The demand for new home designs that feature a one-story open floor plan with just two bedrooms is on the rise today thanks to the massive wave of baby boomers who are willing to sacrifice size for something that requires less maintenance yet is still luxurious.

According to a recent housing survey by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, more than half of U.S. households today are headed by someone over the age of 50 and by 2030, the population of baby boomers ages 65 and older will skyrocket to 73 million. Consequently, as baby boomers enter their golden...

Few architectural designs have stood the test of time throughout American history than perhaps the farmhouse. For hundreds of years, the farmhouse has served as a beacon for a simpler way of life, built sturdy and practical to withstand the elements and provide for working farm families. Over the years, the farmhouse style has evolved in some respects while still retaining several classic design elements. Today’s “ modern farmhouse ” style combines a little nostalgia...

As the days get longer and temperatures grow warmer in anticipation of summer, our migration to the outdoors begins—the time when we focus our efforts, energy and money on turning our living spaces inside out.

“One of the biggest trends in home design in the past several years has been the addition of well-defined and often elaborate outdoor living spaces that seamlessly blend with the indoors and add significant value to the property,” said Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company, a leading residential design plan company...