Renovations, The Buffalo BurrowStyle Inspiration and First Plans for Our House in the Woods April 5, 2019 Thank y’all so much for your kind words about our next chapter: building from scratch in our very own woods! They may only be .6 acres of woods, but to us, it feels like a giant preserved forest after small city plots! We’re so grateful and excited. We’ve wanted to build from scratch for so long and are so excited to learn from this different experience. But like all learning experiences, we assumed there’d be some hiccups along the way. And let’s just say, there have been more than expected! But we keep reminding ourselves, we’re learning and we’ll have skills after this build we didn’t before. And that’s a good thing! Not to mention that we’ll have a house we are so so thrilled to get to live in. I’ve spent a lot of time just looking around our house and thinking back over our last ones to nail down what we love and want to do again and what we’ve learned from and want to do differently. Nailing down a floor plan has been hard with many “toss it and start over” moments so far. And we’re still not there at all. But we’re getting closer! I wanted to pop in today and give y’all the first details for what we’re building, share the style inspiration I’m loving for it, and ask for y’all’s much-needed advice! First up, what are exactly are we building? I said in the last post that we’re working with HOA requirements. They’re not too strict thankfully…I think that would be really difficult for me! But they’re are some size and lot placement requirements. SIZE: In deciding what size of a house to build we had two opposing goals. 1.) We wanted enough space for our family to grow as much as it needs to in the future. I think we can go too far with that idea and build more than we need for sure! What do we actually need? But that was a factor bedroom-wise etc. 2.) We wanted to keep it as small and efficient as possible and still meet that first goal. The HOA’s minimum requirement is 1800 square feet: 1200 feet on the first floor and atleast 600 on the second. That size sounded perfect for us so we said, okay we’re going to build that and no more! As we’ve gotten into it, it seems there may be a little extra upstairs in the eaves that wouldn’t be too expensive to finish since it’s already there. So, it looks like we’ll end up somewhere right around 2,000 square feet. It’ll be the same size of our last house and in some ways, that number feels huge!!! But I’m really excited for how the space is starting to shake out. And I’m SO excited to build a two-story house. Isn’t that such a funny, small thing? You always want what you haven’t had I guess. Now, let’s talk STYLE INSPIRATION! There’ll be so much to share as the vision really starts to take shape. This is just a first glimpse at what I’m being drawn to right now! Last night, a creative friend was asking me what style I would build because I’m drawn to so many different ones! And it’s true, I am! So I think this house will be an eclectic mix of styles that is really true to all the things I love. Here are some exteriors we’re loving: Pinterest (I cannot find a source on this one!) | Patti Cake Wagner | Rita Konig |Austin Rutland I am loving the very collected feel of these! I’m drawn to the idea of a European fairy tale farmhouse/country house. Does that exist? In my head it does! Now, here’s some style shots I’m really drawing inspiration from as I start to design this house…that we still don’t have a floor plan for yet! But take the creativity as it comes, right? You can find all of these on House Build Pinterest Board. Ahhh, so much I could say about my dreams for this house. For now, I’ll leave you with this glimpse of the style I’m going for! Click over to my House Build Pinterest Board to see more inspiration I’ve saved and to watch as I update the inspiration throughout the design process. I’m going for collected, texture, a new build that feels old. Budget is a very serious factor, so we’ll be limited by that in some ways for what I want to create, BUT I’m such a firm believer that you can have a beautiful home that’s “you” on any budget. And now, I WANT YOUR ADVICE! As I said, we are in the very, very early stages of designing this build. And I would LOVE to hear your advice! What do you love in your own home? What do you wish you had? If you could build a house, what’s the #1 thing it would have! Send it all my way, friends, cause girl needs the help! I’ve been designing my one-day dream house in my head forever and it’s fun to see that this house has so much of that list…it seems my dream greenhouse off the kitchen I’ve “designed” may have to wait, haha! But the rest of it is taking shape. Now what’re your must-haves and loves when it comes to home?
cassie says April 5, 2019 at 10:11 am the one thing i always wish we had and we have NEVER had is a mud room! i would love a drop zone for everything and for shoes to come off!!!! Reply
Kari @ The Sunset Lane says April 5, 2019 at 11:42 am A few things I wish we had in our new build…. 1. character…. I know you won;t have a problem with this, you have wonderful style. 2. a larger laundry room with a small sink and a folding area!! This is so important for me and I don’t have it 🙁 3. Lots and lots of windows 4. black framed windows…..I personally love black framed windows and would love to not wipe down dust constantly bc it shows so badly on our white windows. 5. French doors instead of the sliding glass door Things we have that I love: 1. Crown molding… makes me feel fancy 2. lovely doors 3. open floor plan ( I didn’t realize how nice this was until this house. 4. high ceilings… even just 9 foot or so is better that basic 8 ft Reply
Jeanne says April 5, 2019 at 12:11 pm We love our current (first, and only as well) single-story, small home. It’s tight with a family of 5 (all girls between 11 and 5). I wish we had another bathroom, even a 1/2 bath! (We only have ONE bathroom right now.) Cohesive flooring throughout (RN we have wood laminate in our entry and “addition” to our living room, OLD hardwood in our original living room and dining room, carpet in the 3 bdrms as well as a patch of indoor/outdoor carpet just before our kitchen, vinyl tile in our pantry, bathroom and kitchen… phew!) We do have high ceilings in our main living space, I’d love to add a wee loft somewhere… Reply
Stephanie says April 5, 2019 at 2:37 pm The best thing about our current house is that the master bath has a double shower instead of tub– we have a tub in the upstairs bathroom so it’s not needed. A walk-in double shower feels soooo luxurious (and has space for a garden stool for easy leg-shaving! haha) Reply
Heidi Johnson says April 5, 2019 at 3:20 pm I like having more space given to the living, communal areas of the house than to the bedrooms. Bedrooms don’t need to be huge. I’d rather have one big living room than two smaller ones. I personally like open concept, but especially with really high or vaulted ceilings you have to be careful with how it affects sound. It can end being really echo-ey. It’s important to me that the house have a good connection and flow to outside. Ideally there would a door outside off of or near the kitchen. It’s really nice when the kitchen has windows, but either way it needs lots of light so make sure kitchen is well lit. I adore my under cabinet lighting. If gardening is important, make sure you have a sunny planting area. I love having big windows, with light coming from two sides, giving really nice natural light, especially in living spaces. As for things that have annoyed me in places we’ve lived – having our bedroom right by the front door and right off the living room. Having it at the back of the house at the end of a hallway was much more private. We also had a guest bathroom open directly into one of the living spaces. That’s awkward. It’s much better when it’s off some sort of hallway type space. I never liked just having a laundry closet. Having an actual laundry room is much better, it’d be even better if it was a laundry/mud room. Reply
Angela says April 5, 2019 at 4:21 pm I know I am in the minority, but I hate open floor plans. I love the separation of space. My home was built in 1938. It is small, but I have 10 foot ceilings which I love. I also love that I have large cased openings between the living and dining room. There is separation, but the rooms flow into each other beautifully. There are only two things I wish that I had: 1.) second bathroom 2.) an entryway/foyer. You enter my home directly into the living room. I wish I had even just a small foyer/entryway to enter the home. Reply
Robbie Zeller says April 5, 2019 at 5:32 pm I absolutely love having a big window over the kitchen sink. Picking windows and doors that really let in light and allow you to see and enjoy God’s surrounding creation. In addition, a wood burning fireplace in the family room is pretty special…. Reply
Kathy Frye says April 5, 2019 at 5:56 pm How exciting to watch your house plans evolve!!! I have no doubt it will be beautiful and filled with inspiration!! There are two things I would love to have in my “next” house…main floor laundry/mud room and a sun room. As I get older, I dislike having the laundry in the basement…and our current “laundry room” is just my washer and dryer in the mechanical/storage room. Thus, there’s no decorating it to make it “fun” to do laundry. lol I also love plants but don’t really have great lighting for indoor house plants (they are all bunched up in front of the East facing window) and the wind blows too much in Kansas to have many houseplants on our back porch in the Summer. Reply
AmandaKB says April 5, 2019 at 7:13 pm I’d love to build a house some day. Thanks for sharing your journey 🙂 My favorites in our current house: * a south-facing sunroom full of plants * windows that face the woods (I don’t hide the view with curtains or blinds, because we don’t have close neighbors.) * Our laundry area is by our back door, which is right between our bedroom and our only bathroom. If we were to build, I always tell my husband I want a set-up like this because it’s very easy to get the laundry done. * We have a separate small room when we step inside our front door. It currently acts as tool/project storage, but I love having an actual room for an entryway/mudroom, or, ya know, tools. There are doors to close it off from the rest of the house, too. * We have a small landing between two small rooms upstairs. We use this landing as a little library. (It’s not completely done yet, but it’s awesome in my head. Ha.) * large bathroom My wish list: * more closets! (The only ones we have are the ones we’ve added.) * a fireplace * bigger windows * a dining room (Our kitchen has room for a table, but I like the idea of a separate space.) * higher ceilings (Ours are ridiculously short in this old house.) * a garage * a large porch/deck Good luck! Reply
Mary C says April 5, 2019 at 7:26 pm My list from the five houses we’ve lived in: A huge floor to ceiling window in the master. I loved waking up and looking outside to see the woods and trees and what the sky looked like that day. Pullout shelves in my cabinets, I miss those from my first home. I’d love one of those pull up shelves for my kitchen aid mixer in the kitchen. Stained cement flooring. Weird request, but I foster former puppy mill dogs so I think you.l get the hint. I also love my laundry chute, but a main floor laundry room is also on my wish list. Your babies can follow you to the laundry room without having to block off stairs and when you’re getting older like me, the stairs aren’t your friends anymore, lol. Reply
Mary C says April 5, 2019 at 7:27 pm PS: I love every picture here and on your Pinterest board, we are style sisters. Reply
Sandie says April 5, 2019 at 7:39 pm This seems so minor in the grand scheme of things, but I’ve always wanted a Dutch door! Reply
Shelley says April 5, 2019 at 9:55 pm In my next house: – mud room, maybe includes laundry, and a dog bath – a Butler’s pantry for my entertaining stuff – electrical outlets in master bath drawers for hair driers, etc. – access to laundry through master closet – no formal dining room – covered, screened porch with a wall to mount tv – Covered front porch – kitchen cabinets all the way up to ceiling – pull out drawers for all lower cabinets – fireplace on an interior wall for living/great room for built-ins or other furniture flanking A girl can dream! Reply
Deborah says April 5, 2019 at 10:05 pm So excited for you (and for me as i live through you)! Suggestions: -main floor laundry -deep windowsills for potted plants -Dutch door -Sunday/daybed porch swing -kitchen or living room windows overlooking the portion of the yard where kiddos play the most. nice to be able to prep meals or fold laundry while keeping an eye on children playing -the outdoor water spickets on the house installed above knee height -a smart thermostat (so nice to adjust heating and AC temps via phone when away from home or from your bed) -USB outlets Reply
Christa says April 6, 2019 at 9:39 am Your first pic looks like our pole barn. We purchased a 24’x50′ pole barn kit with metal trusses for 3500.00. This included the metal roofing and hardware. We have since added 16′ lean-to on both sides. I realized how cost efficient this building method was and used metal trusses for two additions on our 1897 farmhouse. The metal trusses can be spaced up to 12′ apart. We have wrapped them with old barn wood in our living area and also incorporated them into our walls. Search for “barndominiums” on Pinterest for ideas. Large pantry to eliminate the need for lots of expensive cabinets. Between the studs storage in laundry and baths because you can never have to much storage Outlets at the top of your porch walls for Christmas lights Spray foam insulation – worth every cent (My skeptical husband was so impressed that he had all porch ceilings insulated) Reply
Cherise says April 6, 2019 at 7:34 pm We’ve built two homes and cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling, two sinks in the master, and a large pantry were must-haves in both. In our first house, the master and kids’ rooms were all on the second story so I put my laundry room up there and it was wonderful. If you put a built-in island in your kitchen (and I have loved mine) don’t forget to put electrical outlets in the sides. Reply
Ellie says April 6, 2019 at 9:54 pm would add plenty of storage space, black steel windows and doors facing sunup for my plants to thrive -a fireplace and light wood flooring. And I have always wanted a nice big shower, but love a tub also-and outside simple landscaping thats easy to maintain. I know your home will be lovely whatever you decide! Reply
Leah says April 8, 2019 at 8:46 am Every time I’m in a house designed and built from scratch that I think was done brilliantly, it is because they have managed to put storage EVERYWHERE. Built in storage under the stairs, storage benches along a wall, etc. Reply
Becky in 'Bama says April 9, 2019 at 9:31 am One small tidbit of wisdom/advice. Take it from this 65 year old mother, grandmother: do not have a house that the front door is exposed to all the elements of nature. Think wind, sun and especially rain… moisture will wreck the surface of the door if it is wood and if the front of your house faces west – the sun will bake it. Have some sort of stoop over your door to get out of the weather – and your guests will especially be thankful. Plus, if you like to hang a wreath, art, etc.. on your front door – the weather will play havoc with that, too. Otherwise, go for it! p.s. – I would be nice to have a kitchen window over the sink with a lovely view. Reply
Adrienne Bray says April 11, 2019 at 2:26 pm My favorite part of the house that I designed a few years ago is the laundry room attached to the master closet which leads to the master bath. I get up before my husband so once I’m up I enter the bathroom, shut the door, and can get ready without disturbing him. Once I’m ready for the day I exit out the laundry room. I tried to paste/attach a picture of that part of the plan but the comment box doesn’t let me. The second thing I’d recommend is making your first level accessible for all. I did this for my dad and father in law who have bad knees but now I’m grateful that if we ever have the need we could live on the main level of our two story. All doorways and halls are ADA compliant and the shower in the main floor bath is wheelchair accessible with zero step up. We’d have slight modifications to the kitchen but those would be super minimal. Best of luck weeding through all the recommendations! What works for some people doesn’t work for all!! Reply
Oona says April 12, 2019 at 8:21 pm It’s a mud room for the win! I agree with others here, it’s the feature we most miss in our little house, where you have to step right onto the nice old hardwood floors from the porch. Because it’s a little old bungalow, I do love its built-in linen closet with drawers and the two drawers at the bottom of each closet (great for extra blankets, shoes, etc.). Since we’re working with limited space, my latest project is to design a built-in fold-away drying rack. In addition to being eco-friendly, it also prolongs the life of many fabrics, so worth the effort in two ways. I have to admit that while I’m happy for your new plans, I truly love your current little house and the creative ways you’ve made the most of its quirks, challenges, and possibilities. Some other family is going to love the running start on home that you’re giving them! Reply
Jessi says May 1, 2019 at 4:23 pm Natural light, natural light, natural light! I would LOVE to have the back of our house with nothing but views. I love the idea of the sliding doors that open up into a screened porch or playroom area where you can just sit with a hot cup of anything and read your bible and just be still. if I could have windows on every wall, I would! Reply