Design

Simply Elegant Home Designs has some big news coming. Ron Brenner, President of Simply Elegant says "This is going to be bigger than sliced bread. Bigger than the wheel. Well maybe I am going too far; but at least it will be bigger than the Segway" Stay tuned; a formal announcement will be made soon. hint above

Simply Elegant Home Designs is announcing a new relationship with Southern Living House Plans. Southern Living will be marketing two plans as seen below. The "Marine Farmhouse" The "Stillwater Craftsman" Ron Brenner, President of Simply Elegant Home Designs had this to say - " We are so excited about the opportunity to work with Southern Living House Plans. What we are trying to do here at Simply Elegant is to make truly good home design more economically achievable for the general public, and we see this new relationship with Southern Living as a great way to do that. We think our designs are special, and we want to get them out there for as many people to see as possible. The additional exposure we receive through SL will be more valuable than many press releases." The Marine Farmhouse is being featured this week (week of June 22nd) on the Southern Living Custom Builder program at http://www.southernlivingcustombuilder.com/

Simply Elegant Home Designs is offering a new house plan called the "Hudson Farmhouse" . The Hudson Cottage offers an open main level floor plan with connected spaces that are perfect family gatherings. The master suite and a home office sit "around the corner" from the main floor public spaces. Two additional bedrooms and a shared bath occupy the second floor. At almost 2700 square feet this is the largest plan that Simply Elegant now offers, yet it still retains the modest massing and scale of a traditional farmhouse design. This was achieved through careful 3 dimensional computer modeling and study. The images below depict the design. You can obtain more information on this plan and others at Simply Elegant Home Designs .

Many of today's home designs incorporate open floor planning - with kitchen, dining and living areas all very open to one another.  Open planning is great for entertaining and family gatherings because it allows people congretating within these "zones" to remain connected with one another.  One problem with open planning however is that sometimes the combined space becomes too large and begins to lose a sense of intimacy.  Also, how about that kitchen clutter?  Many clients want to remain "connected" with their guests while in the kitchen, but do not necessarily want all of that kitchen clutter exposed to their guests. There are a number of ways to combat these issues.  I will try to illustrate in the following examples designed by Larson Brenner Architects in Stillwater, MN. Photo below illustrates dining area and adjacent front foyer.  A dropped soffit in the foyer and hallway helps to define the edge of the dining space (ceiling elevation changes are a great...

It is the 10 year anniversary of "the not so big house" .  This was the first book in a series published by Residential Architect Sarah Susanka .  This series of books touts the virtues and benefits of great design, clearly illustrating with beautiful  and thoughtful examples that modest spaces can be as functional and more intimate than large ones.   The book series has been exceedingly popular, and Ms. Susanka has tirelessly promoted it.  In the process she has single handily done more to promote the value of an Architect than any efforts I have witnessed over my career by the American Institute of Architects.  For this I say - Thank You Sarah Susanka ! Her book series can be found at Amazon.com   Simple,Unique, Creative and Green House Plans

Simply Elegant Home Designs is offering a new house plan called the "Hudson Cottage" . This home design is their first plan that offers a main floor master suite and the opportunity for one level living. The Hudson Cottage offers an open floor plan with connected spaces that are perfect for cocktail parties, family gatherings or just hanging out with your friends. The images below depict the new design. You can obtain more information on this plan and others at Simply Elegant Home Designs .

I ran across this article the other day -   "trend toward smaller homes for thriftier seniors " The article sites the following housing trends for the 50 and over market: New house plans are getting a bit smaller - down to about 2300 sf average People are looking for affordability Folks are doing a lot of in home entertaining,  so open floor plans and kitchens with island seating are important.   Didn't I see this on a golden girls episode? People are seeking smaller house plans that still feel large - quote "more space-efficient design concepts include using less space for hallways, fewer walls to give a more open feel, and more storage under stairways and above kitchen cabinets"   Are you kidding me?  These are cited as revolutionary concepts? Seniors are open to smaller lots and higher densities Clients are making less expensive choices - eschewing granite counters for other alternatives Well I say it's a great feeling to be in style again!  These are ...