These Design Ideas are suggestions for your consideration. They are intended to help you design the home of your dreams.

The Floor Plan

1) Flow- Your floor plan should make it easy and comfortable to go through the motions of your daily life. It should also create natural and complementary relations between rooms.

2) Main Entry- Your main entry should allow you to enter any room in the house without passing through other rooms.

3) Second Entry- The second entry to your home should lead directly to the kitchen. Some site environments, family situations, hobbies or vocations (i.e. areas that receive a lot of snow or rain, avid hunters, farmers, children that like to play outdoors, lake front locations, etc.) make the inclusion of a mud room convenient. If you want a mud room than the second entrance should lead to the mud room first and often you would want the laundry room close by.

4) Respect basic home activities- The best floor plans show respect for a household’s basic activities – working, easting, sleeping, and entertaining.

5) Group the noisy areas away from sleeping areas- Ideally the areas that are the noisiest such as entertainment areas should be grouped together and away from the sleeping areas.

6) Buffer the bedrooms for privacy- Whenever possible, each bedroom should be buffered from other bedrooms for the sake of privacy and quiet. Closets, bookshelves, and staircases are effective sound barriers.

The Kitchen

1) The kitchen is important- The kitchen is the heart of most homes – a place to entertain friends, a focal point for family moments and memories, a spot where you can settle in for a great meal and good conversation.

2) Kitchen efficiency- The classic rule for kitchen efficiency is locate the sink, cook top and refrigerator in a triangular pattern whose sides total less than 22 feet.

3) Counter space- Include plenty of counter and storage space on either side of the sink and stovetop. Give yourself at least 10 feet of counter top space, excluding appliances.

4) Lightening- Good lightening makes a world of difference. Natural light dramatically increases a kitchen’s appeal and sense of connection to the rest of the home.

5) Food storage- Consider the convenience of a walk-in pantry. Think about how much refrigerator and freezer space you need and where these appliances will be located.

Bathrooms

1) Storage- Plan for plenty of storage space for grooming accessories, towels and bath supplies.

2) Windows- Be lavish with windows to maximize the sense of space and natural light.

3) Mirrors- Use mirrors to expand small spaces and create a sense of spaciousness.

4) Privacy- Make the bathroom more convenient for two by adding privacy walls or doors between fixtures.

The Master Bedroom

1) Natural lighting and view- Locate your master bedroom to be able to take advantage of natural light and a breath taking view.

2) Window treatments- Choose window coverings that allow you to shut out light.

3) Window areas- Take advantage of space by adding a window seat or reading area by a window.

4) Walk-in closets- Design your master bedroom to accommodate a walk-in closet.

The Windows

1) Window considerations- Designing with windows is a balancing act. Factors that you must consider are light, view, ventilation, energy efficiency, privacy and aesthetics.

2) Two walls- The most appealing rooms generally have windows on two walls.

3) Stick with a pattern throughout the home- Think about the visual impact of each window on the interior and exterior and stay true to a pattern of window style and placement that feels balanced.

The Roof

1) Larger roof designs - The steeper the roof and the larger the area the more exposure there is to the weather. Think of larger roofs as a large radiator that absorbs heat in the summer and conducts heat out of your home in the winter. Larger roofs require more insulation and increase your heating and cooling loads. Generally roofs suffer the most wear and tear from weather. Roof surfaces actually wear out. The larger the roof is the greater the expense will be to replace the weather surface and the greater the probable maintenance required. The larger the total roof area the greater likelihood there is for damage and leaks.

For the purpose of comparison, a twelve in one simple gable roof is almost 1.5 times a large as a flat roof would be on the same building disregarding overhangs (though flat roofs are typically very rarely used on log homes).

2) Roof pitch- the pitch of your roof determines a variety of factors including spaciousness (higher pitched roofs offer more space for a second story or attic) and the practicality of various roofing materials that can be used. Typically increasing the pitch of your roof will increase your construction costs.

In general:

Slate or tile- only used on steeply pitched roofs.

Metal roofs- can be used on pitches ranging from two in one to four in one and above.

Shingles- should not be used below a four in one pitch.

Weather conditions:

Weather conditions can dramatically affect your roof pitch options. Home sites in areas that receive heavy snow will require a much higher roof pitch.