A Great Life Starts with a Great (Floor) Plan

From the community you choose to the flooring that will capture the pitter-patter of little feet, when couples and families make the decision to build a new home – they can already imagine their lives playing out in the rooms of that yet-to-be-realized home.Thanksgiving feasts being prepared in the kitchen and transferred to the formal dining room to the oohs and ahhs of your loved ones. Christmas mornings where the little ones peer through the balusters at the top of the staircase, awaiting the green light to come down and see what Santa Claus left for them under the towering tree in the two-story great room. Bedtime stories being told by the glow of the outdoor fire pit on a beautiful brick patio before carrying the kiddos up to their warm beds. Sneaking in some much-needed me time in a free-standing tub loaded with bubbles in a luxury spa-inspired master bathroom.The design and construction teams at Green River Builders love that sense of adventure and imagination in our homebuyers. That’s why every floor plan we design is innovatively and intentionally lifestyle-driven to fit the way our homeowners live. We offer up the following tips for selecting the ideal floor plan to fit your unique vision…

A Bevy of Bedrooms

Are you focused on growing your family or are you empty nesters who love to entertain overnight guests? Whether moving up or downsizing, it’s important to consider the number of bedrooms that will prove the right fit for you – not just during the average week, but also during holidays when you might have a full house. Think “Where will we put everyone?” And look ahead several years down the road. While it might be fun to put your twin toddlers in a combined bedroom while they’re little, as they grow, they may want their own rooms. Do you have an aging parent who might come to live under your roof at some point? A spacious first-floor bedroom with ensuite bathroom may be a must-have element in your new home so they won’t have to navigate the stairs.

Flexibility is FABULOUS

A floor plan that offers some flexibility is a beautiful thing. An upstairs bonus room may be ideal as a playroom when the kids are little but consider how it can evolve with your family as everyone grows up. Make sure it’s wired properly to accommodate a transition to a teenage hangout – a media space/homework zone. If your initial plan includes a study that you fear might just be a wasted space, it might be possible to have it converted to an additional bedroom with bathroom for when guests come to visit.

Bringing Work Home with You

As more and more companies embrace the concept of remote workers, the home office has never been more important. Whether you work from home a couple of days a week or you home IS your office, it’s important to consider ways to make that space a place that inspires you to be most productive. Is it set away from distractions, like the main living areas and kids’ bedrooms? Would you benefit from built-in shelving and cabinets to keep that space organized and tidy? Is it wired properly to accommodate your computer, printer, router and more? Is it a place where you can have the occasional visit from a client or co-worker? Does it have DOORS so you can shut out the noise when on an important call or would you prefer to leave it open, so the kids know you’re accessible at all times?

The King and Queen of Fine Cuisine

A beautifully designed, well-equipped kitchen can inspire a budding chef to step up their game. If that sounds like you, make sure you have all the pieces in place for the “big show”on holidays or at dinner parties. Would you benefit from a double oven to accommodate large meals, a large kitchen island for food prep, a pot filler spout over the stove for countless pasta nights or bright pendant lighting that converts your kitchen to a dinner theater when guests come to dine? Of course, cooking isn’t for everyone. It’s entirely possible to make your kitchen beautiful and functional for all family members, while placing an emphasis elsewhere in rooms you’re more likely to use. Regardless of your chef stature, a growing number of families are finding value in large kitchen islands with legroom space for stools for a quick bowl of cereal, after school snacks and casual dinners.

One Sweet Retreat

While the overall design of your home is important, don’t be shy to place a little extra emphasis on the master bedroom and bathroom. After all, it is the one room where you are likely to spend most of your time. Would you like a sitting area where you can enjoy a night cap and binge watch your favorite shows before bedtime? Do you like to let in loads of sunlight in the morning and could benefit from a pair of privacy-maintaining clerestory windows on the bed wall? Are you more of a shower couple or do you love an occasional bath in a soaking tub? Would you prefer TWO walk-in closets to house your fashions separately or would you prefer to use that space for as lightly larger bedroom or bath?

Let’s Go Outside

Why limit your living spaces to the indoors alone? If you love the Great Outdoors, you can place an emphasis on outdoor living spaces – like a big, deep rocking chair front porch and a covered rear porch with stone fireplace that’s prewired for a flatscreen for football watch parties. The King and Queen of Fine Cuisine can take the show on the proverbial road with an outdoor kitchen and dining area. Would you like to enclose the space? Want to screen it in so you can still smell the flowers and feel the breezes, or would you prefer glass to create a sunroom so you can enjoy nature’s splendor without the allergic reaction?

Score on Great Storage

It’s okay to admit you’re a packrat! If you have a lot of items you’d like to store away, a walk-up storage space above the garage or in the basement may be a must for you. You could also benefit from a kitchen with loads of cabinets, a built-in buffet in the dining room, built-in bookcases with cabinets in the home office and family room, and lots of closets throughout. Is there wasted space under the stairs? You may be able to add a door and create storage space there, as well!

Don’t Skimp on Gathering Spaces

They say the family that plays together stays together, but even the happiest of families occasionally need a little time apart. Choose a plan that keeps that in mind with more than one gathering space. While – as its name would suggest – the family room is for the whole family, an upstairs retreat may serve as a great kids’ gathering space to play video games, binge-watch reality TV and hang out when friends come over.An outdoor living space and finished basement can increase your number of gathering spaces, as well.

A Prelude to Personal Preferences

It’s always wise to make a list of things you’ve seen in other homes, on websites or in magazines that you like and want to incorporate in your next home. Families with school-age kids could get a lot of mileage out of a drop-zone with cubbies off the garage where the kids can leave their backpacks and jackets. For those homebuyers who love to garden, a mudroom with potting bench and utility sink will prove a necessity.For book lovers, a cozy corner for built-in bookcases may serve as a much-loved book nook. And for empty nesters with oodles of grandkids, a large upstairs room may be the ideal space for built-in bunks so visits to grandma and grandpa feel more like a fun overnight camp.

We can hardly wait to hear your ideas and show you our plans! Ready to start building with Green River Builders? Click HERE!  Want to learn a little more about us and the world-class communities in which we build? Be sure to visit our website at GreenRiverBuilder.com. Need a little inspiration? Take a peek inside a few of our Luxury Lake Home Floor Plans.

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