The Porches Cottage is one of our coastal house plans. What makes this house unique is that the design locates the living spaces on the top floor to maximize views, while the bedrooms occupy the first floor. This "inverted living area" arrangement works well for a beach community or other location where the view is a primary attribute of the site.
The following are some interior pictures of the Porches Cottage that were sent to us from two different clients.
As mentioned earlier, the majority of the bedrooms are located on the first level of the Porches Cottage. Each has a spacious closet, plenty of space for furniture and access to a conveniently located bathroom, which is usually attached.
The bedrooms provide a cozy space to retreat after a long day at the beach. There are also plenty of windows that let in natural light during the day and make for an enjoyable sleeping space at night.
The living and entertaining spaces of the Porches Cottage are located on the top floor. This provides a way to maximize the views, whether you are right on the ocean, or a lot or two beyond. The livingroom and diningroom are arranged in one continuous space along the back of the house and toward your view. A vaulted ceiling provides an airy feel and helps bathe the room in light.
In another version of the house, the client added some wainscot, crown molding and decorative features to add an upscale feeling to the livingroom. The fireplace is a central design element in the room and can provide a nice atmosphere during entertaining.
The wainscot and molding were also continued into the diningroom, which is visually separated from the livingroom by columns. Even though the ceiling is not vaulted, the atmosphere still provides an open feeling and a lovely space.
The kitchen is another exciting feature of the Porches Cottage. It opens to the diningroom and livingroom to share in the exterior view and provide for a great entertaining space. In this view from the diningroom, we look toward the kitchen and then beyond to the second level front porch door. In case you are wondering where the stairs to the first level is, it is located to the left of the porch door. As you can see, there is still plenty of exterior light coming in through the front of the house.
In this upgraded and custom-modified-by-the-client kitchen, marble countertops, custom cabinets, and double ovens highlight what is possible in this versatile house plan.
In addition to all these features, the Porches Cottage works well on a narrow lot. Views are afforded front to back from nearly all rooms even if adjacent houses are close together on a crowded waterfront site.
There are four different versions of the Porches Cottage available. Some of the options available are piling or crawlspace foundation, enclosed garage, a residential elevator, a roof deck and a range of three to four bedrooms.
