The House Designers

July 27, 2010

Save Money With Stock House Plans

Stock house plans offer something very important to new consumers — great value. Not only is the cost of a stock plan considerably lower than a custom design, but you’ll save on building costs because stock house plans have already been built and the design is proven. A custom plan works out the kinks as you go along, which can dramatically increase your cost to build.

For example, a custom blueprint by an architect or designer can begin at $2 per square foot, which means a 3,000 square foot home plan would cost minimally $6,000. A similar stock house plan averages around $750. Even with modification costs, a stock plan can easily be half the cost of a house plan drawn from a custom designer or architect.

You can save on construction costs when you use stock house plans, since most stock home plans have already been used at least once so any construction issues regarding the plan have already been resolved. You can also avoid unnecessary building costs and have more accurate budget estimates since the building process should be faster and more efficient.

One of the greatest things about using a stock house plan is the selection. There are thousands of architectural styles and collections to choose from so most likely you will be able to find what your are looking for. Don’t think for a minute that you’ll be forced to accept every single detail in your stock house plan. Making a few changes is no problem, because house plan modifications are very common and offered by most companies. Even with the additional modification costs, stock house plans give you more value for your money.

Our best-selling house plan is also ENERGY STAR approved.

June 3, 2010

Woman thrilled with ENERGY STAR® home

Last year I bought an ENERGY STAR® approved house plan from The House Designers and I have to tell you it was the best investment I’ve ever made. My builder was so impressed by how easy it was to build our home according to the ENERGY STAR® plans that they provided. It included all the necessary requirements like tight construction and duct systems, properly installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting and appliances and much more. Last week all the inspections and field verifications were performed by a HERS rater and I am thrilled to report that our new home is not only officially ENERGY STAR® qualified but absolutely stunning.

May 27, 2010

Dream Vacation/Retirement Home

I have been a subscriber to The House Designers Dream Designs for the last 3 years. Every week I look forward to seeing the latest house plans offered by this group of very talented designers and architects. I must confess I never had any intention of building my own home – I just love looking and learning about the latest trends and styles in home design.

I am close to retiring and have renovated practically every room in my home over the years, many changes were based on ideas I’ve gotten from The House Designers, particularly their product ideas section featuring very well-written and informative articles and information.

After looking at the latest issue of Dream Designs featuring some of their newest designs, my husband and I decided that we MUST build this home. Lucky for us we already love our land, which is on the coast of Florida, so we plan on simply knocking down our original home and replacing it with the Brunswick.

All I can say is this is a dream home for us – it has gorgeous window designs so we can enjoy the view of the ocean, especially from the roof deck. Every room is open and flexible – perfectly designed for oceanfront living. The outdoor living room is fantastic with a fireplace and large gathering area – and of course the pool and patio is a must have for the grandkids, not to mention the billiards room.

I’m really big on socializing while I cook, which makes this fabulous kitchen with open living space perfect for entertaining or simply chatting with the family. I must say I can’t remember being this excited about a project. Thank you for your inspiration – I will be sure to send you pictures of when our dream home is completed.

This dazzling home features everything you need for indoor/outdoor living.

May 21, 2010

Sustainable & Stylish Decking Products

The demand for sustainable materials and the popularity of outdoor living areas such as decks has led to a growth in “green” decking materials. One of the most popular and affordable sustainable materials is composite decking, which blends wood fiber and recycled plastic to create a highly durable and beautiful product. Our latest issue of Home Ideas features the latest trends in deck designs and the top green decking products to build and design your outdoor retreat. You’ll learn about some of the hottest decking materials from leading companies like TimberTech®, TAMKO®, Weyerhaeuser® and Tiberon® as well as some new creations like TimberSIL® which is made from glass and BamDeck® which is made from a 100% bamboo.

May 19, 2010

Dazzling Products For Small Bath Spaces

Here are some great design ideas to make a small bathroom appear larger without sacrificing aesthetics, comfort and functionality.

One of the simplest ways to make a small bathroom appear larger is to choose light colors for the décor and the appropriate style and size for your sink design. If you want to add some bright, bold colors to your small bathroom, use accent colors in your border or decorative accessories like mirror frames and bathroom hardware.

Choosing light colors for your bathroom flooring will aid in making your bathroom appear more open and roomier. Some of the more popular colors for bathroom floors are tans, light grays and light blues. By incorporating light colors on your walls and floors, you will have created the basis for a light colored décor that will give your small bathroom design the appearance of a much larger space. Read the entire article in the latest issue of Home Ideas featuring dazzling and eco-friendly new products from top companies like Linkasink®, Newport Brass Company®,Danze®, Delta®, Toto® GRAFF®, and many more.

Linkasink's® new line of patterned bronze sinks, which are made from 100% recycled materials make a stunning addition to any bath design.

May 13, 2010

Great Outdoor Living Designs

The essence of outdoor living is to create an extension of your home, but with all the comforts of the great indoors. With the rising cost in gas and travel prices, families are deciding to stay closer to home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create that great getaway feeling with your outdoor living space, you just have to choose the right elements.

A key ingredient in most outdoor living spaces is a fully equipped and designed kitchen. You’ll find items like sinks, dishwashers, refrigerators, granite countertops, tile backsplashes, gourmet gas and charcoal grills and much more. To further impress, you can add a fireplace, television, stereo system and high-end teak or wrought iron furniture. A popular design trend is having your outdoor kitchen appliances encased in an island or cooking center constructed of concrete, brick, stucco, slate, limestone or similar counters and bases.

Before you go out shopping you’ll need to decide how you plan on using and designing your outdoor space. Do you want to create a retreat or an entertainment space? Do you need a space for food preparation and storage or will a grill be enough? Is a wet bar or hot tub a must for entertaining? Perhaps a combination of all these ideas can be used to create a special outdoor living space that your family and friends can enjoy.

Almost all of our designers and architects are adding an outdoor living space to their house plans, so you can easily create and customize your own private retreat. The latest issue of Dream Designs highlights some great outdoor living designs.

April 27, 2010

Top Water Sensible Kitchen Faucets

To help you find the right faucet for your kitchen design, we’ve put together a list of some of the latest options, styles and technologies from some of the leading faucet manufacturers:

ShowHouse by Moen has redesigned the look of its Woodmere faucet to give it a sleeker and thinner appearance. The new model has a high-arc spout and S-shaped handle with single-hole mounting. The pull-down wand comes with a spray, steam and pause option. The pause option is a great water-efficiency feature because it allows you to control the water flow without turning off your water. Designing is made easy with this model, which has a reversible side-mount handle, which can be placed on either the right or the left side of the faucet.

For more top kitchen faucets, check out the latest issue of Home Ideas. You’ll also find our list of sleek and energy efficient cooktops and how to design an eco-friendly kitchen.

April 6, 2010

Luxurious House Plans

At The House Designers you will find a collection of house plans to build your luxury dream home that range from 3,000 to 22,000 square feet. With over a thousand unique luxury designs from the leading architects and designers in the United States, finding the perfect luxury home to build is easy.

You’ll find spacious floor plans designed to pamper and impress with highly detailed great rooms, oversized master suites, libraries, media rooms, gourmet kitchens, 5 star dining rooms and an exterior that will make you the envy of the neighborhood.

If you want to make changes to any of our plans, we’ve made plan modifications an easy process with a free modification quote. Unlike larger, stock house plan companies the designer of your house plan will make the modifications for you.

We invite you to browse are collection of stock luxury home plans. And check out our latest issue of Dream Designs featuring some of most popular luxury designs.

Elegant Mediterranean estate.

March 18, 2010

Great Collection of Two Bedroom Plans

Whether you’re looking for an affordable starter home, vacation cottage or a guesthouse addition, our two-bedroom house plans are designed to be as simple or luxurious as your budget and tastes requires. You’ll find a wide range of architectural styles and sizes featuring gourmet kitchens, wraparound porches, large master suites and open floor plans to adapt to your changing lifestyle.

So start searching for a two-bedroom plan that fits you with our recent issue of Dream Designs, featuring some of our best-selling designs. Be sure to check out our newest addition – the Wakefield, which is just over 2,000 square feet but comes with a 279 square foot bonus room and two-car garage. Other highlights to this floor plan include cathedral ceilings, a formal living room with fireplace, a kitchen with lunch counter, solarium, and first floor master suite.

March 4, 2010

Our newest house plans

Every month we continue to add new house plans to our collection of over 4,000 best-selling house plans to meet the growing needs and styles of homeowners. Some of the most popular home design features that consumers are looking for in their new house plan are: a split level floor plan layout; green features; functional and easy to maintain using the latest building products and technology and an open floor plan to allow for flexibility. Take a look at this Frank Lloyd Wright inspired house plan with its stone exterior, low roofline and covered entryway. The main floor features a roomy master suite and office with the kitchen and living area just down the hall. A built-in bench wraps around the kitchen area, making additional seating and cozy spaces for entertaining family and friends. The lower level is spacious with a recreational room, exercise space and three additional large bedrooms. Enjoy more of our new and exciting house plans in our latest issue of Dream Designs.

The open floor plan allows for plenty of flexibility and entertaining.

January 16, 2010

IBS to showcase new building products

The International Builders’ Show is the largest annual home building show in the world, featuring over miles and miles of the latest and most advanced building products and services ever assembled under one roof. You’ll find the newest innovations and house designs by leading architects, builders and manufacturers in over 300 home building categories at IBS, which takes place Jan. 19-21 in Las Vegas.

Here is a preview of some of newest products, which have been smartly crafted by top brand companies for today’s savvy, environmentally friendly homebuilder – Jenn-Air Wall Ovens, Broan-NuTone Exhaust Fan, CraftMaster Green Doors, DuPont features new color surfaces, Ply Gem premium insulated siding, Lutron sensors and many more new products from this year’s exhibitors.

Tiny green house plans like the Asheville are the focus of the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

December 14, 2009

European-inspired house plans

Enjoy browsing through our collection of European house plans, where our architects and designers have taken great care to balance luxury and comfort to create the perfect home design. Stunning photography and detailed floor plans make it easy to envision each room in your new home.

For example, the St. Murelle mixes stone and brick to create a rich exterior. Inside you’ll appreciate the open feel of the great room and the arched openings that lead into the adjoining dining room with a circular 14 foot ceiling. The well equipped kitchen is located centrally between the breakfast room and the dining room for the ultimate in convenience. The private master suite can be found on the main floor as well. Upstairs, three comfortable bedrooms with large walk in closets await the children or guests. A computer center and large bonus room complete the upper level of this charming European house plan. Enjoy outdoor living year round with a screened porch with stone fireplace.

December 5, 2009

Kitchen Lighting Design Ideas

The kitchen is probably the most important room to have proper lighting design. The goal in kitchen lighting design is to create a bright working space combined with various layers of light to create ambiance, since your kitchen is not just a place to work and create great dishes, but also a place for entertaining and dining. From chandeliers to recessed and track lighting to sconces, the combinations and options are endless for your new kitchen. Whether you are considering a tiny house plan, green design or luxury house plan, you need to take special care with the design of your home lighting, particularly in the kitchen. You can learn more by visiting the lighting experts at LAMPS PLUS® and exploring one of the largest selections of home lighting.

This kitchen is a chefs delight with an abundance of counter space for food prep and entertaining. The L-shaped center island is filled-in with a rounded glass serving bar.

This kitchen is a chefs delight with an abundance of counter space for food prep and entertaining. The L-shaped center island is filled-in with a rounded glass serving bar.

November 20, 2009

New house plan inspired by Caribbean

New for November, is the Bahama Breeze house plan, which was inspired by the casual elegant resorts of the Caribbean. This European-style, two-story home was designed with lots of large windows and sliders to capture the outdoors. There’s plenty of curb appeal with its beautiful mahogany and gas lantern entrance, front porch and balcony featuring large decorative columns and double entry doors. The grand room is magnificent with its wood beamed ceiling and staircase. When it comes to entertaining you have a large kitchen with island and open dining space. There are plenty of outdoor living spaces with the enclosed veranda, front and rear porch and balconies.

As for pampering and privacy, the second floor master suite has a see-thru fireplace into the spa-like bath retreat with garden tub and walk-in shower. The ceiling is vaulted with beams and there’s a large 20 ft wide window seat. There’s a wet bar and private access to a home office.

Additional amenities include a wet bar, elevator, exercise room with morning kitchen, 2 laundry rooms, second floor media room, a veranda with retractable screens and much more.

Capture the elegance and pampering of the Caribbean with this new house plan.

Capture the elegance and pampering of the Caribbean with this new house plan.

November 16, 2009

Editor’s Top 10 Green Products 2009

The editorial staff of The House Designers has spent several months working with their architects, designers and builders to find out what green building products they would recommend to consumers looking to build their dream home. Here is our list of Top 10 Green Home Building Products for 2009 based on performance, innovation and design:

1. GE Hybrid Water Heater

The new GE® Hybrid Water Heater is the first water heater to be ENERGY STAR® rated and the first to be listed on the U.S. Department of Energy‘s website. This new energy efficient heat pump electric water heater can reduce energy expenses up to 62%, saving as much as $320 annually on energy bills.

2. ALNO Kitchen Cabinet

The ALNOCLASS kitchen cabinet collection lowers the carbon footprint, while delivering high style and cutting-edge technology. The door fronts are constructed of 100 percent sustainable oak from FSC-certified forests and its matte lacquer finish is free of VOCs. Those looking to spice it up a bit can add a mobile multifunctional niche unit that keeps your most important kitchen utensils within arm’s reach. The best part is that the glass cover, which is used to conceal the components when not in use, can be outfitted with your choice of colored LED light fittings.

3. Benjamin Moore’s Green Promise® products

Benjamin Moore continues to grow its portfolio of Green Promise® products, which includes Aura, high–performance low–VOC paint; Natura Zero-VOC interior paint, which is considered one of the greenest and safest paints available in the residential market. The Green Promise® designation is Benjamin Moore’s assurance that its environmentally friendly coatings meet and exceed the strictest industry standards, while also delivering the premium levels of performance and color you would expect from Benjamin Moore. But how did they get to be so green? The reason is the combination of both the base paint and the colorant. In addition to Aura and Natura, the Green Promise line also includes Aura Bath & Spa, Waterborne Ceiling Paint and ben.

4. Brizo faucets and showers

Brizo®, the luxury brand of Delta Faucet Company (DFC), brings eco-friendly elegance into the home with a line of products that are both environmentally responsible and aesthetically pleasing. Showcased at the 2009 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the new Brizo green platform includes a range of water-efficient products with luxurious and sustainable design. Many Brizo lavatory faucets, such as the Vesi® Channel and Vesi Curve design, flow at 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 pounds per square inch (psi), saving approximately 30% of water. In the kitchen you’ll find many product lines featuring its new SmartTouch technology, which allows the user to turn the water on and off with just a tap anywhere on the spout or handle. The faucet’s hands-free functionality allows users to easily wash hands, dishes or food without ever touching the faucet. With this new technology, homeowners are able to conserve water and energy by activating water only when needed, saving an average of 0.3 gallons of water per minute.

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