Designing Your Bathroom: Layout

A Gorgeous Bathroom

Bathrooms have come a long way over the last 100+ years.  The very informative article A Brief History of the Bathroom chronicles the long story of how people have been taking care of their bodies since ancient times.  This brings us to today, where we not only have indoor plumbing (thankfully), but bathrooms have become large and glamorous.

The three main components of a bathroom are a sink, a bath tub/shower, and a toilet.  Then, if you have the space, additional fixtures can be added for the opulence that additional fixtures are: separate tubs and showers, double sinks, and sometimes even bidets.

If you're remodeling, the most cost effective thing to do is to keep the same fixture layout.  Replacing all the fixtures (and finishes) will give you a new bathroom.

If you're designing from scratch, then the options are wide open.  The shape of the room will have a big impact on what fixtures will fit and where.  The trick is to find the layout that fits the space the best.

If you're having trouble figuring out a layout for your dream bathroom, Kohler has 101 Bathroom Floor Plan Options to help you get some ideas.  All of them are customizable because there are a million different ways to lay out a bathroom.  Here are a couple samples of Kohler's bathroom layouts.

Bathroom Plan 1 - Standard Layout

Bathroom Plan 1 is the most standard bathroom plan there is.  It's a compact 40 sf and has everything you need to take care of your body.

Bathroom Plan 39 - Jack & Jill Layout

Bathroom Plan 39 is what's called a Jack & Jill bathroom.  It is two bathrooms in one, where two separate sink rooms share a tub and a toilet. 

Bathroom Plan 44 - L Shaped with a Corner Tub

Sometimes an L-shaped bathroom fits best in a house plan.  With 200 sf, Bathroom Plan 44 is a good example of how to fit additional fixtures into a non-standard shape.  Two sinks, a corner tub, separate shower, and a toilet compartment round out the fixtures in this bathroom.

Bathroom Plan 59 - Large Shower

Bathroom Plan 59 includes a large, luxurious shower to provide a place for the multiple shower head experience.  The rest of the bathroom fixtures are pretty great, also, and include a corner tub, large vanity and toilet.

Bathroom Plan 74 - The Freestanding Feature Tub

At 318 sf, Bathroom Plan 74 is a large and glamorous retreat.  The freestanding tub in the middle of the room is the focal point of this spectacular bathroom.  There's also plenty of space for separate vanities, toilet compartment, and multiple storage cabinets.

Here are a few examples of our Cottages which successfully use four of these layouts:

Plan 1 Standard Layout: Most of our Cottages use this layout.

Plan 39 Jack & Jill:  Lookout Cottage.

Plan 44 L-Shape: Grand Gazebo Cottage.

Plan 59 Large Shower: Porches Cottage 2,395 sf.

Once you have a layout selected you can move toward personalizing your bathroom with materials and finishing touches.

Home Trend for 2015: Small Houses

According to articles on the internet, like this one from The Fiscal Times or this one from Slate, the small home is making a come-back.  Whether you're an empty-nester looking to downsize or a young couple looking for your first home, people are looking for smaller homes and smaller mortgages.

 

At 1,260 square feet, our Hip Cottage fits the bill for being small.  Yet, it still has everything you need!  Inside of this house you get two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open concept living & dining room, good sized kitchen, laundry room, front porch, rear screened porch, plus storage.

If 1,260 sf is too small for you, the Hip Cottage comes in a few different sizes: 

• 1,423 sf which includes a wrap around porch; 
• 1,545 sf with an attached garage; 
• and 2,497 sf with a basement.

What's great about our house plans is that all of the Southern Cottages House Plans are designed by an architect to give you style with a comprehensive design at a price you can afford! 

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitectpa.com.

View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com.

The Roof Over Your Head

The roof of your home is an important consideration.  But once in place, the roof is little thought about.  Your roof is important for keeping your home dry, it blocks the sun's rays at the eave overhang, it covers your porch, the color and material bring a cohesive look to your home, and different pitches will give you drastically different results.  All of these things show that the roof can have a dramatic impact on the look of your home.

In this article, we will be focusing on roofing materials.  We specify three kinds of roofing materials for our Southern Cottages House Plans: fiberglass shingles, standing seam aluminum panels and standing seam copper roofing.  We leave it up to our clients to decide which material will crown their home.  Each one each will give you a different look and each has a different price tag to consider.

Fiberglass shingles

2117 sf Shelter Cottage

Fiberglass shingles is the type of roofing that most commonly covers the homes of America. There are different shingle styles and various colors to fit any budget and personality.  There are also different warranties available, so pay attention to the warranty length if you live in a high wind zone.  The fiberglass shingle companies we specify are GAF and CertainTeed. 


If you are interested in something other than shingles, take a look at the following metal roofing options.

Standing Seam Aluminum Panels

2058 sf Island Cottage on Pilings

Standing seam aluminum panels are getting more and more common.  They provide clean lines and a completely different look than shingles.  Aluminum panels also cost more than fiberglass shingles.  However, the maintenance of an aluminum panel roof is very low.  The aluminum panel system we specify is the 300 Series by IMETCO.

Standing Seam Copper Roofing

Copper over a bay window.

Standing seam copper roofing is frequently used to highlight a portion of a roof, like over a turret, cupola or window, or as flashing in your roof valley.  It is also possible to cover your entire roof with copper.  Over time the shiny copper will dull and patina, giving an entirely different look to your home.  This is something to keep in mind as you consider copper roofing.  The price tag of a copper roof is higher than an aluminum one, which is why it is commonly used as an accent over the cupola or as an awning over the front door.  The copper companies we specify are Revere Copper Products, Inc. and Hussey Copper, Ltd.


Whether planning for your new home or reroofing your existing one, knowing your roofing options is important.  The selection you make will set the tone of the visual "feel" of your home and give it a distinctive look. 

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitect.com.
View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com.

Planning For A Residential Elevator

An important aspect of residential home design is taking into account our clients current and future needs.  This includes finding out if an elevator is something required now or will be in the future. 

If you are starting from scratch and designing a brand new house, an elevator can be planned for easily.  You have two options:  you might build your house with the elevator installed from the beginning or a designated space can be planned into the house now so that in 10 or more years the elevator can be installed easily.  Either way, you can work with your architect to find an ideal location for the elevator shaft in the house. 

You might be in the situation where you need to add an elevator to your existing home.  This requires working with your architect to decide the best place for the elevator shaft.  Since the shaft must line up on each level of your home there are a few questions to think about.  Do you already have an ideal location to add an elevator?  Which spaces in your home can be altered to work around the best shaft location?  You might also wonder how exactly an elevator can be installed into your existing home.

The company Adapted Home & Business, out of Portland, has put together a video series about an elevator retrofit.  They have made four short, two-minute videos where they describe how they install a residential elevator into an existing home.  Here is the first video.

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitect.com.
View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com.