On the Boards: Small Space Living

Here's a quick look at something we have in the works. A small house that lives large. At  just over 1400 square feet, the house is compact, with a small footprint. A wide open first floor features a drop-zone in the foyer, built-in desk in the great room, and a surprisingly spacious kitchen.

Upstairs, the master suite features lots of glass, vaulted ceilings, a large glass shower, and walk-in closet. A secondary bedroom  also enjoys a private bath, while the oversized hallway has what is sure to be the favorite spot in the house: a built in bed lined with bookcases and a skylight.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this new design!

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New Pre-Designed Plan: The Meadow Rose

Our latest pre-designed plan, The Meadow Rose, features a common layout and uncommon details. It may seem familiar...indeed, the basic arrangement of rooms is classic, and the exterior is an expanded "five over four and a door" look that is as American as apple pie. But what sets this plan apart are the details. A cast stone band delineates between the stories, a graceful eyebrow dormer accents the roof, and a beautifully detailed front porch and classical front door highlight the front of the house.

The rear elevation shows even more a departure from the norm. Walls of glass flood the interior with light and patios, terraces, and a screened porch expand the living space into the outdoors. Again, the details make the difference. Insets of herringbone brick dress up the chimneys, and brick piers bring solidity to the terraces.

The main floor has a traditional layout...formal living and dining rooms flank the foyer. A gracefully sweeping staircase climbs from the foyer and joins a back stair at the landing. At the rear of the house, the floor plan opens up, a two story great room, large chef's kitchen, and vaulted morning room combine to form a generous space for entertaining. A huge walk-in pantry, mudroom with built-ins and closet provide a place for stowing all the essentials, and a main floor suite is privately located--making it perfect for guests, as an in-law suite, or even a private spot for live-in help. An oversized two-car garage has room for not only the family autos, but one corner can serve as a shop or potting area. At the opposite side of the main floor, a large sunroom expands the entertaining area and a book-lined library is a great spot for taking in the latest best-seller or working from  home. Throughout, intricate trimwork, built-ins, and special ceiling details set the house apart.

Upstairs, three more bedroom suites round out the sleeping quarters. Each bedroom has a private bathroom, one so grand it can serve as a second master suite. The true master suite rivals the finest hotel rooms. A corner fireplace, tray ceiling, and double door entry highlight the sweeping space. A morning kitchen is conveniently located--perfect for late night snacks, or a cup of coffee to get the owner's day started. The closet space is absolutely enviable. The smallest of the two walk ins features as much space as most couples need, and a room-sized second closet will satisfy the most discerning clothes horse. With walls of shelving, a center island, and convenient access to the laundry room, it's a dressing room that will have people talking for years. And the bath is no less memorable, with its barrel vaulted ceiling, glass walk-in shower, and sunken tub separated from the vanities by a pair of columns. The hallway overlooks both the foyer and great room, giving the whole house a bright and open feeling.

On the lowest level, the Meadow Rose provides more space for entertaining, with a large media room, fully outfitted wet bar, and a wine cellar. Another garage is perfect for storing the four wheeled "baby" in the family. Several thousand square feet of unfinished space provides room for storage, mechanical systems, and whatever rooms the lucky family who calls the house home may need in the future.

Including the finished portion of the lower level, The Meadow Rose is just over 6,000 square feet of bright, comfortable, beautifully detailed space. It's an heirloom house that's sure to be cherished for generations.

If you're interested in The Meadow Rose, or any of our other pre-designed plans, please contact us at southgateresidential@gmail.com.

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A Sneak Peak at A Whole House Renovation

This old gal isn't quite ready for her close up, but here's a sneak peak at a dramatic makeover of a timeworn house in a wonderful downtown neighborhood. We took the original 1100 square foot house, added a second floor, a new master suite, and replaced the original maze of small rooms with a wide open floor plan. The result is a 2700 square foot house with great curb appeal...and ready for the next sixty years!

We'll be bringing you some more photos of this house in the coming weeks. But for now, what do you think of the outside?

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New Plan: The Kirkwood

Here's the latest plan we are adding to our pre-designed portfolio: The Kirkwood. It's a 1690 square foot  cottage that has the features and feel of a much larger house.

The exterior is a mix of shake siding, metal roofing, and natural stone veneers. Accents of heavy timber and paneled shutters complete the look.

Inside, hallways have been kept to a minimum to make the most of the square footage. The core of the house is a wide open space with vaulted great room and dining space, and a kitchen with angled peninsula. A tall fireplace anchors the room, and a wall of glass overlooks a large screened in porch. The sleeping quarters are split...with two large family bedrooms sharing a large bathroom at the front, and a luxurious master suite at the rear. With a tray ceiling, corner tub, and a large walk-in closet, it's the sort of suite you might expect in a house twice this size.

As always, we would love to hear your feedback! And remember to join us on Facebook!

On The Boards, A Traditional Cottage

The second of two homes I'm currently designing for an infill lot, this house, like it's companion, has an elevation meant to blend seamlessly into a neighborhood of charming homes, most vintage to the 1920's-1940's. The steep streetside lot allows us to tuck a two car garage under the house, and a set of brick steps winds up to the swoop-roofed front porch. The mix of materials, including a half timbering effect in the steep front facing gables, gives the old-house look that the client and I were after.

The main floor is home to an open great room and kitchen area, with a wall of built ins and a corner fireplace. The lack of walls makes the relatively small square footage feel bigger than it is. The master suite fills the other side of the plan, with a large bedroom, luxurious bathroom, and a spacious walk in closet. A panel opens from the closet to the laundry, allowing the wash to be easily passed back and forth. The impressive staircase has stained glass windows at the landing, washing light down to the front door.

Upstairs, three bedrooms each enjoy ample closet space and access to a bath with double sinks. If needed, any one of the rooms could be called on to be used as a study, an exercise room, or craft area.

The house lives larger than its 2350 square feet, and will give its new owners the feeling of a much larger home, but with the benefit of less space to clean and maintain.

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On The Boards, A Classic Cottage

I've recently begun the design for two new houses that will go on an infill lot in a neighborhood of classic traditional houses. The client is a small real estate developer, who seeks to build small, quality houses in "walkable" neighborhoods. Our hope for these new  houses is that once completed, a passerby will be hard pressed to say whether they are new or recently renovated homes vintage to the neighborhood.

We capped the square footage at 2500. While the neighborhood homes range from 1600-over 8000, we wanted to create "right sized" houses...put the money into nice details and finishes rather than a lot of superfluous square footage and soaring ceilings.

Here's house one:

An asymmetrical gable with a swooping roof marks the entrance to the house. A porch stretches across the front of the house...perfect place to greet neighbors and enjoy the breeze. Exposed rafter tails and clipped gables are common architectural features in the neigborhood that we repeated here.

The first floor is designed to include all the spaces for day to day living. A large great room with fireplace and built ins is open to the foyer and the bright kitchen and dining area. A tray coffered ceiling brings height and detail to the great room. The master suite is convenient to the laundry room, meaning fewer steps with the dirty clothes. A large walk in closet and 5-piece bath make for the kind of suite usually only seen in larger homes.

Upstairs, a bright staircase with a deep plant shelf leads to the secondary bedrooms. Two are large, with double windows and ample closet space. The third is smaller, perfect to use as a home office, exercise room, or hobby space. All share a large bath with double sinks.

 Not shown here is the basement level, which includes a two car garage and storage space. While the total square footage is only 2300, the house lives larger.

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A Craftsman Facelift

Shortly after my clients purchased this small cottage in the heart of one of the most desirable neighborhoods in town, I helped them to substantially enlarge it by adding a large master suite, screened porch, and lower level garage. A few years later, we did phase two--enlarging the kitchen and improving the layout. With the interior of the house almost where they wanted it, they decided to start phase three--a facelift to bring some curb appeal to the unassuming facade.

The existing cottage has a small wooden front porch that is quite literally falling apart...and even if not for the sagging roofline and bowed floor, it did nothing to bring style to the house.

The "before" picture with the poorly detailed front porch. 

Drawing inspiration from the Craftsman cottages typical of the neighborhood, I re-imagined the house with a larger front porch with tapered columns on stone bases. The front gables will be clad in shingle siding, and the vinyl shutters will be replaced with board and batten ones. While it wasn't practical to replace all of the vinyl siding, the prominent front face will be re-clad in board and battens painted to match the existing siding. and stone veneer will be carried to window sill  height.  Finally, a new front door with appropriate detailing will complete the makeover.