What makes a home inviting? As with any discussion of design elements, the answer is usually quite subjective. Diverse personal preferences make it difficult to nail down specifics, but a few general guidelines can help increase the attraction and comfort of several areas in your home. The front door and entry,...
Search our A-Frame House Plans collection Many consider the A-Frame style house the classic vacation home. It is easily imagined, nestled away in a natural setting, reflecting itself in the rippling waters of a calm lake, or overlooking the crashing waves of an ocean beachfront. The A-frame house has been cast...
As one of the most prominent interior architectural features, custom staircases are an increasingly popular way for homeowners to make a captivating first impression. Interior stairways help define a home's look and serve as more than just a connecting point between two levels. Today's stairway offerings include a wide selection of...
Search our Florida Home Plans collection The design of the Florida style home is directly related to the rigorous climate of that sultry southeastern state. With a nearly year-round dose of heat, humidity and termites - not to mention an infamous hurricane season - this region has all but done away with...
Search our Farmhouse House Plans collection Farmhouse style homes are most commonly identified by deep, sprawling covered wrap-around porches that often shade more than just the front of the home. These homes are closely related to Country style homes, but generally give the impression of having a higher physical profile. Farmhouse...
Search our online European Style Homes Plans collection European style homes do not usually mirror a specific architectural style from a specific European country. Rather, these homes generally embody a blend of architectural "flavors" that cast an overall look and feel that says "European." The appearance of these homes can range from...
By David Porter AIA - Consulting architect to the Garlinghouse Company since 1989 You have looked through lots of plans magazines or you have spent hours sitting at your computer looking at plans services' websites and there it is; bingo....a rendering or photograph of that dream house you have always wanted. ...
Search our Cottage Home Plans collection Thinking of Cottage style homes, one might become swept away with images straight out of a children's story book. Quaintly pitched roofs, hand-hewn beams, candle-lit shuttered windows, cobblestone walkways, etc. (not to mention hard-working dwarves, cuddly forest animals, poison apples, etc.) One thing is for sure -...
Search our Contemporary Home Plans collection Jutting angles. Sleek styling. Clean lines. Polished glass. Are these the words to describe a work of modern art? Perhaps. But just as easily, they might portray the look and feel of a Contemporary style home. Contemporary homes are designed as architecturally inspired sculptures, yet they offer...
Search our Colonial House Plans collection With nearly four centuries of popularity, the Colonial has long been considered the classic American home. Two-story symmetry articulates the "look" of the Colonial home, and often - but not always - these homes employ the theme of "five over four, with a door" (five upper-level windows,...
