The Drawing Board

House Plans Designed for Today’s Casual Lifestyle Focus on More Efficient Use of Space in Main Living Areas

Rick McAlexander

Today’s home designs are trending towards more casual living characterized by open floor plans, efficient use of space and kitchens with better working areas. More and more homeowners are seeking house plans that put the spotlight on what’s important—spaces where they can gather with family and friends and move about freely without formality or redundancy.

What is a “casual lifestyle” home design? According to Washington architect John Kappler of Architectural Innovations P.S., who creates home designs for The House Plan Company, it’s a floor plan characterized by an open flowing...

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Accessory Structures Offer Space and Value to Your Home

Rick McAlexander

Detached garages with granny flats, backyard guest cottages, pool houses, gazebos, and standalone workshops and hobby rooms all have several things in common—they’re accessory building structures that can add much needed living space and value to a residential property and they’re gaining in popularity.

Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company, a residential design marketing company based in Oregon, defines an “accessory structure” as any type of living space on the property that is considered incidental to the primary...

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Building a Narrow Lot Home Requires Careful Planning and Creativity to Maximize Space Without Forgoing Style

Rick McAlexander

Getting the most house on a narrow building lot can be quite challenging but with careful planning and creativity throughout the design process, homeowners can maximize space efficiently without forgoing style.

According to Allison McGraw, client services manager for Iowa-based Ahmann Design, Inc., narrow lots are becoming more of the norm these days. As lot prices keep rising, some developers are decreasing the size of the property in order to keep costs down.

“Most of these lots require a narrow lot design with a front-load garage. The garage certainly becomes...

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Design the Perfect Home Floor Plan with Tips from a Pro

Rick McAlexander

Building a new home is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and selecting the perfect home design and floor plan to meet your family's needs can be daunting, but it's a critical step toward realizing your dream home.

Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company, a leading residential plan marketing company based in Oregon, offers four important pieces of advice when choosing the right floor plan for new home construction.

1. Define the Goals...

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Garage Apartments and Backyard Cottages Gain Popularity as Homeowners Seek to Add Living Space and Value to Their Property

Rick McAlexander

As housing prices soar and land sells at a premium, more and more homeowners are seeking to add living space and value to their existing property with separate dwelling units either over a detached garage or as a standalone backyard cottage .

The concept of a garage apartment , mother-in-law suite or granny flat is not a new one. This type of...

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Gathering Style: Types of Living Areas and How They Live

Rick McAlexander

You are considering a new home and are stuck trying to figure out what style of living area will best work for you, your family, and the way that you live. Well ponder no further. The House Plan Company has prepared this helpful guide to the three main types of living areas and how they live.

The Vintage Layout: Separated Family and Entertaining Spaces

Formally defined spaces and separation between family and gathering spaces is the traditional approach to arranging the living area of a home. As showcased in the...

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Experience and Personality Factor into Selecting a Design Professional to Customize Your House or Garage Plan

Rick McAlexander

After searching house plans and garage plans on The House Plan Company website, you’ve fallen in love with a design and while the plan you’ve chosen has all of the key elements, there are some features you’d like to consider to better meet your family’s needs. Perhaps you want the Great Room to have some defined separation of space. Or maybe you want to change the mud room so your kids can store their athletic gear. Regardless of the desired features or floor plan changes, meeting with a professional designer is the next important step in the planning process.

“On the surface, a...

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