23588. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 6:18:09 PM I probably posted these before, but to give you an idea of the layout, the house pictured here is gone. The front of the new house will be about where those bushes are on the side of the house by the old door between the windows. The barn in the distance is staying. The two maples on the right are dead and will be going, hopefully soon. The town won't take the one on the left tho it's on its last legs.
23589. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 6:22:18 PM The back corner of the house will be about where the back corner of the little building on the left is. The house will stretch off the right from there, nestled into the slope. So it'll have a full 2-story exposure on the back, though the front will only be one-story high. We wanted one-floor living given this is our retirement home.
This side also faces south so the house will have lots of glass on this side and the roof will have the solar panels on it.
23590. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 6:29:46 PM While the winter shot isn't the most attractive, the entire backside of the house will have a view of the pond and the woods behind it. Also on the backside of the house will be a deck even with the main floor (one story up on the back side) that will overlook the pond...gives you the feeling of being up in the tree tops. The deck will have a staircase to a terrace at ground level with a slider that leads into the lower level of the house. Also on the rear of the house will be our favorite, an outdoor shower.
23591. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 6:49:10 PM Upstairs you come in the front door into the foyer with the stained glass door on the left into hubby's study and of course a foyer closet. You're also facing the stairs that go to the lower level. To the right is a doorway to the library with fireplace. Bear left through the library past the colonnade that is actually the walkway leading to the master suite area to the west (behind the leaded-glass doors) and the kitchen to the east and you're in the dining room facing south with the barrel-vaulted ceiling which matches the arch top of the large window overlooking the pond.
To your left, into the kitchen, you'll find a the advantium oven over a regular oven, bar area and desk area and book case along the wall on your left. An 8' island with a prep sink and oven under is in the middle. The far side of the island top is curved with room for 4 bar stools. Behind you, part of the L shape of the kitchen is the fridge and the gas cooktop and around to the right is the sink/dishwasher area with a large window overlooking the pond. The kitchen is open to the breakfast nook...a bay window area overlooking (what else) the pond...and open to the family room with wood stove and door out to the deck.
Around to the left from the family room is the pantry closet. Across the hall is the powder room and next to that a laundry room with coat closet, broom closet, freezer and a bench seat with cubbies above for hats and such. Out through the laundry room is the 2-car garage. 23592. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 6:51:00 PM Downstairs is a media room, a guest suite with full bath including air-jet tub and shower stall, craft room, exercise room, music nook and a workshop area with garage for our antique jeep. 23593. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 7:07:48 PM This is the floor plan that was the inspiration for our house design:
Skip the entire 2nd floor.
On the first floor, because we needed a long and skinny house as opposed to a deep one, we had to push the living room/dining room back, wiping out the porch and then opened up space between them to lead from the kitchen on the left to a master suite to the right. And we had to move the garage to the left side of the house with entry through the laundry room. 23594. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 7:08:56 PM Now, AC aren't you sorry you asked?
:) 23595. alistairconnor - 2/7/2008 7:20:57 PM Not sorry at all... just grinning at the plans which bear no obvious resemblance to what you describe! 23596. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 7:41:43 PM If that causes you to grin, get a load of this.
The floor plan above was actually from a model home we were in in Florida. We loved the kitchen, nook, family room arrangement which became the base of our new house.
The house we're building will have some shingle style elements, stone work on the front, vinyl siding that will look like clapboards. Fitting for a new england setting next to a 200 year old barn.
This is the exterior of the model home:
23597. Magoseph - 2/7/2008 7:52:19 PM thoughtful, I have a question--why five bedrooms? 23598. thoughtful - 2/7/2008 8:10:43 PM No 5 bedrooms...the floor plan was the inspiration, but it's not what we're building at all. There's no 2nd floor on our house plan.
As I said, skip the 2nd floor. Our house has the master suite with a full bath and walk in closet and dressing room on the main floor and a guest suite with full bath on the lower level.
23599. Magoseph - 2/7/2008 8:44:42 PM Oh, okay--I feel better now. It didn't jive about what I think I know about you, dear one. 23600. arkymalarky - 2/8/2008 1:21:50 AM Hey, my parents bought a five bedroom, 3 bath house with a pool when Dad was 65. I call it retroactive child abuse. ;->
I love it, Thoughtful. A good combination of cozy and open. And it takes good advantage of the great yard you have on your place. 23601. thoughtful - 2/8/2008 2:42:04 AM Thanks Arky...I hope the reality turns out to be as good as the house i have in my mind.... 23602. Jenerator - 2/8/2008 4:11:07 AM That is so exciting, Thoughtful!
I can't wait to see it all. 23603. thoughtful - 2/8/2008 3:53:17 PM Me either!
Thanks, Jen. 23604. thoughtful - 2/8/2008 4:46:11 PM Here's a pic of the stained glass for the door to hubby's study...note Cas inspecting the door.
They is actually a pair of doors and the glass in both is damaged, one worse than the other. The glass is antique and can't be purchased any more so the stained glass restorer will have to cannibalize one to save the other. Then we'll have a new wood door made to set it in. Nice in that it will obscure his study when it's a mess yet be an interesting feature in the foyer. The colors will blend nicely with the stone and wood floor we'll have in the foyer (actually amtico, but it will look like stone and wood). I'll have to be sure to put good lighting behind the door so it can stand out at night.
Mother and her friend were taking one of their trips in Vt where they would do whatever they felt like. They saw an old victorian house being torn down so they asked if they could look around. The guy said sure. They found the doors, fell in love and asked if they could have them...he sold them to her for $10. 23605. thoughtful - 2/8/2008 4:46:39 PM They is...there is...sheesh! 23606. judithathome - 2/8/2008 5:41:50 PM They found the doors, fell in love and asked if they could have them...he sold them to her for $10.
I would say more but I'm trying too hard to regain consciousness after fainting dead away!
I'm sure you realize what a fabulous deal you have there....sigh.
23607. wonkers2 - 2/8/2008 6:21:06 PM Those art glass doors are a nice touch. We broke a leaded glass front door sidelight and were able to talk our homeowner's insurer into replacing both sides with Frank Lloyd Wright-style art glass windows ($3000)by a local artist. We liked them so well that we had him make two for upstairs closet windows in the same style.
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