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Wheelchair Accessible Haven in House Plan Designs

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ridebmx136
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When one gets older it is almost inevitable that they will end up needing a wheelchair at some point or another.  Once in a wheelchair, they realize how hard it is to get around the house with a couple extra inches of chair on both sides.  It is times like these that you wish you had planned ahead and had a more user-friendly floor plan.

Designers are incorporating wheelchair accessibility more and more into their house plans.  The great thing about wheelchair accessibility is that it really doesn’t stick out.  You can have a wheelchair accessible home that looks just like any other home but it will give you a lot fewer headaches if there is ever a need to be in a wheelchair.  A little long term planning right now will pay off when you do encounter a wheelchair situation.

Plan 108-1423 Floor PlanThe Catalina house plan (#108-1423) is a good plan to use to learn exactly what you would need in a wheelchair accessible home.  One of the first things you see about this house plan is that there are no stairs.  Stairs in a floor plan mean having to lift the chair up them and carry it down them.  It is really just a lot of unnecessary effort.  Not even the front porch is raised on this plan.  There is zero vertical movement required in this home design.  This floor plan also has open space and wider doors.  It has been said that a wheelchair will need at least 36″ wide doors so you can maneuver through the opening.  With a quick modification of the doorway you can make this house plan work for you.  One idea to help you have a more wheelchair friendly doorway is to have a pocket door installed like the door to the walk in closet in the master suite.

The height difference is also something to take into account when designing a wheelchair accessible house. Counter heights and sink accessibility are two things that are affected by the height of a person sitting in a wheelchair.  There can be other factors so be sure to figure it all out before you start constructing.  The most important thing in wheelchair accessible home design is planning.  Plan ahead and find the house plan that works the best for your situation.

Feng Shui in House Designs and Plans

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ridebmx136
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Feng Shui House Design
Feng Shui House Design (149-1216)

Today, we continue our looking at the different categories of house plans that attract a certain groups of people.  When you look for a house plan online there are hundreds of styles to choose from and it can get hard trying to decide what you want.  You may be thinking, “all I want is a house where I can come home and relax, why do I have to pick from so many options?” Yesterday we talked about transitional house plans.  Today we are going to talk about the art of Feng Shui and the application of it in house design.

Feng shui has had lots of criticism over the years and there are a lot of false ideas about Feng Shui.  Feng Shui is all about trying to have positivity in life.  There are many levels of Feng Shui practice in today’s world.  Many people just want a little Feng Shui in their homes to help them relax.  Others are more firm believes in the theology of Feng Shui.  It doesn’t matter at what level of Feng Shui practice you are.  All Feng Shui house plans give you a place to relax and enjoy more of the earth and its elements.

You can practice as much feng shui as you want in a home.  A Feng Shui design is a smaller design with lots of open space.  One of the keys to Feng Shui is being able to have space to move around and with some quick reevaluations of the floor plan any home becomes more Feng Shui.  With the open air feeling you naturally feel more at ease.  The house provides a place for you to get away from the stress of everyday life and relax.  There are certain elements that can add a lot to the Feng Shui feel of a home.  For example, this floor plan has open floor plans and glass walls that give lots of air flow throughout the house.  The plan also has open wall space so you can decorate with all the Feng Shui items you need.

Feng Shui Plan 149-1216
Example of a Feng Shui inspired floor plan.

There are dozens of Feng Shui house plans that you can choose from online.  You can start your search for house plans here. Take some time and find the one that works best for you.

Feng Shui House Design
Feng Shui House Design (149-1216)

 

The Empty Nester’s Choice

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ridebmx136
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We are going to look at a style of home that is overlooked a lot of the time.  There are plans out there that let you house a family member that needs a little extra assistance but what happens when you get older?  Eventually, all of us will get older and the kids will all grow up and move out.  What do you do when you wake up one morning and realized you are left with a big house and no one but you and your spouse to live in it?  This is when it’s time to start looking at Transitional House Plans.

Transitional house plans aren’t a real house plan design style per se.  Transitional homes are house plans that have been designed for those transitioning years after the family leaves.  They are generally a smaller design with easy access to all the main living spaces.  Many of the times, these plans come in a single story floor plan so you don’t have to fight going up and down stairs all day.  The transitional house plan has lots of features to make life a little easier for you, now that you don’t always have to be thinking about a handful of people.  The houses are stylish designs without being too big.  They could be just what you need to make your years of transition easier.

Plan 141-1057

Stirring Up the Passive Solar Design

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ridebmx136
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Plan 146-2605

For the most part, all the passive solar house plans that you see are contemporary in design.  They feature crisp lines and look very unique.  That is a great style but not everyone that is looking into a passive solar house wants a contemporary house plan.  There are still a few different options out there.  Here is a house plan that shows what other things you can do with a passive solar designed house plan.

The outside of the house features a rustic charm, much like a cabin house plan.  The exterior will allow you to keep it simple or decorate it to your own taste.  The interior of the home follows in the path of the exterior.  The floor plan allows you to design your own dream home.  The big living room can be styled in many different ways, taking advantage of the wood stove.  Wood stoves not only add to the efficiency of a passive solar design but they give you a unique object to mix into your decor.  Every passive solar plan has a sun room and deck but this house plan has an especially great placement of the two.

The dwelling areas of this house plan are also well designed.  The only problem that could come up is that the master bedroom doesn’t have its own bathroom.  Other than that little problem, you get a big master bedroom with lots of closet space.  Both the master bedroom and the second upstairs bedroom have a built-in desk for easy studying.  If an extra bedroom is necessary there is a study/bedroom area on the ground level.  There isn’t any reason to worry about room for people here.

Just remember, you don’t have to have the usual contemporary home design when you’re looking at passive solar house plans.  There are other options out there.  Get both the house you want and the house that you need.

Plan 146-2605
A passive solar house design with a more rustic and traditional look (Plan 146-2605),

The All-Around Attractive Home Plan

By
Ann Adamson
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Building a home can be a big decision.  There are a lot of things that go into building your own home.  The best part is that you get to decide pretty much everything.  You can make the home exactly how you want.  One of the first decisions you make when picking a set of house plans to construct with is the style of home you want.  Let me suggest looking at Arts and Crafts house plans.

Plan 161-1001 - Arts & Crafts / Craftsman House Plan Design
Arts and crafts house design. (#161-1001)

Arts and Crafts house designs look great from every angle.  The design of an Arts and Crafts house is very decorative.  The exterior of the house has many subtle detailing that all combine to make one beautiful, fluid look.  Some of the common features are a mix of exterior finishes and artsy woodwork around the tops of the gable roof lines.  The exterior is actually one of the main factors that goes into making a home have the true Arts and Crafts look.

The interior of an Arts and Crafts home is a very practical design.  It has all the basic living necessities and adds a little flair to it.  Exposed beams and other rustic decor are very common in Arts and Crafts houses.  Another feature that you find in a lot of Arts and Crafts houses is a large masonry fireplace to provide both beauty and a great heating device. Everything is put together to give an easy to inhabit floor plan with beauty.

Arts and Crafts house plans can be anything you want them to be.  Constructing an Arts and Crafts house adds lots of pleasure to your life.  It is a house design that will hold up for years and never go out of style.  Arts and Crafts houses have been constructed for years and continue with the same look, even in today’s modern design craze.  This is definitely one of the architecture styles that will not drift away after a couple years.

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