The Drawing Board

Turning Inside Spaces Out with Trends in Outdoor Living

Rick McAlexander

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...

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Professional Design Tips to Lighten and Brighten Your Home

Rick McAlexander

Now that spring has sprung and the days are longer, it’s the perfect time to bring more natural light and warmth into the home whether through new construction or renovation.

“Daylighting” is the practice of positioning windows, skylights, doors and other openings in a building design in such a way as to maximize the natural light from outside. Designers and architects use several tricks for daylighting a home to make it open, warm and welcoming, as well as energy efficient.

“There are a number of ways to let more natural light into your home,” said Rick McAlexander, CEO of...

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Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities of Cost Per Square Foot Pricing in Building a New Home

Rick McAlexander

The eternal question for any homeowner planning to build a new home is, “How much will it cost?” But asking builders how much a new home will cost, and more specifically, how much it will cost per square foot, will likely elicit a wide range of responses from low to high and somewhere in between. Cost per square foot analysis may seem like an elusive math problem, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Cost per square foot analysis is difficult for homeowners to get their arms around because it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison and there always seems to be many different answers....

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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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