Garage
House Plans with Garages
House Plans with Courtyard
Although any style of home can have a courtyard, those homes that reflect a Spanish or Mediterranean influence are best suited for this feature. Courtyards were originally a form of defense, and came after the age of large castles and fortresses, as there was still the idea that your home must be protected within four walls. Today, house plans with courtyard (or courtyard house plans) are also great choices for lots in urban areas, where space and privacy may be in short supply. A courtyard also can buffer the main home from a detached guest suite or in-law suite to give privacy to an older child, relative, or guest, making homes with courtyards great for multi-generational living. The primary function of modern courtyards is to provide a lovely space for outdoor living. Typically rooms are placed off of the courtyard so each area of the house can easily access outdoor living. House plans with courtyards often feature patios, porches, lanais, verandas, and other outdoor living areas. Mediterranean, Italianate, Mission, Spanish, and Adobe homes are most likely feature a courtyard, as this enhances their outdoor living appeal in a warm climate such as Texas or Southern California. The area closest to the kitchen could feature a fireplace for cool nights and a grill or even an outdoor kitchen with protection from the sun.
House Plans with Patio
Patios are where outdoor living really gets fun. After all, this is where food is grilled, meals are shared, and relaxing is the priority. These floor plans all feature patios, some incorporated into the footprint of the home for maximum indoor/outdoor connections. House plans with walkout basements (perfect for sloped lots) often feature a patio on the lower level and a deck or porch above. Love being outside? Don’t miss our collections of floor plans with porches, house plans with wraparound porches, and home plans with courtyards.
House Plans with Pool
Summers can be scorching. Cool off by browsing our collection of house plans with pools! Pools are an amenity that can be enjoyed throughout the country, but those in the Southern states will see the most use out of their pools due to an extended warm season. A relaxing backyard pool in a warm, Southern climate will make your new house feel like a private resort. Pools can be as varied as the homes they accompany and often have a unique style to complement the home; landscaping will further define a pool's style. A Mediterranean home may have a curved pool surrounded by palm trees and a cascading waterfall. More contemporary or modern homes may make use of clean lines with a simple rectangular pool. Florida homes often have a pool and patio with a permanent cover that keeps out insects and leaves. Consider designing for an outdoor kitchen, full loggia and fireplace for cool nights. Extend the swimming season with a hot tub or a permanent enclosure that keeps temperatures warmer. If your budget will allow, build a pool house that complements the style of the main home and has space for showering, storing pool supplies, or overnight guests.
House Plans with Porch
Porches were originally intended for purely utilitarian function, and became popular in the American South where the summer heat was intolerable without a shaded respite. Porches also provided a way to communicate with neighbors and keep an eye on the surrounding land, a space open to nature within the safety of home. Porches lost favor in the latter part of the 20th century but are making a comeback. As you browse our collection of house plans with porches, you’ll notice that numerous house styles make use of the porch as their defining element. Choose a Craftsman home plan with a deep, shaded porch, a Greek Revival house plan with stately columns providing a grand entrance. Farmhouse, Country, Tidewater, and Bungalow house plans will also offer the comfort of outdoor living at the front of the home. Stylistic details of the porch often define the character of a house. For example, columns can be one or two stories high, round or square, light and airy, or heavy and grounding. Cornices, piers, woodwork, and rooflines are different for every style; and of course, paint color can be used to further enhance a porch's appeal. Craftsman homes usually have heavy piers that extend to ground level, with lighter columns supporting the roofline. Queen Anne homes will have woodwork painted in a variety of colors to set their unique architectural elements apart. A farmhouse usually evokes a simpler time and is often painted white with basic columns and balustrade. Today's porches still serve the utilitarian need for shade, but they are quickly becoming an extension of the interior home. Owners treat the porch as an outdoor room. Outfit your porch with fans, unique light fixtures, furniture, and artwork that suits your own personal style.
House Plans with Wraparound Porch
Wrap around porches became popular in the late 19th century during the Victorian Era, a time when leisurely activities became more acceptable due to advancement in technology and reduction of manual labor. The upper class built large, rambling homes with wrap around porches to accentuate the asymmetry of the Victorian facades. More modest farmhouses also utilized wrap around porches, which were an extension of the land beyond. Porches are a means to enjoy the outdoors while being protected from the elements, and were a welcome relief from hot summers throughout the country. Without central heating and air, they were often a necessity in particularly warm regions such as the Southeast. Today's wrap around porches still serve the utilitarian need for shade, but they are becoming almost an extension of the interior home. Owners display their decorative style and treat the porch as an outdoor room. Outfit your porch with fans, unique light fixtures, porch furniture and artwork that suits your own personal style. Wrap around porches utilize stylistic details in their construction to define a house's style. Farmhouse floor plans (or Farmhouse style house plans) may feature a porch with simple round or square columns extending to the porch floor, with a balustrade between the columns. Queen Anne homes are more likely to make use of thinner round columns, gingerbread ornament and delicate spindlework that set the style apart. A wrap around porch can extend partially beyond the façade, or often fully wraps the house and joins with a rear deck. Interior doors are often conveniently placed. Whether a modern-day luxury or a historical necessity, porches have always provided respite from the duties of house and land. They allow neighbors to visit more easily and are a welcome breath of fresh air.
