1204 RoHouse the plan with a plan

So we spent some time reviewing the three configurations for the RoHouse family of house designs: the Twin Home, the Urban Infill, and the Suburban Townhouse. Now we need to go inside and look at the two floor plan configurations. For all three RoHouse configurations there are two floor plan options - the Transverse Stair which goes side to side, and the Longitudinal Stair which hugs the side wall. This is the view from the entry of the Transverse Stair plan, which includes a split level between the front living room and the back kitchen and dining area. We are able to make this bi-level plan because the Transverse Stair plan includes a front stoop that takes you up a few steps, all the better to get your front window a little above the sidewalk right outside. Continue reading "1204 RoHouse the plan with a plan"

0385 Tray House in the backyard

What's in a backyard, what do you need here. Well with the Tray House first you get a nice spot for a deck off the living area. This is your outdoor living spot, social place, extension of your living area in your own great outdoors. But you also get a nice patio between the carport and the living spaces, and a door straight in to the mud room. For what? Well, all I can tell you is that's where I'm putting my grill, and when friends are over the cooler with the beverages is going here too. So me and my pals can mind the grill and stay hydrated. And the car port is not bad next time you want to work on your car without standing out in the sun! Continue reading "0385 Tray House in the backyard"

1201 XHouse5 entry foyer

We'll get back to the yard in a moment, but right now lets step in the front door of the XHouse5. We're greeted with a bright entry hall/stair hall - the hinge point for the whole house. There is a coat closet right there under the stair, and a powder room a discrete distance from the living and kitchen spaces. Light comes in from the transom and sidelight at the front door, and from on high at the stair. Continue reading "1201 XHouse5 entry foyer"

1192 Lagom House 2 Story is the story of your life with a back porch

Do I really have to twist anybody's arm to convince you that a back porch is the perfect gateway to your own backyard? I know we've been ranting and raving about back porches lately, but here it is again. The awesome back porch world of the Lagom House 2 Story. You're welcome. Continue reading "1192 Lagom House 2 Story is the story of your life with a back porch"

0967 XHouse3 have not had enough back porch

If you are like me, you've got the fever and the only medicine is More Back Porch! Its Monday morning, you are back to work, and all you can think about is sitting on your XHouse3 back porch watching Spring roll into your back yard. I've got a nice table here - I could put my laptop up right there and get lots of work done. Totally. Thats the plan. As soon as I get plans and build my XHouse3... Continue reading "0967 XHouse3 have not had enough back porch"

0357 Steel Case House metal edition, as in all steel

One of the interesting things about the Steel Case House is that its available in several version. The logic here is that a steel house remains unusual, and as such difficult to get built. Either home builders have no experience in steel, or large commercial fabricators have no interest in doing a structure that is small like a house. By offering a range of configurations for the rest of the construction it makes it easier to find a combination that is workable with the trades you have easy access to. So the original uses a combination of masonry and wood frame to finish out. The SIPs version trades the masonry for insulated panels, better for cold climates. And the metal version trades carpentry for all steel trades, good if you have a light commercial builder to tackle the whole thing. And last the Timber Case version trades all steel for wood construction. Continue reading "0357 Steel Case House metal edition, as in all steel"

0965 XHouse2 little big house

We can't emphasize enough how the XHouse2 delivers on big living in a small footprint. From the kitchen, a big kitchen at that, the living room and dining area, smartly divided up by the stair, and note that there is a part of the kitchen hidden from view. Ok - someplace you can hide a mess if you need to! Continue reading "0965 XHouse2 little big house"

0380 Cube House open plan in an L shape

The question is how do you have open plan living when your house is a cube with a square plan with a stair in the middle of it? The Cube House does it by wrapping your open plan around the stair! So the Kitchen and dining are are on one leg, and the living room makes up the entire rest of the other leg. How about the rest of the donut? Home office, laundry and bathroom. Its very practical, really! Continue reading "0380 Cube House open plan in an L shape"

0518 U House - the Over View

Whats all this talk about at the U House courtyard and bedroom wings, and what does that look like? Even more descriptive than a floor plan in this case is a birds-eye view. The living/dining/kitchen wing of the U House is a bar with a raked roof - think of it like a one story Steel Case House if you will. The bedroom wings are simple bars, each bedroom equipped with an angled bay window to get great views even when they are not located on the end of the bar. Thats how it works - see for yourself! Continue reading "0518 U House - the Over View"

0237 Pretender's hidden roof deck

One of the great features of the Pretender is that the master bedroom has its own private outdoor space. But private outdoor space is hard to come by in the suburbs where your neighbors backyard is just over the fence. Most places you can't get a high fence - unless you have a swimming pool. The Pretender overcomes this challenge by offering a roof deck off the master bedroom, one that has screen walls towards the neighbor at the side, offering more than a little opportunity for privacy. Enjoy! Continue reading "0237 Pretender's hidden roof deck"

1299 XHouse4 look at that back yard, just look at it

Follow me up to the garage roof just for a moment, watch your step on the ladder, mind the basketball hoop and backboard. There, now that we're here look at the XHouse4's awesome backyard! Just look at it! Continue reading "1299 XHouse4 look at that back yard, just look at it"

0857 L House family room your home within your home

You remember that dramatic 2 story loft living room from the L House. Well right beside it is this great family room where you can sit and chill, wave to the folks in the yard and just do your own thing without all the 2 story drama, and no pressure to live up to your impressive taste in homes! Continue reading "0857 L House family room your home within your home"

0738 Palo Alto House, your welcome home

The full name of this house design is The Spirit of Palo Alto, and like some of the great Mid-Century modern houses from that community, the Palo Alto greats you with an open plan living space off the central courtyard. From here the living spaces are in wide communication with the backyard, your own private realm. Drop your coat in the closet by the front door, grab a beverage from the frig, and relax. Continue reading "0738 Palo Alto House, your welcome home"

0367 Porch House bedrooms with a view

So here's the thing. Its easy to drop a house down a beautiful site and pat yourself on the back for what a nice view you've got from the windows on that side of the house. Not good enough for us. Bedrooms on the side of the Porch House here enjoy a beautiful view through its angled bay window, a nice place to site with a book, your own window seat facing the best side of your site. Continue reading "0367 Porch House bedrooms with a view"

0970 Lagom House works on any site orientation

We've shown you already how the Lagom House fits on north facing and south facing lots, but its a house design for any site. So for streets that run north-south we have the West/East version of the plan. This orients the Lagom House the right way for the best solar exposure and uses a side yard orientation for the primary outdoor space for the house. This is a little different than the typical front yard/back yard, but with each Lagom House turned to the sun, each yard enjoys the same privacy as versions that are turned the other way. Check it out! Continue reading "0970 Lagom House works on any site orientation"

0862 XHouse1 terraced living space

We are going to look at the living space of the XHouse1 from 10 different places, because I hope like me you can't get enough of seeing what this terraced living space looks like. This is from the hallway/balcony just before the last set of steps up to the master bedroom. Continue reading "0862 XHouse1 terraced living space"

0242 Plat House living room

We often describe how the living room of the Plat House lets you enjoy the view and live with the landscape. So here it is. Looks even better with a real landscape! Continue reading "0242 Plat House living room"

1204 RoHouse the third configuration

So far we've showed you the RoHouse in the Twin home configuration, and the urban row house and infill configuration. The third configuration is for a suburban townhome, which is a row house with a front or rear facing garage, suitable for a townhouse development as often built in sub-urban communities. In most RoHouse plans a door direct from the garage is possible. And in communities planned with an alleyway for auto access and parking the garage can be reversed to face backwards towards the alley. Continue reading "1204 RoHouse the third configuration"

0385 Tray House the whole living space

Here's the whole Tray House, the kitchen and dining room, the living room and the entry foyer, the study behind that, the bedrooms upstairs, and bath too, the master bedroom closest to us. The only thing we can't see here is the mud room which is out of frame to the left. Look at the plan on the catalog page, and it will help you relate how all these places are arranged. Continue reading "0385 Tray House the whole living space"

1201 XHouse5 view from the backyard

From here at the back of the yard in the vegatable patch we can see the back of the XHouse5.  There are two sets of doors. A pair of sliders from the living area, and a regular door into the mud room. So when you are enjoying the yard, you can come and go through the sliders. When you come in from the garden you can go direct into the mud room and ditch those muddy gardening shoes. Continue reading "1201 XHouse5 view from the backyard"

1192 Lagom House 2 story is your stealth mod home

So maybe you don't want to freak out your neighbors, we totally get that. But you love a modern house as much as the next mid-century modern collecting freak. But who needs the hate mail, the town petitions, the trip to planning board - you know how much of a pain some neighbors can be when they have their style police hats on. Don't sweat it. The Lagom House 2 story is here to fly under their radar. By the time they figure out your dot-dash-DOT-dot windows you'll have won them over at your tupperware party in your cool open plan living room. Have your modern cake and eat it too - hold the grief. No fool'n. Continue reading "1192 Lagom House 2 story is your stealth mod home"