How would you like to save handfuls of money with minimal effort? And how would you feel if these actions made your home more comfortable, and were good for the environment? You can do just that by taking these simple, cost-effective steps to quickly improve the energy efficiency of your home: Use...
Add a Twist of Something Special to Your New Back Yard With about a million things to think about, it's understandable that if you're planning to build a new home, you may not have spent much time thinking beyond the home itself. The yard - especially the back yard - has...
By Adrienne van Dooren Will traditionally built homes soon join the ranks of the 8-track tape, knob and tube wiring and the manual typewriter? Ed Begley, Jr., environmentalist and star of HGTV's hit show Living with Ed, believes that may indeed come to pass. I interviewed Ed during the Earth Day celebrations...
Search our Earth Sheltered House Plans collection Earth Sheltered homes are certainly nothing new. People have been using the earth to provide shelter since...well...remember the caveman? Today's Earth Berm or underground home is anything but a cave, but it is usually found nestled into the side of a hill or large berm of...
Search our Craftsman House Plans collection As one of the most popular home styles being built today, the Craftsman home design embodies the strong, solid character of homes spawned from the Arts & Crafts era of the early 20th century. Often referred to as "Bungalows," these warm, yet stalwart designs are...
Search our Country House Plans collection The popularity of the Country style home design has continued to grow since its resurgence as an architectural trend over 25 years ago. The style's popularity may be somewhat attributed to the increased population of Southern states over the past quarter century. A more potent...
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,...
By David Porter AIA - consulting architect to the Garlinghouse Company since 1989 Since I am a licensed architect, I would be remiss if my answer wasn't just, "of course, you need only an architect." But, nah, for your use in designing a house, that isn't necessarily so. I will first explain...
