Design

Here at Simply Elegant Home Designs we are convinced that we offer the absolute best house plans in the business. To prove this point we are going to start featuring a “Home Plan of the Week”. The idea is to illustrate what makes our plans so special. Better yet, we will also offer a significant discount for the featured plan for that week. And you don't even have to join Groupon! Apple Valley Four Square The Apple Valley Four Square  is our first House Plan of the Week.  Click on the link to see the plan and look for the 40% discount (through 5/20/11 only).   What makes this house so special? Let one of our recent clients explain through their testimonial.  I have excerpted portions below. “ Yes, absolutely: feel free to share my delight in finding The Apple Valley Foursquare. It is a darling house.  We love the prairie schoolhouse vibe and the simple elegance of the exterior . As well, we appreciate the 2-sided light in each room . We are treating the ...

Green is the big thing now in the design world and the house plans business.  I recently ran across these images of Icelandic houses that definitely take green to the next level of meaning.  Check them out below. I love the repeating simple gable roof forms. Grass grows nicely in Iceland.  Remember Iceland is green and Greenland is white. The details exhibit a strong Scandinavian design influence. Wow!

I ran across this sculpture installation that really caught my eye.  A really simple fireplace wall composition with one spectacular piece of art.  The glass wheat sculpture is designed by Canlis Glass out of Seattle, Washington.  Check it out. Simple composition of the fireplace wall.  A contemporary fire box and open display niche sit side by side.  Wheat sculpture centered above. Lighting is important here as it really emphasizes the overall texture of the glass. The stems of glass are set into the base of the sculpture; which in this case also serves as the fireplace mantel. I don't want to know how much this costs. I would imagine that this unique glass sculpture is cost prohibitive.  But the idea of the fireplace wall can be borrowed.  Keep the composition very simple.  No need for a fancy fireplace surround with expensive stone and and an ornate mantel.  Instead just place one interesting piece of art above.  Beautiful idea.

Simply Elegant Home Designs is very proud to offer an amazing new house plan - the   Excelsior Farmhouse Cottage ; designed by Ron Brenner of Larson Brenner Architects.  The design combines elements from traditional farmhouse and contemporary cottage home styles.      Excelsior Farmhouse Cottage  - Front Excelsior Farmhouse Cottage - Side / Rear Excelsior Farmhouse Cottage - Living Room This home plan’s exterior is characterized by this designer’s exquisite attention to scale, proportion, window patterns, materials and all of the details. A beautifully proportioned second story front gable and graceful columns provide a striking entry to the home.  Subtle overhangs with delicate brackets provide interesting shadow lines and help to protect the windows below. The main floor accommodates kitchen, living and dining areas within its elegant open floor plan. Upstairs the three bedrooms, including the master suite, are neatly placed beneath an interes...

I just completed a new home design for a client that will be built in "Tapestry at Charlotte's Grove"; a new community in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.  This modern cottage house plan is a classic example of the kind of work I love to do.  Simple yet dramatic in form.  Clean detailing inside and out.  Open and connected spaces.  Efficient in it's use of space and relatively affordable to construct.  Here is a sneak peek at the exteriors. Look for a variation of this design to be offered soon at   Simply Elegant Home Designs .

I just completed a new home design for a client that will be built in "Tapestry at Charlotte's Grove"; a new community in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.  This modern cottage house plan is a classic example of the kind of work I love to do.  Simple yet dramatic in form.  Clean detailing inside and out.  Open and connected spaces.  Efficient in it's use of space and relatively affordable to construct.  Here is a sneak peek at the exteriors. Look for a variation of this design to be offered soon at   Simply Elegant Home Designs .

You can learn much from studying rooms that you love. Below I have attached a living room picture from a home I designed a few years ago. This turned out to be a very calm and soothing space. I wish I were sitting there now! A few key points: Windows were placed on both of the outside walls of the space. I always try to have natural lighting feeding into a space from more than one direction. Fireplace wall design was asymmetrical. Here form followed function. We needed a hideaway for the flat screen on one side, but not both. That left space for a cozy bench on the other side of the fireplace. A funky half oval shaped fireplace was used. This adds a very unique detail to an element that is normally very predictable (the rectangular fireplace box). Yellow walls with cream trim; natural wood floors and leather - the materials and colors are comforting. Dark ebony stained trim is used sparingly to cap off the fireplace and media cabinet and at the stair railing. This adds richnes...

You can learn much from studying rooms that you love. Below I have attached a living room picture from a home I designed a few years ago. This turned out to be a very calm and soothing space. I wish I were sitting there now! A few key points: Windows were placed on both of the outside walls of the space. I always try to have natural lighting feeding into a space from more than one direction. Fireplace wall design was asymmetrical. Here form followed function. We needed a hideaway for the flat screen on one side, but not both. That left space for a cozy bench on the other side of the fireplace. A funky half oval shaped fireplace was used. This adds a very unique detail to an element that is normally very predictable (the rectangular fireplace box). Yellow walls with cream trim; natural wood floors and leather - the materials and colors are comforting. Dark ebony stained trim is used sparingly to cap off the fireplace and media cabinet and at the stair railing. This adds richnes...

My better half (Kelley) sent me the kitchen photo below. She loves it and so do I. Here are a few observations: No upper cabinets - most of the storage is below counter height. I suspect there may be a pantry around the corner or pantry cabinets out of view. Eliminating the upper cabinets allows plenty of glass I like the mix of old and new. Actually its mostly new but a rather ornate crown molding and the carrera marble counters add a touch of traditional and soften the hard lines. All of that counter space allows room for accessories to decorate the space. This starts to feel like another room rather than a kitchen.

My better half (Kelley) sent me the kitchen photo below. She loves it and so do I. Here are a few observations: No upper cabinets - most of the storage is below counter height. I suspect there may be a pantry around the corner or pantry cabinets out of view. Eliminating the upper cabinets allows plenty of glass I like the mix of old and new. Actually its mostly new but a rather ornate crown molding and the carrera marble counters add a touch of traditional and soften the hard lines. All of that counter space allows room for accessories to decorate the space. This starts to feel like another room rather than a kitchen.

Here is another nice home design idea - a floating stair. The residential design world tends to do things the same way over and over while commercial building design tends to be more experimental. Below is an example of an interesting floating stair that would be well suited to any contemporary / modern house plan. The stair is supported be a series of steel stringers which span from floor to landing. By holding the bottom of the riser above the tread one gains the illusion of "floating". The flat wood paneling at the interior wall and the commercial grade "storefront" window system beyond add to the modern aesthetic. So when you working with your Architect on the design of your new home, ask him / her to think about the details in a unique way. It is the details that will make your home truly special.

Here is another nice home design idea - a floating stair. The residential design world tends to do things the same way over and over while commercial building design tends to be more experimental. Below is an example of an interesting floating stair that would be well suited to any contemporary / modern house plan. The stair is supported be a series of steel stringers which span from floor to landing. By holding the bottom of the riser above the tread one gains the illusion of "floating". The flat wood paneling at the interior wall and the commercial grade "storefront" window system beyond add to the modern aesthetic. So when you working with your Architect on the design of your new home, ask him / her to think about the details in a unique way. It is the details that will make your home truly special.

This is the first in a new series that I will be starting called "Design Ideas". What I would like to do is illustrate little design ideas that can help to make your home special. So here goes. The photo below is a Kitchen in a home that I designed at Larson Brenner Architects. This unique house plan - The Lakeland Cape Cod - is currently available for purchase at Simply Elegant Home Designs . It is a pretty simple kitchen layout but a few things make it special. The kitchen cabinetry composition beyond is kept simple and clean. A soffit with crown molding connects the upper cabinets to the ceiling. A "mantle" was designed for the range, which serves as a counterpoint to the fireplace mantel on the other side of the room (not seen in photo). Under cabinet lighting provides highlights for the tile back splash and counters. An upper cabinet extends down to the counter and is fitted with glass to display the china. A solid walnut butcher block on the island top...

This is the first in a new series that I will be starting called "Design Ideas". What I would like to do is illustrate little design ideas that can help to make your home special. So here goes. The photo below is a Kitchen in a home that I designed at Larson Brenner Architects. This unique house plan - The Lakeland Cape Cod - is currently available for purchase at Simply Elegant Home Designs . It is a pretty simple kitchen layout but a few things make it special. The kitchen cabinetry composition beyond is kept simple and clean. A soffit with crown molding connects the upper cabinets to the ceiling. A "mantle" was designed for the range, which serves as a counterpoint to the fireplace mantel on the other side of the room (not seen in photo). Under cabinet lighting provides highlights for the tile back splash and counters. An upper cabinet extends down to the counter and is fitted with glass to display the china. A solid walnut butcher block on the island top...

I ran across this photo of a nice modern bedroom space and thought I would pass it on along with a couple of thoughts. Obviously the design is all about the connection with the outdoors. Floor to ceiling glass with a patio directly outside bleed the definition between outside and inside. If it was my design I might have extended the roof line outward to create a covered patio zone. This would have created a transitional space between inside and outside. The room is nearly void of detail. Why distract from the view? A very simple palette of material and color. The decorating takes a back seat to the outdoors. So what's the moral to this story? If you have a beautiful yard take advantage of it. Spend more money on glass and patio / porch space and spend less by keeping the interiors more minimal. PS - you can see more photos of this home at http://www.househomedesign.com/residential-home-design/luxury-residence-in-bridgehampton

I ran across this photo of a nice modern bedroom space and thought I would pass it on along with a couple of thoughts. Obviously the design is all about the connection with the outdoors. Floor to ceiling glass with a patio directly outside bleed the definition between outside and inside. If it was my design I might have extended the roof line outward to create a covered patio zone. This would have created a transitional space between inside and outside. The room is nearly void of detail. Why distract from the view? A very simple palette of material and color. The decorating takes a back seat to the outdoors. So what's the moral to this story? If you have a beautiful yard take advantage of it. Spend more money on glass and patio / porch space and spend less by keeping the interiors more minimal. PS - you can see more photos of this home at http://www.househomedesign.com/residential-home-design/luxury-residence-in-bridgehampton

Over the past year I have had several clients make reference to the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. They all love the house that Meryl lives in but cannot put into words exactly what it is that draws them. So I thought I would take a little closer look to see if I could discover the secret to this house. The exterior of the home is very unassuming. Simple composition with handsome materials and elegant window patterns. The landscape is an important element to this homes exterior. The foyer demonstrates the use of a simple material and color palette. Rustic wood and quarry tile floors, neutral plaster and painted trim. The dark windows add a level of sophistication. Also notice how the simple arches break down the length of the hallway. A very simple but well proportioned composition of fireplace and bookcases. The wood beamed ceiling adds a coziness to a space that might otherwise feel too voluminous. The kitchen is lig...

Over the past year I have had several clients make reference to the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. They all love the house that Meryl lives in but cannot put into words exactly what it is that draws them. So I thought I would take a little closer look to see if I could discover the secret to this house. The exterior of the home is very unassuming. Simple composition with handsome materials and elegant window patterns. The landscape is an important element to this homes exterior. The foyer demonstrates the use of a simple material and color palette. Rustic wood and quarry tile floors, neutral plaster and painted trim. The dark windows add a level of sophistication. Also notice how the simple arches break down the length of the hallway. A very simple but well proportioned composition of fireplace and bookcases. The wood beamed ceiling adds a coziness to a space that might otherwise feel too voluminous. The kitchen is lig...

Every once in a while I like to give you an example of the tools we use in this business called Architecture. Things have come a long way since the old pencil and straight edge days. Now we perform all of our designs "virtually" using 3 dimensional computer programs. These programs allow an Architect to understand and communicate a design better. Below is an example of a design for a client that has been completed. But we are trying to get a better feeling for a potential color scheme. In this case my client had a few color schemes in mind. So I did a series of studies using "Sketchup" - one of our 3d modeling tools. This is a great way of testing a color scheme before you get committed to it. These studies helped my client get comfortable (excited even) with her color choices. So don't just use those little paint chip cards to make your final selections. Get your colored pencils out and test the scheme on one of your house elevations. Or better yet h...

Every once in a while I like to give you an example of the tools we use in this business called Architecture. Things have come a long way since the old pencil and straight edge days. Now we perform all of our designs "virtually" using 3 dimensional computer programs. These programs allow an Architect to understand and communicate a design better. Below is an example of a design for a client that has been completed. But we are trying to get a better feeling for a potential color scheme. In this case my client had a few color schemes in mind. So I did a series of studies using "Sketchup" - one of our 3d modeling tools. This is a great way of testing a color scheme before you get committed to it. These studies helped my client get comfortable (excited even) with her color choices. So don't just use those little paint chip cards to make your final selections. Get your colored pencils out and test the scheme on one of your house elevations. Or better yet h...