Category: HOME

Outbuilding Plan: Meet the Studio Shed – a Design Star!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, OutbuildingsLeave a comment

Studio-Shed.com | Signature Series

Studio Shed. I have seen ads for these “sheds” popping up more and more and I’m telling you, THIS is where it’s at! Who doesn’t need a backyard structure to use for work, studio, guest space or a multitude of other uses? It doesn’t seem like there is a limit to the options that are available. I spent time today looking at the Signature Series. Wow. There is also the Summit Series, Studio Mini, Studio Sprout and Studio Wag series. All are great!

You can design your own unit specific to all your needs and wants. Using the CONFIGURATOR you have options, size, siding choice, colors, configuration of doors/windows – and let me tell you, there are so many wonderful choices. I designed one and had a blast doing it. I really got into it thinking about how I would use it, what fun! I configured one, but then noticed I could scroll down for even more options – WHOA! Back I went… All you have to do is enter your name, email, and zip code so that they can give you pricing.

This is the one that I saw a photo of and whoa! This would be my choice! What sharp design. Nothing cheap about this. Built to last!

Image via Studio-Shed.com

Studio Shed has a great short video (Located at the bottom of their Home page) that shows the interior of some and how people are using them. Brilliant. Sharp. This is a unit that will most definitely make you smile. At this point I would love to tear down our garage, and put one of these in its place!

I was looking at the Signature Series – check out that link for more details. They build these in Colorado with the highest quality and green materials, pack them flat and ship them to you. You have the option for installation, DIY, Professional/Shell only or Professional/Including interior. Read more, you will be impressed!  The Signature Series line has sizes from 6×8′ all the way up to 12×28′!

You can see more images on Houzz for Studio Shed. I love seeing other people’s designs!

All images via Studio-Shed.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of Studio Shed.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: W331612R from Architectural Designs!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House PlansLeave a comment

HP Plan W33161ZR Architectural Designs

Plan W33161ZR from Architectural Designs! Wow, is this a wonderful old world Florida plan! This is a net zero plan with an L-shaped lanai. For those of you wondering what a lanai is, it’s basically a covered porch, which helps keep out the elements, and in sunny climates helps keep the house cooler by reducing the amount of direct sun streaming through the windows. Lanai’s are coveted spaces used for entertaining, relaxing, just like another living space, but outdoors. The back of this plan is FABULOUS, I urge you to check it out (click on the link above to see more photos and details).

HP Plan W33161ZR Architectural Designs MAIN

You enter the house from a nice entry porch, then walk into the Great Room and Kitchen areas. Nice open wonderful areas with plenty of room! Down a hallway you will pass two Guest rooms, each with their own Guest Bath, then at the end of the house is the Master Bedroom/Bathroom. On the way to the garage is a Powder Room, Utility Room and Storage (YES!!). The stairs for the Guest Room are located near the garage, which is so nice!

Did you notice the built in dressers in the Master Closet? What a nice touch! As is the WALK-IN PANTRY! ❤️

Changes we would make to suite our needs: I would change Guest Bedroom 1 into a reading room, study or equivalent. If possible I would make Guest Bath 1 into the Utility Room with washer/dryer. I would take the Utility Room near the Garage, and make that a nice mud room with storage, or expand the Storage space (I love that they include a place for storage – it’s something we all need!) – It’s fun to think of changes I would make… of course I could easily live in it just as it is.

HP Plan W33161ZR Architectural Designs

Can I say… I love a Guest Suite?!!  What a great space. It’s a large space, with closets, storage, a Guest Bath, what more could you ask for? Also nice as an office or studio!

All images via ArchitecturalDesigns.com, used with permission…

IMAGES ARE NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPRODUCTION, THEY ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: 229 Greer Road – Guest Cottage? Studio? Stunning!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans4 Comments

229 Greer Road - Our Town Plans

Our Town Plans has the classiest of plans. Each one is as stunning as the next. They don’t skimp on details when it comes to a guest cottage either, just look at this sweet plan, this is 229 Greer Road. It is a 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom plan with 312 square feet. Perfect for a guest or… as a STUDIO! Many of us would like a little getaway, but be close enough to home, wouldn’t this just be perfect? A wonderful front porch leads to the front door. Beyond that is the Bedroom/Living space, a refrigerator and sink, a closet and bathroom with shower. Perfect!

I love their sketch with the fire pit and adirondack chairs. Just wait until you see real images of this guest cottage. You’ll see what I mean! CLASSY!

229 Greer Road - Our Town Plans

All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

2013 Best Retirement Home (Plan) /Architect: Jon Nystrom – as seen in Fine Homebuilding Magazine!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans4 Comments
Jon Nystrom

This home was built with so much thought. What happens when an architect and his wife plan a home that will serve them well into retirement (other than 2013 Retirement Home of the Year)? A stunning, beautiful, well thought out plan emerges, that’s what happens! There was a wonderful article in Fine Homebuilding magazine, be sure to read that article, you won’t want to miss it! In the article, Jon explains some of the details and why he designed it like he did. Fabulous!

Home Plan by Jon Nystrom

I love this plan. It’s not a massive home, but it’s so well thought out that it could work out better for you than a large home in many cases. There is one bedroom in this house, but there is also an Office. So if it needed to be another Bedroom, it’s a quick and easy movement of furniture. In this plan the Kitchen, Dining, Living areas are open, and look out onto a Patio. If you notice there aren’t hallways that take up space. It makes each area more roomy, here, Jon was thinking about the future, easy access is important. I’ve always wondered about hallways. They can be beautiful but they take up so much space and all you do is walk through them.

You can see how the plan is situated on the site it’s built on in an article from Fine Homebuilding Magazine.

Home plan by Jon Nystrom

This is the Guest House – The Guest House is not connected to the house. It can be used for guests, for long or short term rental, and in the future possibly to house a caretaker that would allow them to live independently in their homes for as long as possible.

Jon Nystrom

What a dream, right?

This is the back of the house which is the perfect extension of this home. (Image from Fine Homebuilding article) – What you see in the foreground is a lap pool, then the fire pit, and just look into this house. Just beautiful! What a dream!

You can contact Jon Nystrom via his website!

All images via JonNystromArchitect.com, used with permission…

IMAGES ARE NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPRODUCTION, THEY ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.

House Plan: Lambert Cottage by Lake and Land Design Studio!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans5 Comments
House plan, front view, wrap around porch, windows, doors
Lambert Cottage by Lake and Land Studio

First of all I would like to welcome Lake & Land Design Studio – this is an impressive company with some wonderful plans for the future. They are a fairly new company (one year), and with their thoughts, plans and ideas – they will go far!

This is the Lambert Cottage by Lake & Land Design Studio. This plan is 2,147 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms. There is a total of 3,056 square feet including the outside porches underneath the roof. That’s a lot of living space. How wonderful to have the flexibility to have part of your space outside! You can download the plan packet HERE.

Lambert Cottage by Lake & Land Studio
Lambert Cottage by Lake and Land Studio

This plan has so many wonderful qualities. It’s just perfect! I love these wonderful porches, especially the fireplace outdoors (double fireplace!). How perfect that there is a studio! Every house should have a studio, because everyone does something… Whether it be painting, sewing, or using it to put your desk. It’s conveniently located off of the great room near the kitchen. What a wonderful open plan, lots of light, windows and doors. The Master Bedroom is tucked away on it’s own “wing” of the house. Note the Fishing Dock, nice, huh? This is the perfect plan on water. I could go on and on, but really, just look at this plan!

Lambert Cottage by Lake & Land Studio
Lambert Cottage by Lake and Land Studio

Perfect upstairs… 2 bedrooms each with a bathroom. Even though these two bedrooms are across the hallway from each other I like how they added the space between the hallway and bedroom on the right hand side – makes it more private.

Read a bit about Lake & Land Studio, from their website:

Lake & Land Studio, LLC specializes in rural building design.  We believe houses, boathouses, and barns should be designed in harmony with its surroundings, drawing inspiration from local vernacular architectural forms.  Located in South Mississippi we primarily focus on designing Lake Houses, Boathouses, and Retreats.  We are currently expanding our scope of work to include rural estates, hunting camps, and equestrian farms. We are a small business which allows us to take great pride in the projects we design. We are detail oriented, and we tailor our designs to each individuals needs and wants, never letting our own intentions trump that of our clients. Our primary goal is to create homes and places where clients can feel their input in every space they’re in. We pride ourselves in creating unique, one of a kind designs, for every client we work with.

Meet the staff! They really seem like go-getters. This is destined to be one heck of a company. They have a good vision – and that is so important!

B i g   N e w s ! ! !  

(From the Lake & Land Design Studio Facebook Page) – This is going to be a fabulous show!:

Lake And Land Studio, LLC is proud to announce we have been working with HGTV and RTR Media on a new HGTV Pilot called “Home Town” based in Laurel, Mississippi. Our friends Ben & Erin Napier, the stars of the show, explained in more about the details of our project. We are incredibly humbled and grateful to have been a part of such an amazing project. We can’t wait for you guys to see “Home Town” on its air date of January 24, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

All images from LakeAndLandStudio.com, used with permission…

images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the design firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: Winward Villa by Flatfish Island Designs!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House PlansLeave a comment

Winward Villa by Flatfish Island Designs

This is the Winward Villa by Flatfish Island Designs. This plan is 2,200 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms (but can be customized to include more/less). You really need to look at the real life images of this one. Stunning design. I love how you see through from the entrance, to the living space and through to the pool behind the house. Breathtaking! See that area on the right? It’s a pergola where you park. See the actual images! Very nice…

Winward Villa by Flatfish Island Designs

This house has plentiful storage, which is ideal! A few of my favorite aspects of this plan is that the guest rooms are secluded away from the master bedroom. I think it’s nicer for guests to be in a different wing of a house than it is right next to the master. I like the openness of the Kitchen/Living and the abundance of open air living with the wonderful courtyard areas accessible both from the living area as well as the Master Bedroom. The only thing I would (personally) change is to eliminate the water closets. I know that’s the style right now, but it’s too much for me, I’ve never been big on that concept. That’s just me…

See actual images of this home, interior and exterior. It really helps you visualize it. Stunning use of space!

All images via FlatFishIslandDesigns.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Restaurant: Four Ninety Two (492) – Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn Charleston, FOOD, Photograph1 Comment

Four Ninety Two - Charleston, SC

*FEATURING PHOTOS THIS WEEK; WILL RESUME REGULAR POSTS NEXT WEEK!

492 is a beautiful restaurant located on King Street in Charleston, SC. What a classy looking building. Kudos to a restaurant that takes an building that sat vacant since Hurricane Hugo in the early 90’s!

Check out their website for the current menu offerings (eyes roll back in head). Cannot wait to try this place!

Read a little about the history of Four Ninety Two, from their website:

During the renovation of 492 King Street, historical significance and attention to detail played a large role in creating the new space. The building dates back to the late 1800s when clothiers such as Reuben’s, Leon’s and Bluestein’s were a large part of the economy in Charleston, especially in the Upper King Street district. The button wall art installation in the main dining room, an interpretation of Chef Whiting’s photograph of sous vide leeks, pays homage to that history. Additionally, the fabric ceiling in the downstairs dining area is a replica of a 1902 city map.

The gates that enclose the courtyard were inspired by 30” x 40” Sanborn street maps of different colors, patterns and scale found while researching the building’s origins. As executed, the red rectangles show the 492 King location in an abstracted version of the 1884 map, noted by the circle. All the other lines represent the surrounding streets.

The building sat abandoned since Hurricane Hugo until it being purchased by the Relish Restaurant Group. During renovations, spearheaded by local architect Reggie Gibson, as much of the original building was left intact as possible. The red color in the dining room, called “eating room red,” and the “piazza blue” on the upstairs hall ceiling are both historic paint colors. The base of the bar is paneled in old tin that served as the ground floor ceiling of the existing building, reflecting a dedication to preserving and restoring this unique piece of Charleston’s history.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Houseplan: Berryville by John Tee!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans4 Comments

Berryville House Plan by John Tee

This is the Berryville House Plan by architect John Tee. This plan is 1,269 square feet, with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This is a small plan that is so smart. You can live in a smaller footprint when the layout is ideal, and this one is! Charming front porch, isn’t it? It’s so welcoming! This looks like a home with character from years ago. I love that!

Berryville House Plan by John Tee

Two Bedrooms, each with a Bathroom on one side of the home and Living, Dining, Kitchen with a wonderful Utility room on the other side! The Utility room keeps the house looking neat. You can put shoes there, wash clothes, give the dog a bath, and then step out onto the back porch for a break!

Are you looking for a larger floor plan, look no further! Check out John’s website, he designs house plans of all sizes and types. All are just beautiful!

All images via JohnTee.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Flashback: Best Christmas Cookies in the World!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Lifestyle, Photograph, Recipe, THOUGHTS4 Comments

Decorate however you like, neat, messy, in whatever colors you create!
Decorate however you like, neat, messy, in whatever colors you create!

This is a Christmas Cookie recipe that our family has made since I was a little kid. It’s become a tradition. It’s fun because everyone can partake in the festivities. Especially if you bake the cookies ahead and then have a decorating party! We just put the frosting into zip-top baggies and cut a hole. Some years we have more colors than others. As you can see, this particular year, I was only loving my Christmas Tree cookie cutter, so that’s the only one I used. Recipe below as well as a link to print recipe only.

Enjoy!

The fun part is the decorating!
The fun part is the decorating!

Click here for a recipe to print (minus all the words and blah, blah, blah)!

Best Christmas Cookies EVER!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Out shopping and need a quick bite?

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, LifestyleLeave a comment
Panera!
*FEATURING PHOTOS THIS WEEK; WILL RESUME REGULAR POSTS NEXT WEEK!

Don’t shop until you drop – stop at Panera and get a quick and healthy lunch. You have the power to control how healthy since they list the calorie content for everything. This particular day I was famished… so, I got a cup of Broccoli Cheddar soup (HEAVENS!), a sprouted grain roll and a half of Chicken Cobb Salad with Avocado, dressing on the side. This is called a PICK TWO. Pick two of whatever combination of soups, salads and sandwiches.

I do like that Panera lists the calories, it helps you say NO a lot easier, also that they use clean ingredients and are transitioning to have even more very soon! All of this AND you can earn rewards when you eat there by signing up for a free Panera card.

So… don’t shop till ya drop! Stop and get a quick bite!

Catch you back here tomorrow!