Archive for the ‘House Design’ category

A Big List of House Design Tips

August 11th, 2011

If you are thinking of designing your own house, here are some tips you might want to consider:

1) Shower stalls should be made wider than in years past. This is because more people are heavier than they used to be.

2) Radiant heat is healthier than the normal forced air heat that is in all new homes today. Radiant heat will increase the value of your home and it is best installed when the house is built.

3) Make sure you put the laundry room on the same floor as all the bedrooms. Many houses have the laundry room on the main floor and the bedrooms upstairs. Who wants to have to carry all the laundry up and down the stairs every time?

4) If you must have the laundry room downstairs and the bedrooms up top, you might consider installing a laundry chute.

5) This is your chance to have all the built in speakers installed exactly where you want them. You might also think about soundproofing some rooms or the whole house.

6) Do you like wine and want a wine cellar? This is your chance to have one built just like you want it.

7) A large entry way is always nice and sets the whole tone for your new house. Make sure you make your entry way large enough to have a nice coat closet and room to greet visitors. » Read more: A Big List of House Design Tips

Beach House Plans Design Ideas

August 11th, 2011

The best interior design ideas for beach house plans revolve around colors, shapes, textures, and the accessories of the beach and sea. Bright, sunny colors, rough, sand-like textures, and interesting found objects can help to bring the outdoors inside, and all are essential elements in beach house interior design. Another important consideration is practicality, since furnishings and textiles both need to be sufficiently sturdy to stand up to wet bodies and salt air, in addition to being attractive and convenient. Beach house design colors reflect the sand, sea, sky, and sunlight found at the sea shore. Bright, sunny yellows and whites help to bring outdoor light inside. Blues ranging from deep navy through vibrant azure mirror the changing hues of the sea. Ecru, taupe, and shades of beige help complement these colors, and are reminiscent of sand. The overall effect of beach house design is airy and light, to create a relaxing oasis away from the cramped life of the city.

The use of texture in beach bungalow house plans is a great way to add interest. Beach homes are traditionally more casual than their counterparts in the city, and rough, textured fabrics such as tweed or even treated burlap can help to attain this insouciance. Pebbles and stones can be used in the garden, the bath, and as pathways around the house to add agreeable textures to a beach house. And, of course, no beach house is complete without some seashells. Some creative uses for these omnipresent (and always interesting) castoffs of the sea are under a glass top of a coffee table, set in countertops in the bathroom and kitchen, and used for pathways around the house. Driftwood can be made into furniture, hung on the wall, or embodied in the basic architectural structure of the house.

The furniture in a house on the beach must be sturdy, yet stylish. Fancy drawing room furniture doesn’t fit in with a small house plan by the sea. Furniture must play dual roles, such as a sofa which becomes a trundle bed when overnight guests show up or a coffee table which allows for storage beneath it. Essential beach home elements include a large kitchen – dining room area which is big enough to comfortably seat the family and some guests. The dining table should be sturdy enough so that lobsters, crabs, walleye and other bounty taken from the sea can be eaten without damaging the table, or feeling uncomfortable. A large, wooden plank style table with benches or simple chairs is ideal. The living room – family room furniture must be sturdy and also create a relaxing retreat for the family after spending the day outdoors. Putting slipcovers on upholstered furniture is a great way to keep the chairs and sofa looking new (in spite of continual wear), and you can switch them easily for a quick and inexpensive change of decor. » Read more: Beach House Plans Design Ideas