The little town of Lost Rabbit....

This is a TND (Traditional Neighborhood Design) I visited several years ago.The town is called Lost Rabbit and is located on 260 acres in Madison County, Mississippi on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

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There are a lot of two story homes in this development because the lots are pretty small. Below you will see a small balcony, gas lights and REAL shutters. You can close the shutters to protect the windows... something you don't see a lot of people doing.

 Below you will find another home. Notice the use of different building materials (metal roofing, siding, stucco over brick and wood shutters) done right, the items will blend seamlessly into a lovely home. This home looks like it could have been added onto over time but with a modern feel as well. I really like the vents created by removing the brick at the top of the gable wall.

 Houston - we have a problem... Poor fellow, I'm quite sure this did NOT make his day.

 Last but not least... the inside. I am including this shot of a staircase in one of the homes. This is a LOT of white but it works.  The contrast between the black furnishings and white panels is very soothing. The look is modern, sexy and classic all at the same time.

Until next time... have a great week everyone!

Debra
DesignHouse Inc. - House Plans

Mud Rooms - for small spaces

A recent call for "what makes a mud room". Gave me an idea for the blog... maybe YOU were wondering the same thing?

It would be great if everyone had a dedicated mud room. Some homes are not large enough for one so lets see if we can come up with some ideas for those.

I would recommend a rear hallway that every family member uses regularly. 4-5 feet minimum in width - you really don't want things "sticking out" in the walkway.

If you have a staircase in the hall, use the area under the stairs to create a “drop zone” without taking up any extra room.  A wooden or metal bench is a great addition (if you have the room) to allow someone to remove shoes for storage. I would allow at least one hook and one shelf per household member for their own personal drop zone. Include an outlet or two for charging the electronics and cell phones we all have. 

I love to use a "built-in" locker design, when I have the chance, in our house plans. They don't take up a lot of room and you have an organized way of controlling clutter.

Flooring needs to be something easy to clean and be durable. Stained concrete or brick pavers would be a great flooring option for this area. Tile would be durable but you really need to seal the grout well in this area.


These ideas are not rocket science but I hope they get you looking at your space in a new light. Use your imagination and enjoy your new found storage space!




Debra
www.Design-House.com

Red Creek Cottage

 Looking for a smaller home that doesn't skimp on style? The Red Creek Cottage our DP-992 is a cute little 2 bedroom - 1 bath -  house plan hot off the drawing board!

An 8' deep front porch gives extra living area for relaxing. An open Great Room - Kitchen and Dining Area combo make those rooms feel huge. A gas ventless fireplace is accented with base cabinets with windows above. The Kitchen is perfect for entertaining and comes complete with an island , raised snack bar and a large walk-in pantry. Sliding glass doors allow extra light into the Dining Area.  Each bedroom has large walk-in closets and are located to the rear of the home for privacy.

A Great little house plan for the following homeowners:
A Starter Home
Retired Couple
Guest House
Vacation Retreat
Rental Property

Have a great weekend everyone.
Debra

Kitchen cabinets and window ideas

From the IBS2011 - a picture of the new kitchen base cabinet from Merillat.  If your kitchen sink has ever leaked, you can relate.

The following quote is from the Merillat website - "The Merillat CoreGuard Sink Base is made of an engineered polymer specifically designed to resist damage from spills and leaks. The face, frame and door assembly are wood, but behind them, everything is a water-resistant, non-wood material that’s easy to clean and is stain-resistant.

The floor has a slight forward tilt and a rib design to direct any spills forward. With CoreGuard, you can see a problem right away and clean it up. It’s a low-maintenance solution in a cabinet that’s built to last."

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Looking for extra light in your kitchen without losing wall cabinets? If you've got tall ceilings you have another option... install them over the wall cabinets! See the picture below for an example.

 What else can you gather from the Kitchen above? 

1. Textured glass on the front of the wall cabinets hide cups/plates, etc. but still give you a more open feel to the kitchen. 

2. Deep drawers under the cooktop are perfect for pots and pans. You can access everything in a drawer much easier than bending over to get to the back of a base cabinet.

3. White cabinets are a classic and stainless steel door pulls are a modern addition.

4. Tiling the wall from the bottom of the upper cabinets to the base cabinet below makes cleanup easier.

Hope you enjoyed the tips and have a great week!

Debra

You never know where design inspiration will come from next!

I have often heard you can tell a designer or architect by their photos... more design or architectural related than people. Well that can be very true!

Here are a few random pics for items I have been inspired by over the years.

Beautiful antique stained glass window. They don't make them like this any longer... lovely.

 This staircase and railing are from the same property. This picture shows marble stairs with beautiful railing that lead up to the window above.

The round brick columns above are found at one of the Mississippi rest areas we have stopped at.. beautiful. The french doors with really shutters are truly southern as well.

 The above stairs are not the classics you have been viewing but I thought I'd throw them in today. Glass tiles were used to cover the risers of each step giving color and durability to this staircase. Not a huge cost but it does add a lot of impact. Sometimes it's the small things that make a home special... just use your imagination.

If you need help creating your dream home plans, please let me know, I would love to help you. We create custom house plans as well as modify any of our DesignHouse house plans.

Take care until next time,

Debra