Even without it, you have 1,000 square feet of excellent living space-ideal for a two-person family, just starting out or retiring. And a young couple can expand into the 900 square feet of the lower level as their family and finances grow.
Or, just as easily, a family whose youngsters are college- and career- bound can easily contract to the up- per level only and hold the lower level in reserve for holidays and weekends. Seattle designer-builder Morley Horder planned this unusual house so that it can be adapted easily to fit a variety of different situations. All you need to do is use the lower level plan shown as a starting point, then tailor it to suit your own family.
In front, natural cedar siding and the rugged shake roof give this house a warm, appealing look. And these two materials practically eliminate exterior maintenance. The centrally placed carport offers the biggest, handiest-to-parking, most protected front entrance we've seen.
It is a natural for a circular driveway on most any lot. And you can work out a drive that will be wide enough in the right places to provide convenient off-street parking for an extra family car or a guest's.
The rear view is just as good-looking as the front. The upper level's overhang offers both sun and shower protection to the doors opening to the patio on this side. Shallow balconies open off each of the upper level windows-which are really sliding glass doors and let in more light and air than ordinary windows. The wrought-iron balconies (their "floors" are a 2x12 plank) assure safety as well as add to the over-all appearance of the house.
This 10x18-foot deck is ideal for outdoor living and everyday convenience. The roof line extends over the deck for overhead protection. The driveway bridge offers direct access to the deck (and a short cut to the kitchen) from the driveway. Again, this part of the house requires no maintenance whatever, with cedar decking, posts, and wrought iron railings. And, outdoor entertaining, especially at refreshment or snack time, is no problem for the hostess. The kitchen is only one step inside the sliding glass door at left.
The living area more than lives up to the inviting, maintenance-free exterior. Here the feeling is one of openness and spaciousness. Clever placement of partitions makes the 28x12-foot living-dining area seem even larger than it is. The soaring ceiling, tall fireplace column, and open stairway unit eliminate any fenced-in feeling-even on the grayest of wintry days. The open-end bookcase wall adds to the pleasantly open effect. Or, should you want more privacy, the wall could easily be extended to the ceiling.
Plan. It is a complete living unit in itself for a couple- just married or retired. The entry provides good traffic control to kitchen, living, and private zone with a minimum of interruption-and eliminates making a crossroads of the living room. The kitchen offers handy serving to either the dining area or the deck outside. The bedrooms include adequate storage. And the placement of the bath makes it handy, but unobtrusive. Dual closets are located at the entry for guest and family coats. This level is basically a 44x24-foot rectangle; the deck and carport make the over-all dimensions 54x44 feet.
Now look at the lower level; we've subdivided this area into two spacious bedrooms, a large family room, and bath. This is just one solution. Upper level plumbing arrangement allows flexibility in placement of the lower level bath at either side of the stairwell. There is adequate space on the lower level to work in three bedrooms and another bath, or a fourth bedroom. Then you could use the upper level bedroom as a family room, guest room, or study-home office. As we said, it's up to you.
The dining area seems as big as the living area-and sliding glass doors offer a pleasant view of the outdoors at mealtime. Or, you can move right outside on the deck for outdoor dining-with no inconvenience. The kitchen is just around the corner of the paneled partition at right.
The living-dining area also shows the unity of materials-cedar siding outside, cedar paneling inside.
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