Belknap 30-771
                   

Craftsman detailing adds nostalgic charm to this update of a country-style cottage house plan. On the ground floor, spacious formal and informal gathering spaces fill the left wing. A den, utility room, half bath, and luxurious owners’ suite are on the right side, along with direct access to the garage. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study are upstairs.

Prichard 30-701

An old fashioned porch welcomes family and friends to this contemporary version of the traditional country-style ranch house. Inside, three vaulted, interconnected gathering spaces flow together at the heart of the home, expanding the entire space front to back. Closets line one entire wall in the owners’ suite, and its bathroom has a double vanity.

Heartington 10-550

     In reflective or visionary moments, maybe you’ve considered the possibility of designing and building a home perfectly suited to your lives.
     That’s exactly what the staff at Associated Designs invited readers to do several months ago when we published the 2008 Home from the Heart survey. Readers like you, from all over the United States and Canada, accepted our invitation. Now we’d like to share the tallied results of that survey along with some comparisons to ten years ago.

     More than half want a one-story home between 2000 and 3500 square feet. When it comes to exterior styling, the ranch-style home continues its long run as the most popular exterior style. Ten years ago the size preferences were about the same, but country-style homes were the most desired.
     One Missouri reader wrote, “The ideal home for me would be a ranch-style home that is very open, with no stairs.” Her preference is echoed by many. More than 60% now prefer an informal great room, where living, dining and kitchen areas flow together, while only 5% want those rooms separated. But about a quarter did ask for a combination of formal spaces and great room. Times have changed a great deal in this respect; ten years ago only half opted for the great room concept, and the other half wanted separated living, dining and family rooms.
     Features that have stayed about the same over the years are the number of bedrooms (3+), the number of bathrooms (2-3), and a strong desire for the owners’ suite to be well isolated from other bedrooms. More than 50% then, as now, also wanted a computer center, and around 70% still prefer their utility room adjacent to the kitchen. As for big contrasts, the desire for a fireplace or woodstove has dropped from nearly 100% to 72%.
     Two Oklahoma women from different towns asked for something we hadn’t listed on our survey. Both wanted the laundry room to double as a mudroom “for dogs and grandkids.” As usual, we always learn a lot from our readers!

To view statistics click here. To view previous Home from the Heart survey results click here.

Briarwood 30-690

This two-story country-style cottage house plan is well-suited to the needs of a growing family. It has a luxurious owners’ suite on the ground floor, and three more bedrooms plus a bonus room/fifth bedroom upstairs. It’s also exceptionally bright, especially in the two-story entry, great room, sunny nook and large kitchen.