Contemporary House Tags

Sports parties are a whole other ballgame (so to speak!). When I edited Builder magazine, we often hosted super bowl parties in show homes. Even though the game was running on multiple screens, guests tended to congregate around one screen in particular so that they could, in effect, watch the...

Bring your family along with you when choosing a floor plan. Don’t make the mistake of keeping your floor plan decision making to yourself. If you are able to walk through physical models of homes before deciding on a floor plan, consider bringing your family along for the decision. It...

Suppose now, that you are purchasing an already built home or renting an apartment. Plans can be done in these situations as well. Most places will offer a floor plan for you to look at with the measurements of the space in the rooms. If this is not available you...

Consider hiring consultants: Consultants such as an architect or mechanical/electrical/structural/plumbing may be needed for advice on making your floor plan a reality. Seek advice on how much heating and cooling systems will cost, a civil engineer may be needed if your property site is uneven, and other consultants should...

“We wanted to develop a program that would help people obtain a significant asset so that we weren’t just ending homelessness for people but actually providing the opportunity for them to climb out of poverty,” Fowler explains. “Owning a house means collateral for a loan, or something to sell and/or...

The informal lifestyle of California became popular as early as the late 1940s and magazines began to promote casual living as the ideal. Influences such as courtyards, patios and other Spanish colonial architectural details were embraced and played upon. What was known as the front porch or veranda, was moved...

Social Kitchen, There's room for three people to sit at the built-in table in plan 48-685, a great space-saving feature that means you don't have to devote more space to a dining room. A fireplace adds a cozy focal point in the living room, which steps out to the patio...

Five Houseplans.com designs were chosen for phase one of the project (which includes 25 tiny homes for single people and couples), and each design is completely different. The reason is simple. Most of the residents are coming from institutions like homeless shelters or senior apartments where every living space is...

Metal Roofs. The metal roof, formerly relegated to rural reaches, is infiltrating suburban housing. Even corrugated and standing-seam metal roofs are receiving attention. See Plan 933-5. Though durable and inexpensive, metal roofs need to be insulated and soundproofed, unless you really love the sound of rain on the roof....

Once tenants move in, they pay minimal rent and utilities (e.g. $300 a month rent for a 300-square-foot home and an estimated electric bill of less than $35 per month). After three years, tenants are offered a contract to rent to own their homes within four years. This lengthy process...