Plantation Cottage Interior

Sometimes we get requests from people who want to know what our cottages look like on the inside.  We received these pictures of the Plantation Cottage exterior and interior a couple years ago.

 

The Plantation Cottage has a large, covered, wrap around porch with detailed railing. This house has extensive windows throughout to let the outdoors in, a basement garage and four bedrooms.  

 

 This picture exposes the "drive-in" garage area in the basement of the Plantation Cottage. You can see how the front porch wraps around the house to provide shelter from the elements and relief from the summer sun. The detailed porch railings give this home southern charm.

 

 The Foyer of the Plantation Cottage is open to the second floor and has an L-shaped stair. It provides a large welcoming space to greet your guests.

 

The open living room and dining room of the Plantation Cottage provide plenty of space for your family to spread out for their various activities.  A built in wall cabinet provides additional storage.

 

 The open floor plan of the Plantation Cottage gives you views to the front and back of the home and provides a great space for a family to live and grow.

 

 The Plantation Cottage kitchen is open to the living room and dining room.

 

 The open kitchen of the Plantation Cottage has a large island and lots of cabinet space. The island provides a great place for a snack or a space to lay out your buffet. 

 

 The stairs in the foyer are open to the living room of the Plantation Cottage and connect you to what's going on upstairs and down. The living room's built-in wall cabinet provides storage for this large spacious room.

 

 The upstairs den of the Plantation Cottage provides a family space at the top of the stairs. It is a perfect place for your family to relax and spend time together.

 

The back of the Plantation Cottage includes a spacious covered porch off of the dining room. It is perfect for entertaining.

If this looks like your ideal home, this house plan can be purchased on our website at www.southerncottages.com.  Once there, you can also look at the floor plans, see some of the room sizes, and find out the cost of the plans.

A Copper Dream

Patina is one of the words I learned in architecture school.  It’s a compact and fancy word to describe something we’re all familiar with:  the oxidation of a material that results in a change of its color.  The most common material that patinas that's used as an architectural element is copper. 

Copper is one of those amazing materials I’ve dreamt of using on a building, but have not yet had the opportunity to use.  When it first goes on it’s a pretty metallic peachy color, which looks good on its own.  Then, over time, it slowly changes to the beautiful blue-green.  The variegated color that results gives so much character to a building.

Here are some structures that have a beautiful patina:

Statue of Liberty

Copper Dome

Clock

Medac Building

A modern-day example: The Medac Building (above) is one of my favorite buildings in Wilmington, NC.  The variation in color of the copper panels creates movement along the facade.  It's a nice surprise in the sea of mundane buildings.

-S.L.

Thanksgiving Traditions

picture from sweetieskidz.com

Thanksgiving usually means spending time with family and participating in family traditions.  These are some of the Thanksgiving traditions that our office members have enjoyed over the years.

Tom used to go small game hunting with his family when he was younger.  Some of the animals they'd hunt were squirrels, rabbits, and doves.  Watching the Thanksgiving parade on tv was another thing he'd look forward to every year.  These days, Tom's family gets a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and his extended family is so large that they usually get together to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time.

Steven also used to participate in small game hunting and watching the parade on tv.  When he was little, his family would get together at his grandma's house every year where he would goof off with his cousins.  After he started his own family, he took his own kids to his grandma's house where they spent time with his extended family.  These days, Steven cooks the turkey every year with his perfected recipe (cook the turkey in an oven bag to keep it moist and juicy).

Stacey had a large family growing up and did not live near extended family, so they had to come up with their own traditions.  All the kids were given Thanksgiving names for the day.  The girls were named Patience, Prudence, Charity, Faith, and Hope.  Her brother was usually known as John, except the year he proclaimed that he wanted to be known as Squanto!  (This may or may not have been due to one of the hats he'd made at school and brought home.)  Everyone was given part of the meal to prepare, also, including the one year they had "fuit" salad made by her then 2 year old sister.  These days, Stacey's family has been known to play soccer in the park on Thanksgiving morning, and at dinner everyone takes turns telling their favorite part of the meal,

This Thanksgiving take some time to reflect on your family traditions and the memories they bring.

Happy Thanksgiving!

House Trend: More Playful Homes

The playful Hip Cottage with Basement.

According to a RealtorMag.com article by Barbara Ballinger, more playful homes are what people want.  Why?  "Americans work harder now than ever, with many delaying retirement or starting second careers, so they want their homes to be a refuge and a place to unwind."

Adding that playful aspect to a house is something we know how to do.

Basement bonus room with kitchenette.

We design small homes for those looking to downsize, yet retain that playful space to relax. After deciding on a footprint for the necessary rooms, like the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and baths, we look for ways to increase the enjoyment of your home life.  Adding a basement bonus room to a small house provides a place to unwind after the pressures of the day.  A theater room, billiards table, ping pong table or just a cushy couch and tv provide a place to loosen up and relax.  By adding a kitchenette to the room you've increased the opportunities.   
Example:  The Hip Cottage with Basement Foundation.

Porches Cottage with Roof Deck

We design homes that take advantage of the space under your house as well as above it.  If you're able to, building a basement under your house provides a place for a recreation or bonus room, as mentioned above.  Another way to add playfulness to your home is to build a roof deck above it.  A roof deck provides a place to watch the sunset or entertain guests at a dinner party with a spectacular view.  It's a spot to grill, a location to soak up the sun, or a place just sit and unwind.
Example:  The Lookout Cottage with Basement Foundation and the Porches Cottage with Roof Deck.

Backyard putting green by Carolina Custom Putting Greens.

Some of the ways you can get a more playful home is dependent on the lot you buy.  Look for one where you can have fun things like a backyard pool, your own putting green, a fire pit, install that pizza oven you've always wanted, or landscape the beautiful gardens you've seen in magazines.


If you're interested in designing or remodeling your home to add more playfulness to it, let us help you create a design at www.mcleodarchitect.com.  Or view our architect designed house plans, including the cottages mentioned above, at www.southerncottages.com.

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.