Architects Have Great Tools!

Architects have many great tools that they can work with.  And under skilled hands they can be a great benefit to their clients.  One such tool is a software program called Google Sketchup.  Sketchup is a 3d modeling program that is surprisingly easy to use.  The images you see below are of a house designed by Larson Brenner Architects in Stillwater, Minnesota.  The images represent a series of color studies that were performed with Sketchup.  The basic design had already been completed and we were now at the stage of finalizing materials and colors for the roofing, walls, windows.  The top image is pretty much where we ended up and the images below represent the various intermittent studies.






Pretty cool huh?  It is a great way to visualize your end product.  For more sketchup examples you can see the plans at 





Architects are Sexy!


I ran across this totally factual article the other day.  Could not resist posting the link.


Top 10 Green Things to Do! When building your new home.

In my real job (non-blogging) I am finding that more and more people are interested in building a more environmentally responsible and healthy home.  Leaving political discussions and arguments about “climate change” behind (I don’t like being preached to and I don’t like preaching), I believe there are many common sense reasons to build a “Green” home.  Here are two pretty good ones:

  • Save you money $$$ in the long run
  • Reduce your stress level – improve your quality of life


If you want to build a Green Home there is an abundant amount of information available to you.  But start investigating Green and you begin to realize there can be a daunting number of decisions to make – and they all impact your construction budget in some way.  Building Green can start to look incredibly complicated and expensive - and neither of these notions is inherently “Green”.  Well it does not have to work that way.

So what I want to do, starting with this posting is to help you simplify things.  I am starting out with a top 10 list of green things to do.  This will give us some focus for more detailed discussions to follow.  Those discussions will provide more detail on my top 10 list.  So here goes.

Top 10 Green Things to do! – When building your new home.

  1. Hire an Architect or a very competent designer that understands “Green” (and is not a jerk) – They will be able to assist you with all the following items and help you in sorting out priorities.
  2. Hire a Builder who is committed to your Green house (and isn’t a jerk).  In the end you will be much more successful if your entire team is on the same page.
  3. Build close to your work and / or close to community services.  A short commute means less stress, less gas money and more time for your fam.  That’s good isn’t it?
  4. Build a “just the right size” house – The classic “Goldilocks”.  Size and surface area significantly impact heating, cooling and maintenance costs – not to mention construction cost.  So don’t build too big.  But don’t build it too small either or it might not be functional and that’s not green.
  5. Build a home with quality.  Remember the 3 little pigs?  A quality home lasts longer, costs less to maintain and definitely holds up better when the big bad wolf is blowing.  Ok, that’s enough of the kid stories. 
  6. Build a thermally efficient home.  Warm is good.  Believe me, I am writing this on a 20 degree below zero day in Minnesota.  I have relatives in Phoenix that say Cool is good!  Thermally efficient also means less money from your pocket to the local Utility.
  7. Use an energy efficient Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) system. You don’t have to spend many dollars here to reap some good $$$ savings.
  8. Develop a landscape plan that reduces erosion and water use. Who wants to spend the entire weekend mowing and watering?  I’d rather be playing Guitar Hero, or Twittering or something.
  9. Consider your homes building product and material choices.If it smells bad don’t use it.  You are going to be married to that floor for a long time.
  10. Install energy efficient appliances and electrical (lighting) systems.  Once again small investment for good gains.

So that’s my Top 10 Green Things to Do list.  You may notice that I don’t specifically mention solar panels, photo-voltaics or geo-thermal systems.  Well those items might be a great addition to an overall sustainable building plan, but the initial costs are high and the payback is longer.  I’ll discuss more in future postings.

By the way, if you want to buy a “green” house plan that you can build.  You might start at Simply Elegant Home Designs.  All of the plans in their portfolio have been designed keeping many of the green principals listed above in mind.

Modern living rooms

Modern living rooms : So, are you immediate for the Modern Living Room experience? Ready to live with novel technique furniture but do not know where to jerk? Let's found. What I would endorse you is too first decide the right present mountain thing, TV dais or entertainment focus for your living span because your daybed take and measurements will very much depend of the residency of your TV entertainment interior, TV stop, or the extreme fence corps. You can, of course, elect to just get a fresh TV stomach but I sturdily endorse you to get a great barrier slice. This could be the most creative and exclusive furniture chunk in your living universe, the quantity that will give your living mode not only current but absolutely exclusive look. These living, with so many options and choices of fresh divider units out there it all depends only on your creativity to physique your own manner from what furniture manufacturers are offering you.

Modern sofas, novel sectional sofas, dinette zone tables all these units you see in stores regularly look fairly alike to what your neighbors have. Nevertheless current envelope group gives you an opportunity to build something actually eye catching, finicky, matchless and futuristic piece of current furniture. And to make that occur, let me recommend some valuable hints that forever work for meA barricade troop is generally what you see first when write a living span so work hard on it. First, you genuinely must to launch with choosing the right range - yes, it does material here. There is a very minimal decide for the barricade troop I use: "90-60-90," or I would say "90-60-45-90" J. What it means is that, generally, divider units geometrically come in insignia sizes like 90, 60 and 45 cm. Sometimes you will find 120 and 100 cm units offered but those regularly are TV bases or source units. Depth typically does not exceed 15-17" for barricade mounted units or storeroom units and 20-24" for source units. Trust me, if you've done this part of your research correctly, it will achieve you right Modern living rooms.

These years, quite of colors and finishes are worn for recent edge units. Lacquer, forest guise.... I especially like black / fair, black / red lacquered incline combinations; however, even while sallow blush looks fine, be very wary with it. The color of your side might spoil the realize (means if your barricade is painted in fair, beige or of fair then white hedge piece will merge in and you won't have that compare result you've been looking for). Please.... Do not try to make your divider part spacey and expedient at the same time.... It won't work... There are oodles of closets in your house so do not slay the look, make it simple, low to the ground, open and spacious Modern living rooms.

Pictures of living room

Pictures of living room : How to Start Your Entire House from the Living Room No other question in the house offers the feng shui impending that the living cosmos does. This space is crucial to family life and to feng shui. When it comes to feng shui, no other scope can balance to the living span. That's because the living extent is the ONE span in the house that can be started according to all nine sectors of the bagua or lo shu justly making this a very important span, indeed. When you want to disturb the feng shui of the total house, you should begin by applying feng shui enhancements or remedies to the living extent. The subsidy is that the living scope can boost the feng shui of other parts of the house that may have afflictions or are mislaid or shouldn't have a particular enhancement.

For occasion, if the bedroom is in the north sector, a water fountain would be a great attribute for enhacing career feng shui. However, water in the bedroom is not recommended. Nevertheless, water in the north trap of the living span will help boost that sector's feng shui with beneficial water energy in the corresponding part. How is this probable? Think of the yin-yang character in the crux of the bagua. This character is called the "tai chi" yes, just like the soldierly art task. This tai chi can be applied to any mass space and is termed the large tai chi or small tai chi. For example, you can employ the bagua to your lot that your house sits on. This is called the large tai chi. The small tai chi would be to pertain the bagua to an individual scope such as the living Pictures of living room scope or to an area such as a counter. In applying feng shui to the living span, you are starting the small tai chi.

Be sentient, although, that depending winning the sector, you may not want to harness all enhancements. For demand, if your living room Pictures of living room is in the northwest part of the house, then it would not be advisable to add candles to the south trap of the living room because an open flame in the NW sector of the home is very hazardous. I actually know of some body whose house began to burn down from candles that were placed in this sector. More impor tantly, is that the NW is the sector of "heaven" or the patriarch or breadwinner of the family (if the breadwinner is a man). With that caveat in tend, do proceed with making changes to your living room. By liability so, you will instantly enrich your feng shui for your intact home!

Formal living room furniture

Formal living room furniture : Majority of households especially those who are executives and those who don't have small kids at home rather smart living rooms because this exudes sophistication and status. Before, a strict living span which was known as the parlor or depiction scope where meetings generally take place is considered as the focal highlight of the house because this is where the finest and most steep possessions of the homeowners are showcased and displayed. If you want to found a strict living span in your own abode, make confident that you familiarize manually with the basics of crafty one. Make confident that you know what are the pieces of furniture to be used and the kind of fabric that will contest these furniture pieces.

And since they are all about symmetry of draft, make certainly that you know the modest placing of decors and other decorations to overall the area. The following distinguishing factors may help you to achieve the living room that will game your taste, mode, and preference. Formal yet friendly. Make certainly that it contains elements of the traditional official living that comes with more comfortable furniture pieces. To make the living room Formal living room furniture friendlier, try to use shade combinations that are upbeat. Vivid ensign such as desolate, red, and khaki may do this. Highlighting the positive. Make trusty that the decors and furniture pieces are highlighted sensibly. For example, a hearth should be that major accent of the barrage. This should be complimented with furnishings or draperies that come in splendid and tiring trimmed fabrics.

Here's a walk-by-rung practice to start an austere reserved living room. Place the couch where the hearth and television are both viewed. Near the fireplace, place a twosome of chairs flanks that come in shades of green. Place an antique grandfather regulator on one bend and a tall factory in one bend to equalize it. Put a stepstool beside one of the chairs that will serves as a periphery board. Place a ground lamp beside the other chair to rest the stepstool. On the mantel, place at least two copy ships to show an intense report. Use vivacious display treatments and make trusty that these colors are above a mode part's eye glassy .

Living room furniture online

Living room furniture online : An important scope of the house is the living room where you can catch your guests, waste time with your family, and different other activities like dining, playing, working, studying, TV scrutiny can be done altogether. The best thing of a living extent is that if it is a large extent, the different functions can be separated by isolating the areas with shelves or partition and cabinets and it serves the event of a multipurpose extent. Many options are vacant for several types of furniture, with home furnishings, selections of covert, metal, influence, styles and fabric. Many styles are also unfilled pluses traditional, French, country and fresh living zone furniture.

Living scope furniture is forever required to enhance the interval and present comfort. Spaces of a living span can be filled with couches, recliners, chocolate tables, two end tables, loveseats, entertainment centers, pastime boards, and other decorative or effective pieces. Usually the living plot is that scope of the house which is highlighted by the best films and art work as well as lamps, decorative lighting and area rugs. Some living quarters are multifunctional extent that features a space for a dining postpone, bar index, chairs, and accessories. Modern living span furniture offers functional designs that compliment well with today's contemporary lifestyle, has a streamlined appearance and lends about subdued incline tones with textures. Living room furniture online scope furniture could be purchased command from the retail supplies.

Otherwise there are the numerous onlne shopping options presented where the customers can show their yield according to their fine and resources. Most manufacturers and suppliers are nowadays opting for matter online. High end furnishings as well as economically priced furniture pieces can be found among an array of blanket and markdown companies. There are domestic manufacturers as well as international manufacturers of living room furniture from which many online supplies purchase there in-house merchandise. Its not hard to find just about something the role requests through many online stores, plus modern Living room furniture online. Competitive pricing, professional examine, high feature, timely freedom are offered for customers who desire to stop money and store at home.

Design a living room

Design a living room : Living space is typically considered as the heart of every home. These is where family members get together; squander time together after a hectic day. Most of their chats ensue in the living area. Given this truth, it is important that the living span furniture figure be showy on the personality and fashion of the possessor. Moreover, different pieces of furniture are the best basics to materialize these concepts. How to do this, here's how Coffee stood By definition, russet tables are usually put in the core of a living extent. Functional and attractive living span furniture construct for auburn tables would entail a shape with virtuous, unadorned defenses in enduring firewood. This will cope bested with innate corrosion and tear.

Try to sidestep schooner tables that necessary devoted wiping - save you like cleaning! Rather than choosing an open-step russet stall, buy one with built-in drawers to supply magazines and keep mess out of view. There is less to dust too. Sofa Quality sofas are those that have regular back cushions and ordinary scroll arms. These types of sofas will work best for families and are great pieces in the living room. This dust originated will make the stuff fit for any theme and for any generation all through the time. Functional sofas should let your feet be able to stroke the ground when you are meeting generally. Hence, when choosing sofas, it is best that you check the seat height and see if it amend. If it is too high, ask to try different seat cushions Design a living room.

Accent lead In receiving accent chairs, make persuaded that the chair has a hard timber construction and is well upholstered. After all, minion would want to have lumpy cushions. Right Also, your accent chairs basic not much your daybed, though it is important to upholster it in a complementary fabric or one that picks up other flag around the divider or curtains. Accent chairs tend not to have the removable covers so decide a fabric that is calm to keep clean. For your rebellious flash, indulge in a classic chaise relax Design a living room.

Living room pics

Living room pics : Sometimes you just want to share the wonders of the sea with your little ones. You can break all you want about intense sharks, giant octopuses and giant whales but the visual life of most children wouldn't allocate them to understand half of it. So how can you give them a part of underwater life lacking wet suits, submarines or huge goggles? One way is to get them to the nearby aquarium. Nevertheless if that isn't doable or manageable, this is the time that animal films should create to kick in.

Ever since the start of photography, winning movies of animals has mostly been the preliminary stage in any survey of an animal. It proves that new species truly exist and allows for scientists and armchair enthusiasts alike to make their conclusions about the data on a certain species. So there are the behavior better for your little one to like all the wonders the yawning stack have to present than by screening him or her films of all those amazing sea creatures. You can find such movies in a mixture of sources Living room pics.

Books have a lot of them and you can find several awesome movies of animals from every kind of home in encyclopedias and other reference books. You can also find several of them with fantastic captions and lovely attribute articles in scenery, environmental and other kinds of learning magazines and journals. The Internet is another great obtain of wonderful films of sea animals, and you can produce the cinema, make them into wallpapers or screensavers, and even manipulate them to multiply the drama Pictures like these come in versatile because in no ordinary circumstance would a mean someone being wanted to be in the water with something like a Great White Shark or a barracuda. So having amazing animal pictures is one way of sating a person's curiosity in the comfort of your own home, without getting wet at all Living room pics.

Living room furnishing

Living room furnishing : Choosing the right furniture is central to making your home comfortable, functional, and aesthetically appealing. The dining spot is one of the more exciting areas to deliver, given the total of time we exhaust socializing over food. Nevertheless before you sprint out and buy the most plentiful dining set free, there are many realistic factors you should respect. Space Consider the distance where you dine warily. Does your home have a dining vicinity, or do you dine in the kitchen? For some without a dining hole, the comfort of a living scope becomes our primary place for dining. If you have a dining liberty, you want a set that builds a burly specter; more ornate sets, accompanied with the right lighting, can generate a customized aesthetic in your dining area.

If you dine in your kitchen, you will probably want a lasting hardwood index top, built to endure the multi-functional uses of the seat. If you fancy allotting dining freedom in your living place, you essential to make reliable that the dining and Living room furnishing furniture blends well. Crucial also to this subject of universe is, of course, extent. Before you asset anything at all be persuaded to know the certain dimensions of your space, and know the dimensions of each case of furniture you are considering. Be definite you have enough space comfortably to house the furniture. Functionality How many people steadily dine at your home? Do you often entertain people in your dining area? Consider whether your dining list will be worn beyond dining; for example, will your dining catalog twice as a grounding space for your children? Answering these questions will determine the mode of board you will require.

If you have many people in your household, you might wish a suggest with a podium vile, as they comfortably seat more people than a commonly legged bench. If you evenly have guests, you might think a dining set with a folio. If you have little children, you might wish forest top to tumbler tops, as they cultivate to be more durable. Aesthetics With the right furniture and right lighting, you will have no problem creating the aesthetic you want that matches your home's needs. Don't be fearful to mix and meet your set; your full dining area does not essential to come from the same box. You want to give your home private creature, and that applies to all areas of the house. While you're not mixing your dining chairs, you can like many pieces from many sets Living room furnishing.

Living room layouts

Living room layouts : Sofa in a living span is a very exclusive way to entertain interim for a singular reason. The highest drive of any settee section is to not just to provide seating, but make a safe environment where the home vendor and his family can have moments of togetherness. That's why sofas come in a make of shapes and sizes. In most luggage couch units come in a sort of "number of seats." 3seats in a row, 2seats in a row (normally called as a "affection seat") and a solo seat daybed are open today in the furniture advertise. Apart from these unusual designer sofas for insertion in bend on the living scope are also trendy. These designer sofas are sometimes as a letter "L" in fabricate, with the longer quality of the "L" has a back relax with 3 seats in a row. To find out assorted dimensions of sofas in millimeters visit The most chosen arrangement of sofas in a living extent furniture section is making use of one 3seat settee along the longer duration of the futon and two sole seat sofas with an end list between them. A living extent set is also open for customers. This living extent set contains a 3seat couch, a passion seat, a release seat couch , end move(s) and a chocolate roll.

Depending on the design dimensions/smooth and quantity of the Living room layouts extent several combinations of the sofas can be done to employ break. While deciding the arrangement of the sofas keep one thing in mind that as shortly as you assemble a sofa plan, the size of scope dominated by the sofas and surroundings immediately becomes the focus of attention. For example if the sofas have been given around the TV section, see that the breather of the area gets enough attention or it will look unoccupied. Also make use of small basics such as end tables and coffee list of several shapes to build some relevance in the living extent.

Before central a living area furniture draft first decide your core activity of interest in a Living room layouts room. What does this mean? What I mean is for do you use the living room most. Is it rendition Scrutiny TV, sleeping, home office in an abrupt angle with a computer etc. Answering this distrust first is very important because in a living room furniture blueprint sofas play a main function. Since sofas are the heaviest furniture elements you cannot move or remove them every other day for a different outline. I'm not saying you can never change the layout once it's done, but if you arrange the sofas around a TV component then purely study TV becomes your main activity. On the other hand if you place them around the exit to deck then sincerely you will have to splurge a lot of time watching life and birds in the beyond backyard.

Living room makeovers

Living room makeovers : There are frequent reasons someone wants to have a living subject makeover. You might be expectant important guests coming for the holidays or there might be an important induce you want to celebrate in your home. Or you are just only disposed for a change or a new look for your living scope. Whatever rationale you may have, you must judge that a living span make over is a demanding mission. You have to have the primitive forecast dexterity and be creative enough to come up with dreams that are both economical and smart. Here are a few tips you can judge so you can originate with your decorating duty right away.

Determine the costs in your living scope. This is the first walk to change the undivided outlook of the space. Hide shabby out upholstered furniture by using skid covers. If the furniture still looks that it is baggy even after the steal covers were put on, try putting a plank under the pillows and place padding on the, much required areas so it will not perform damaged out. If other furniture like a segment record is crushed, then have it preset. If there are some pieces which cannot be repaired anymore, you should just possibly reinstate them. Another way of fixing the other pieces of furniture is to paint or add tiles on the tedious surfaces. If you are lucky enough to have a high ceiling, invest in large side drapes. Place these above a bed or futon to achieve its greatest stimulate. This is a great way to pack up a pure, flat fence interim and make a join of creativity in the totality area. These iron pieces will add dimension, intensity and interesting describe to any area Living room makeovers.

Create a mood or certain atmosphere for your space instantly to change its feel. This can be achieved by softening light features or installing light dimmers. Paintings and art piece can also enhance the mood you want to conceive. The superior the quantity of art you incorporate into the area, the bigger force it will have on its unique presentation. A candle is a delicate way of altering the smell and feel of any space. Buy candles that have relaxing scents. A blush ploy for your Living room makeovers area can radically liven up a boring scope. Pick out a definite paint you like and goods curios and accents that coordinates with the undivided look of your living space. This can be done by purchasing heave pillows or new curtain panels with related hues to the important incline plan. You can also match the different pieces in your living area by decorating according to the spice. During the Christmas holidays, red and green can be your central flag while you can enhance reduce flag by using ornaments in hues of blonde or gold.

New Animation Added

Simply Elegant Home Designs has added another Animation to their website.  The animation is of the "Bayport Bungalow" in their design collection.  The company plans on providing animations of their entire house plan design collection.
 

Exterior Animations of New House Plans

Simply Elegant Home Designs is now providing a new and better way to visualize new house plan designs.  They are creating 3d animations of their designs.  The animations will be posted on the Simply Elegant Home Designs website and on You Tube.  The first animation to be published is this Modern Farmhouse plan design.
Simply Elegant Home Designs will eventually be able to provide animations of their entire house plan inventory.

Childrens Bedrooms Design and Furniture


Childrens Bedrooms Design and Furniture essentials pieces of furniture in a kids bedroom are a bed, cupboard, bookshelf and a study table. Select from the wide range of products available at the local furniture store or websites. While selecting the ideal piece make sure that the material and color used on the pieces are of good quality. Make sure that the pieces of furniture have rounded edges too.

http://www.lbconstruct.co.uk/images/Boltons%20House/res/Childrens%20bedrooms/01_childrens_bedroom_climb_slide.jpg
 If you have a space constraint, select furniture that serves a number of purposes, makes use of corners and has storage.
http://www.lbconstruct.co.uk/images/Boltons%20House/res/Childrens%20bedrooms/09_childrens_raised_bed_detail.jpg

Childrens Bedrooms and GAB

Childrens Bedrooms and GAB need space. The secret is not the size of the room but how well it is furnished. The bedrooms of the GAB collection have been studied to leave room for creativity, mixing style and functionality. Whether it provides a lively personality to the bedroom or finds the best solution for a bedroom for two, GAB is capable of satisfying all the needs for design and practicalness. 
http://www.housetohome.co.uk/imageBank/b/BH0606-87a.jpg

http://www.azcentral.com/advert/athomeweek06/images/ahw-16kids.jpg

Adapting architectural house plans to your needs

Hiring an Architect to design a one of a kind home for you can be a time consuming and expensive endeavor.  The design process will take at least several months - maybe up to a year.  And the fee can run from 8% to 12% of the construction cost or even higher.  That being said I believe it is well worth it - but not everyone has that luxury of time and money.  So what I want to do here is present you with an alternative approach that can work for many people.

The basic concept is to purchase a set of plans "off the shelf" directly from an Architect, and then work with them to customize that plan to your specific needs and tastes.  The two images below depict a house designed by Larson Brenner Architects in Stillwater, Minnesota.  
It is a beautiful Cape Cod design.


The client loved the design inside and out.  But the plan would not fit on their own lot configuration, the room arrangement did not satisfy 100% of their needs and their aesthetic tastes tended more towards the contemporary.  So Larson Brenner Architects sold the plan to them for a flat fee, and then worked on an hourly rate basis to modify the plan to reflect their needs.  The images below reflect the modified design.






The client loves the new design and they were able to reduce the design schedule and design costs significantly.  The house is now under construction - I'll update this post with photos of the project when available.

Top 10 house plan websites

There are probably a million house plan companies selling zillions of plans through the internet.  Most are terrible.  In my business I create one of a kind custom homes.  I can't tell you how many clients of mine have come to me after being frustrated looking through one plan book (or plan website) after another.  After exhaustive searching they will eventually break down and hire a competent house designer or an Architect.

I definitely believe that if your needs are truly unique then you should hire a residential architect.  But if your needs and tastes are less specific you might be able to save yourself some time and money by going the pre-designed plan route. So I decided to publish a list of the top 10 house plan websites that I have run across.  Here goes.

8. Southern Living House plans - Large collection of traditionally styled house plans.  All shapes, sizes and configurations.
7. John Tee Architect - Architect designed homes in predominantly southern american styles.  Plans in this fairly extensive collection are well executed.
6. Rick Thompson Architect - Collection of traditionally styled house plans.  Most of the collection is under 2000 square feet.
5. Coastal Living House Plans - A large collection of plans, many of which designed with a lake or coastal property in mind.  The architectural styles again are mostly traditional.  There are a good number of more "quirky" plans however, which makes for more interesting surfing.
4. LaMiDesign Modern House Plans - If you are looking for a truly modern home online, your choices are limited.  LaMiDesign is the best that I have run across.
3. Good Fit plans by Ross Chapin Architects - Modest collection of very well designed smaller homes.  Modernized cottage aesthetic.  Simple, clean and well done.
2. Architectural House Plans - This site specializes in unique Architect designed homes.  They started out being very selective and only published great plans.  The quality seems to be starting to go downhill a bit as the collection increases - but it is still a great source for architect designed house plans.
1. Simply Elegant Home Designs - Ok, I know this is shameless.  It's my own site after all.  This site does not yet have very many plans - but we are definitely going for quality.  We are going for a more edgy and more modern look.

I'll bet you are wondering where number 9 and 10 are.  Well it really is just that hard to find quality plans online.  After you spend a few hours browsing you realize that almost all the plans start looking alike.  In fact quite literally many of the plans are identical.  So I decided to spare the list down to 8.  

Final note.  If you run across any other great house plan web sites please let me know.  I'll update my top 10 list.