Design

The Worlds Best Small House Plan has just been introduced at Simply Elegant Home Designs! The home design - the Scandia Modern Cottage  is actually a plan that Simply Elegant has had on the market, but has taken on a complete remodeling.  The result is the worlds best small house plan.  See images below and be sure to check out the videos. A modest interior, but with abundant natural light and a carefully designed open floor plan it fills large.  Check the interior video out at  small modern cottage interior   The exterior is simple and unique.  A modern cottage design.  Check out the exterior video at small modern cottage exterior The Scandia Modern Cottage was designed by Minnesota Architect Ron Brenner.  He had this to say about the project. “ Is the claim that this is the worlds best small house plan a little much? Perhaps; but I am very excited about the design.  To me the design if fresh and the floor plan functions beautifully. ...

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!

Every once in a while I like to give you an example of the tools I use in my business.  One of these tools is the Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer .  I use it to perform quick color studies; which helps me to narrow concepts down pretty quickly. The tool is pretty simple to use.  You just choose from one of their preloaded exterior architectural styles; then you paint the scene with colors that you choose from the Sherwin Williams palette.  Below is one set of color studies I performed in less than five minutes. When it's time to repaint your house you might give this tool a try.  You can find it at  Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer .   One important note:  Please put a good size sample up on your wall before you make a final commitment to your colors.  One additional step I do at Larson Brenner Architects and Simply Elegant Home Designs is to take my colors and apply them to my 3d house model.  You can see an example of that at Arch...

An In-Law Apartment I designed a few years ago is to be featured in an upcoming book by Michael Litchfield.  The book is called in-laws, outlaws and granny flats; and is slated to be available in bookstores and online by late February / early March. the book can be pre-ordered at the taunton store -  in-laws-outlaws-and-granny-flats The book features a number of case studies that illustrate ways in which homeowners are creating in-law suites.  In our case study - called "Billys Place" we converted an existing garage attic space into a beautiful live able one room studio for Grandpa. We used the volumes created by the shape of the roof and dormers to zone distinct spaces within. The living, sitting and entry zones lie underneath the main gable. The kitchen zone is carved into the northern dormer. The bed zone lies within the southern dormer. We at Simply Elegant Home Designs have created a couple of Garage / Studio Apartment designs inspired by "Billys Place".  If in...

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 .

At Larson Brenner Architects I am currently working a client on a new home design to be constructed in Rochester, MN.  Here we have run into a very common dilemma.  What to do with 3 1/2 cars worth of garage?    If you put all of that garage to the side of the house you get one very wide plan.  If you put all of that garage forward of the house you get one very deep plan.  Many lots cannot accommodate either one of those plan arrangements.  So what I have proposed to do here is to split the garages into two separate structures.  The main two car garage is directly connected to the house via the mudroom zone.  The additional 1 1/2 car garage is placed on the opposite side of the lot; resulting in a nifty little entry court.  See sketches below. Here you can see a birds eye view of the layout.  Notice the roof between the garage and house is low.  This helps to reduce the mass of the house.  Pulling the garages a bit f...

At Larson Brenner Architects I am currently working a client on a new home design to be constructed in Rochester, MN.  Here we have run into a very common dilemma.  What to do with 3 1/2 cars worth of garage?    If you put all of that garage to the side of the house you get one very wide plan.  If you put all of that garage forward of the house you get one very deep plan.  Many lots cannot accommodate either one of those plan arrangements.  So what I have proposed to do here is to split the garages into two separate structures.  The main two car garage is directly connected to the house via the mudroom zone.  The additional 1 1/2 car garage is placed on the opposite side of the lot; resulting in a nifty little entry court.  See sketches below. Here you can see a birds eye view of the layout.  Notice the roof between the garage and house is low.  This helps to reduce the mass of the house.  Pulling the garages a bit f...

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...

I ran across some photos of a 1970's era rambler that was for sale in the San Francisco area. This reminds me that there is an awful lot of housing product that can be re-inspired. I have seen so many try to turn a contemporary rambler into an arts and crafts home or some other more decorative architectural style. In this case the remodeling does not try to make the house into something that it is not. They simply build on the strengths of the design. Below are some pictures of the renovation. nice fresh exterior cabinets are a little traditional, but the overall aesthetic is still contemporary simple space with contemporary furnishings. the dark wood floors contrasted with the light walls adds drama Compare this house to so many 1950's through 1970's ramblers that you have seen. It makes you realize there is much potential in those old homes.

I ran across some photos of a 1970's era rambler that was for sale in the San Francisco area. This reminds me that there is an awful lot of housing product that can be re-inspired. I have seen so many try to turn a contemporary rambler into an arts and crafts home or some other more decorative architectural style. In this case the remodeling does not try to make the house into something that it is not. They simply build on the strengths of the design. Below are some pictures of the renovation. nice fresh exterior cabinets are a little traditional, but the overall aesthetic is still contemporary simple space with contemporary furnishings. the dark wood floors contrasted with the light walls adds drama Compare this house to so many 1950's through 1970's ramblers that you have seen. It makes you realize there is much potential in those old homes.

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...