is that designers and builders start to educate consumers by making them aware of the products and services available to build a green home. Since house plans are the first step in building a home, it is imperative the designers and architects present a strong case for why consumers should build a green home. Companies like The House Designers and publications like Professional Builder and Green Builder Magazine are instrumental in ensuring the “green” home building movement continues to gain momentum.

green house plans, house plans
The Evergreen Cottage House Plan is an award-winning green house plan that features the latest in green technology and innovation

 

 

 

 

 


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New House Plan Videos

New House Plan Videos

by on September 22, 2011 in green house plans, House Plans

New HD Green House Plan Videos from The House Designers

The House Designers recently added four new house plan videos to their House Designers YouTube Channel. Each house plan was recently featured in the ENERGY STAR House Plan Competition. This competition recognizes the most innovative new green house plans. These new videos were all created in High Definition featuring crisp, clear color renderings and floor plans so consumers and builders can visualize what these beautiful new homes will look like when they are built.

This two story green house plan features a a large bonus living space over the garage, which is joined to the main house by a covered breezeway. The foyer opens a flexible space on the left (great for a home office or cozy den), to the right is the dining room area which opens to the large great room complete with fireplace and high vaulted ceilings. The second floor features 2 bedrooms and a loft that share a bath. The kitchen is a cook’s delight complete with a large island, plenty of cabinets and work surfaces. The large breakfast nook has access to the covered patio, which is great for outdoor dining. The master bathroom is complete with a spa bath featuring a corner tub, walk-in shower, his and her vanities with make-up area, a private toilet chamber and a large walk-in closet. There is a large optional bonus space over the garage that can easily be converted into an apartment.


 

 

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Ask A Designer: Building a Green Home | green house plans

by on September 13, 2011 in green house plans, House Plans

The designers and architects at The House Designers would like to encourage consumers and builders to submit their questions about building a green home since they are the leaders in designing authentic green house plans.

This week’s question:

Q: Will I be sacrificing performance and style using WaterSense® bath products?

A: Homeowners typically use over 70 gallons of water a day per person. Much of that usage stems from bathroom activities. High-design, high-efficiency plumbing products for toilets, faucets and showerheads are now available and can reduce water consumption by 20 percent. For example, water flows from a standard showerhead at 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm), so a 10-minute shower (with the water running continuously) nets 25 gallons. This is why using a WaterSense® approved showerhead is so important to water conservation in your home. WaterSense® products must have a flow rate of 2.0 gpm or less, while also meeting performance requirements for flow rate across a range of pressures, spray force, and spray coverage. When it comes to high efficiency toilets, these models must consumer no more than 1.28 gallons per flush. All faucets must have a GPM of 1.5 or lower. All products must obtain third-party verification in order to qualify for the WaterSense® label.

We encourage you to visit our collection of ENERGY STAR/Green House Plans as well as catch up on the latest green building products and trends in our Product Ideas section, including articles like “Stylish and Water Efficient Bath Products,” “Designing and Eco-Friendly Kitchen,” “What Makes a Home Green.”

Don’t miss a single new article, by subscribing to The House Designers free weekly e-newsletter called Home Ideas.

This contemporary green house plan features radiant heat installed under the tile and stone floors, for an even distribution of heat and energy savings. The wood floors in this open, eco-friendly kitchen are made from Morning Star bamboo flooring by Lumber Liquidators.

 

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Getting Your Home Organized for Back-to-School | the house designers

by on September 5, 2011 in Floor Plans, House Plans

It’s not too late to get your home organized for back-to-school with these great tips from The House Designers.

With the new school year upon us, it’s the perfect time to get your home organized for all the papers, supplies and projects that will be making their way into your home. You can make the transition back-to-school a lot easier by incorporating some of these simple, cost-efficient organizational tips from The House Designers, America’s leading designers and architects of ready-made house plans.

If your mornings are already chaotic, you should try to create a practical schedule where you get as much done as you can the night before, like making lunches, getting clothes ready and packing backpacks.

the house designers

Pottery Barn Design Studio® features a free room planner where you can select from a wide range of furnishings for every room in your home, including your bedroom and home office. Shown is the American Classic Home Office.

You’ll want to create a dedicated area for homework. Take into consideration the age of your children and your home’s floor plan. Is their enough space in the children’s bedroom for a desk? Do you have a home office/den or a built-in desk in your kitchen/living area? Remember if you create a cool and inviting place for your children to do their homework, they may actually look forward to getting it done.

There are no avoiding lots of paperwork coming home every week, so you need to have a good filing system in place to help manage your daily schedule and events.

And let’s not forget all the A+ homework, projects and artwork that you will want to save. File boxes, portfolios and binders are great ways to store and save school keepsakes.

the house designers

If you have extra space in your kitchen or mudroom you should try and hang a bulletin board so you can keep track of daily to-do-items as well as upcoming events.

Speaking of mudrooms, make sure that you create organized storage areas for your child’s fall sports and activities. Check out the article Getting Organized: Storage Solutions & Ideas.

Enjoy The House Designers Editor’s Choice Great Office & Homework Spaces from their latest issue of Home Ideas.

 

 

 

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Fypon Offers New Real-Time Architect Website

by on July 13, 2011 in home building, House Plans

Architects and designers can now add exact specification details on synthetic millwork products to their blueprints for their latest home building projects by using Fypon’s® new architect website.

The website includes a Design Tools section with a Fypon® CAD program that features a searchable DWG library, detailed CSI specifications and access to the extensive Fypon® e-catalog of products so you can easily modify existing house plans with accurate product detailing.

“This on-line tool was designed to make it easy for architects to link Fypon® products to their projects,” says Janet Albright, marketing communications manager for Therma-Tru Corp.®, which offers the Fypon® product line. “The input we received from architects was invaluable to us creating a website that was in tune to how architects do their jobs. The ‘real time’ updates we developed with the input of architects are critical. These ‘real time’ updates provide architects with immediate access to all elements on-line with the ability to print each page if needed for a project.

“We recognize that architects are seeking out products that meet the needs of their ever-changing work environment where design and building codes continually change. The ‘real time’ aspect of this site assures architects of having the most updated product information at their fingertips with just a few clicks of the mouse. From photo galleries, to the detailed CAD drawings available on line, to the exact specifications of each product in the Fypon® e-catalog, architects can easily find the solution to their interior and exterior decorative product needs within this dedicated section of the Fypon® website.”

Fypon offers more than 1,900 synthetic pieces in the categories of Window & Door Trim, Mouldings, E-Vent™ Systems, Decorative Millwork, Louvers/Gable Vents, Balustrades & Columns, PVC Column Wraps, QuickRail® Systems and PVC Trim. Detailed product descriptions and measurements of each product are available in the on-line e-catalog.

 

 

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Designing Your Vacation Home | vacation homes

by on June 25, 2011 in Home Plans, House Plans

If you own a vacation home, you may find it challenging to figure out how the most affordable way to design and decorate it, while still making it appealing to renters. Since you’ll probably be using your home to vacation, you’ll need to find a way to balance your personal style and comfort with durable and affordable appliances and furnishings that can withstand the wear and tear of lots of traffic, especially if your home is a ski or beach destination.

Remember that renters have high expectations that a rental home will be as nice, if not nicer than their own home and filled with lots of amenities. Choose furniture that is easy to clean and durable. A great idea is to add slipcovers to your sofa and chairs, since they can easily be cleaned. One area where you shouldn’t cut corners is with the bedroom, since there is nothing worse than sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress.

Most vacation homes feature an outdoor living space so maximize this area if you can by adding a grilling area and comfortable furniture. If you’re looking to build a vacation home, look for house plans that feature open living spaces, mudrooms and functional kitchen designs.

For some great decorating ideas for your vacation home you’ll want to check out these two new articles from The House Designers – Decorating Your Vacation Home and Designing Your Rental Home.

 

 

 

 

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New England Inspired Homes | new england homes

by on June 3, 2011 in House Plans

If you’ve ever taken a vacation to the New England coastline stretching from the famed Newport, Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Massachusetts or through the cozy fisherman towns of New Hampshire and Maine you’ve probably stopped many times to admire the unique architecture and landscape of these beloved homes. If you’re not a beach person, then perhaps you have visited these quaint, historically rich states for a fall foliage trip on the Mohawk Trail or winter ski trip to the White Mountains.

new england homes

New England architecture has changed over the centuries but it continues to inspire architects and designers around the world to capture the charm and essence of these warm and efficient home designs, which range from Colonial to Cape Cod to Victorian to farmhouses.

The oldest New England style home is the Colonial, which typically features a symmetrical floor plan with a simple, rectangular shape in 2 to 2 1/2 stories. The second story floor plan is equal in size to the first floor and generally reserved for the bedrooms, though more contemporary designs tend to place the master suite on the first floor. The exterior features include a centered doorway flanked with rows of equally sized windows, a gable roof, classical styling such as columns, cornices, shutters and a brick or clapboard exterior.

Equally popular are Cape Cod homes, which were originally designed to withstand the harsh weather of the Northeast. Key features include window shutters, which are as much functional as decorative, wood siding or shake shingles, a steep roofline and gables. They are almost always one and a half stories with the bedrooms on the second floor. The interior features bright colors to complement a beach theme.

During the Industrial Revolution New Englanders became enchanted by the charm and elegance of Victorian architecture because of its unique design featuring ornamental elements like turrets, intricate gables and trim and wrap-around porches.

And of course one style that can’t be mistaken is the farmhouse with its large porch and windows to take in the views of one’s sprawling landscape.

Whether you’re looking to build a new home or looking for inspiration to remodel your existing home or simply enjoy architecture, you’ll have fun browsing through our collection of New England-inspired house plans, you’ll enjoy our collection of farmhouses, Colonials, Cape Cod, Victorian and Yankee Magazine House Plans.

 

 

 

 

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The Home of 2020 | modern homes

by on May 18, 2011 in House Plans

In an era of technological innovation, we’re seeing more and more infiltration of high tech gadgets into the home. These new technologies promise to make our home lives easier, more comfortable, safer, more energy efficient, and even more fun. The following infographic explores some of the potential technological possibilities we may see in our homes over the next decade.

modern homesBrought to you by The House Designers, offering a wide selection of quality house plans

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Celebrate National BBQ Month

by on May 11, 2011 in House Plans

Celebrate National Barbecue Month by checking out a sample of our newest and most popular house plans featuring great outdoor living spaces in this week’s Dream Designs newsletter.

Throw a cook-out or just enjoy family dinner in one of our outdoor kitchen designs featuring all the latest in outdoor cooking appliances, like hybrid cooking grills, refrigerators, small sinks and even the first outdoor dishwasher by Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. Add cabinetry, countertops, lighting, dining furniture and flooring and you have the perfect outdoor living room.

Many of these designs feature a pool area, lanai, porch and patio, wraparound deck and sunrooms so you enjoy quality time with family and friends. You can find useful tips and information on how to create a great grilling area by visiting the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association (HPBA), they also have some cool ways to celebrate National Barbecue Month.

This new traditional house plan features all the latest amenities, including a gourmet kitchen with walk-in pantry and large cooking island. Enjoy outdoor cooking and dining on the lanai featuring a built-in cooking station and just a few steps away is a pool and patio with a large outdoor fireplace that can be used for warmth and cooking.

Enjoy our collection of homes with outdoor living spaces and if you’re looking for some great grilling recipes check out our friends at Kalamazoo, they have some creative dishes to impress your guests.

 

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