House Plan Blog

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Garage Plan with Apartment - Design 20-328

Looking to add a multifunctional outbuilding to your property? Look no further than Garage 20-328. This detached garage design offers room to store up to 2 cars and has a main floor bathroom with room to add a shower if desired. An exterior staircase leads to a nice covered deck and second floor apartment. A vaulted ceiling runs through the kitchen and great room. A single bedroom fills the left side of the second floor along with a full bathroom. Through sliding glass doors in the great room is the vaulted covered deck. Whether you are looking to live in the apartment yourself or offer it as guest or extended family accommodations the second floor apartment is sure to feel comfortable. 

You may be wondering, what is a duplex house plan? Ever consider if building a duplex is a good choice for you? Duplex plans are a great option for those looking to build for multiple families or generations in mind. Maybe you are looking for a solution that would allow you to build while offsetting the cost with additional income. Whatever the reason, a duplex design will feature 2 units with individual living space. How they are arranged can vary based upon your desire for privacy and lot configuration.

However the duplex floor plan is laid out there is a shared wall between the units. Sometimes that shared wall is one units ceiling and the other unit’s floor. Other arrangements may have the units laid out side by side with a common wall running down the middle. For maximum privacy some duplex plans only have a shared wall between garages.

For those looking to help house family members – either adult children or aging parents – a duplex plan is a great consideration. Day to day living can feel private yet family is close at hand to help when needed.

Multi-family homes are an excellent investment for rental properties as well. Economical to build when compared to building two separate single family dwellings. Ideal for college towns or large cities where housing shortages are at a peak but space is limited. Duplexes provide opportunities for affordable housing or temporarily dwellings and share many design characteristics with townhomes – another great investment design.

With the rise in interest for home plans with dual master suites, many homeowners may be forgetting about the duplex as a solution to multi-generational housing. The benefit over finding a single family home with two master bedrooms is the privacy that is afforded to all when living in a duplex.

Associated Designs in Eugene, Oregon offers a great collection of duplex house plans. And to show the range of this unsung design below are 4 best-selling duplex floor plans.

Maximum Privacy – Columbine 60-046

It is quick to see why the Columbine is a popular duplex design with both homeowners and those looking for investment opportunities. First each unit offers a different floor plan. Unit A is a 1.5 story floor plan that offers 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a great room style living area. While Unit B, is a 1 story design with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The only shared wall runs between the garages allowing the maximum amount of privacy between the living areas. For those looking to help aging parents the Unit B offers an ideal and charming cottage-style apartment so independence can be maintained while keeping help close at hand.

Incognito Duplex – Tupelo 60-006

From the street the Tupelo appears to be a large single-family Craftsman house plan. A charming covered porch frames the entrance to the main floor unit while the second unit is accessed from the side. In this floor plan the common wall is the ceiling/floor. Unit A fills the main level with a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom floor plan; while Unit B is completely on the second floor save for a small entry landing. Upstairs, Unit B’s floor plan incorporates 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and an open great room. The detached garage for Unit A adds to the illusion that this is not a duplex.

Corner Lot – Corydon 60-008

If you are lucky to be working with a corner lot, take a look at the Corydon duplex plan. This floor plan maximizes the privacy of each unit in a non-traditional layout. Unit A is a two story floor plan with all 3 bedrooms on the upper level so that living area fills the main floor. The shared wall with Unit B runs along the great room wall. Unit B also has a great room style living area but offers a 2 bedroom floor plan with 1 bathroom. Garage space is plentiful as Unit B has a 3 car garage. For those looking to maintain the Corydon as a rental property, the second garage bay for Unit B may want to be held aside for the storage of maintenance supplies.

Traditional Duplex – Toliver 60-020

For those looking for a classic duplex design look no further than the Toliver. The floor plans for both units are mirror copies of each other and the traditional common wall runs right down the center. While the design may be traditional it isn’t short of features that homeowners or renters are looking for. Each unit gets an attached 1 car garage with direct access to the living area. The main floor offers a great room style living area while 4 bedrooms are tucked away on the second floor. The master bedroom has a private bathroom and generous walk-in closet while the other three bedrooms share a second full bathroom. The Toliver shows that traditional can be comfortable.

The flexibly and range of style shows that duplex house plans are a great option for multiple stages of life. Whether you are looking for investment opportunities or to care for your family in an ever changing stage of life, a duplex design can shift with the owners’ needs. For more inspiration check out Associated Designs complete collection of Duplex or Townhome house plans.

There are plenty of reasons to think creatively when it comes to building the perfect home plan. A dream design can be tweaked to help generate extra income as a primary residence or investment. And owners with a bit of room to spare can create spaces for beloved parents or grandparents to live in comfort while maintaining independence for the rest of the family.

Owners are increasingly eyeing plans built with the versatility of in-law suites, duplexes and multigenerational homes in mind. From cottages and farmhouses, to craftsman and hillside homes, there are numerous designs to choose from that check the boxes of adaptability and luxury.

To passersby on the street, the Generation #44964 design featured on The House Plan Company has all the appearance of a single-story cottage. But a step beneath the covered front porch and through the entryway reveals there’s much more here than meets the eye. The entryway opens into a generously sized kitchen and dining room that extends to a living room, and out through sliding doors to a covered rear porch. Back off the entryway, a side hallway leads to the private master bedroom with a luxurious master bath.

But it’s off of the kitchen where this plan flexes its versatility. The rooms beyond are an entirely separate apartment unit, with an optional door to connect to the main home, or to be left out to maintain privacy. About half as large as the main dwelling, the apartment unit is cozy and entirely self-functional, with a living room, rear-facing windows, a kitchen with dining area, full bathroom and private bedroom that sits on the opposite side of the design from the primary master bedroom. A hallway past the apartment bedroom opens out to a separate covered porch from the main residence.

Other designs, like the Darrington #89422, use a split garage concept to provide a bit of separation between main and secondary living spaces. Through the front entry, a hallway leads straight ahead to an owners’ suite with a wraparound sitting area, master bath, dual closets and double doors that open to a rear patio. The hallway branches off from the master suite to find two additional bedrooms and a bathroom. Back off of the entryway, an opening to the left reveals a vaulted living room that passes through to an open dining room and kitchen with island, plus a walk-in utility room. An exit from the dining room opens to the rear patio, where there’s more to discover than a mere detached garage. To the right of the garage, a door opens to reveal the great room of an independent secondary unit, complete with two bedrooms and a shared bath. The great room extends into a kitchen with double doors opening back out to the rear of the patio.

For those looking to build on a sloping lot, duplexes can be an effective way to maintain privacy while letting each side enjoy the benefit of rear-facing views. Plan #78627, a contemporary prairie home is ideal as an investment build, or to provide older children or aging parents with a shared yet distinct living space from the owner. Each matching unit starts with a street-facing garage and front entry to a lofty, open dining room that can easily be arranged to residents’ preferences. A kitchen with center island extends off of the dining room, while a hallway off the great room leads to a half bath. Another door opens back from the hall to the master bedroom, complete with a full bath, walk-in closet and exit to a covered rear porch that’s also accessed from a sliding great room door.

This main level space is all a couple or small family needs to feel at home. But a staircase right off the entryway leads down to a wealth of additional spaces for those extended visits from family or friends. The bottom of the stairway reveals an adaptable lower level family room with abundant storage space, two additional bedrooms and a full bath.

Designs like #77084, lodge-style craftsman spread luxury living across two floors. A grand front facade of siding, stone and shingle and multi-level truss roofing opens to an entry hallway with a den off to the left. Farther down the hallway and past a separated dining room, the hall opens to a great room with a fireplace, and exits out through double doors to a back patio and barbecue area. A rear-facing breakfast nook separates the great room from the adjoining kitchen. On the opposite wall, an open gallery hallway leads to a doorway containing the lower-level suite, complete with a full bath and walk-in closet. This space can easily function as a second master bedroom for an older relative, or to offer a bit of privacy for an extended guest. A staircase back off the entryway climbs to an upper floor loft landing, leading ahead to the primary master entry. Step straight into the bedroom, or off to the stately master bath or walk-in closet on either side. Also off of the loft landing is a second bedroom with a walk-in closet and full bath. The opposite site of the landing opens to a hallway with a bonus room and laundry room on opposite ends, plus two additional bedrooms and a full bath.

There are plenty of ways to build multiple suites into one design, however. The Coronado #14909 takes a truly distinguished approach. Incorporating elements of Mediterranean and Spanish design, it places the guest suite and full bath in a poolhouse within a courtyard, separated from the main residence by a swimming pool and wraparound patio. This patio leads down past a gated entrance to the right of the guest suite to the main residence’s entry. Opening to a two-story entryway, passages lead to distinct living room, dining and kitchen spaces, as well as a two-story family room and adjoining breakfast nook. A staircase rises from the family room to a second-floor landing that’s open to the family room and entryway below. This level contains a pair of additional bedrooms, a full bath and additional closet space. Back on the main floor, double doors opposite the living and dining rooms open to the primary owners’ suite, which is separated from the master bath by a walk-in closet, and includes a private exit to the courtyard and pool.

Online search data reveals Southern style house plans are surging in popularity, with major search engines showing a 500% increase in searches for the design style over the past 12 months. This emerging trend has been validated by The House Plan Company, a house plan marketing firm based in Eugene, Oregon that has watched five of its southern-inspired home plans grow in popularity over the past year. The designs offer a mix of modern, hillside, palatial estate, vacation home and urban living architecture.

“Southern living plans may be growing in popularity because of their eye-catching, yet simple exteriors and flexible floor plans,” said Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company. “With more time being spent at home, people are looking for homes that offer extra room to set up home offices or remote learning spaces, and large covered patios or balconies that offer places to escape the interior of the home and enjoy outdoor living.”

Loaded with curb appeal, graceful rooflines and generous indoor and outdoor spaces that encourage gathering and provide more spaces to relax, work and entertain, southern-style home plans share commonalities with popular farmhouse designs. Simple exteriors often highlight wood, stone and brick details, while columns, shutters and porticoes signaling their inspiration from plantation architecture. Homeowners gravitate toward the spacious interiors these designs tend to incorporate, including expansive kitchens, bonus spaces and master suites with luxurious bathrooms.

The House Plan Company’s southern-style plans generating the most interest include:

Rosewood Farmhouse (Design #11228)

This symmetrical two-story home design features three-bedrooms, three and a half baths, a contemporary open floor plan with 2,435 square feet of living space and an expansive wrap around front porch framed by simple, modern columns. An outdoor kitchen housed under the covered rear porch can be screened to provide a welcome respite from seasonal weather and bugs.

Alder Springs (Design #67885)

Making the most of a downhill sloped lot to provide lake side or mountain views from most rooms, this five-bedroom, three and a half bath plan emphasizes a current design centered around Great Room-style living. Covered decks provide ample outdoor entertaining spaces, and a walk-out basement level features recreation, boat or garage storage in addition to the main level porte cochere.

Palatial Southern Estate (Design #35553)

A spacious classic southern plantation-inspired design that has been modernized to include both formal and informal living spaces, this plan stands out with its grand columns and a covered porch and balcony that wrap around the entire home. The 8,333 square foot three-story floorplan includes a well-appointed master bedroom with fireplace, sitting room, luxurious bathroom with access to the expansive walk-in closet, and direct access to the wrap around second floor balcony. Plans include a detached three car garage, elevator and an attic room in addition to distinct basement level spaces for entertainment.

Sea Oats (Design #41459)

An ideal lakeside vacation home, the Sea Oats plan offers a modern, open floorplan with three-bedroom suites that all feature their own private full bathrooms. Windows are generously placed throughout the home to allow natural light to stream in, while expansive covered porches provide plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

Urban Southern Living (Design #90592)

Perfect for first-time homeowners or those living in metropolitan areas, this narrow lot design offers 1,667 square feet of living space, three bedrooms and two and a half baths. The kitchen and living space consume the main level, with bedrooms on the second, and bonus space on the third. A covered porch and balcony encourage outdoor relaxation.

“We’re seeing southern-inspired designs grow in popularity because they are well aligned with what people are looking for in this moment,” continued McAlexander. “It seems a natural evolution from the farmhouse designs that have persisted as a dominant trend.”

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About The House Plan Company
Drawing on the nation’s best designers and architects, The House Plan Company offers pre-designed house, garage and accessory structure plans to homeowners and builders on an easy-to-navigate website. The House Plan Company brings clients closer to its team of award-winning design professionals and architects to work cooperatively on customizing or modifying a house or garage plan to suit their needs. The House Plan Company at www.thehouseplancompany.com features a vast collection of house plans, garage plans and accessory building plans in many different architectural styles and sizes.

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You’ve put in the time searching for your next home and you’ve decided to build. Now how do you start the design process? Do you want to create a custom home?

You decide to start by looking for house plans online and you find a plan that seems so close to the home you envisioned but there are just some elements that don’t fit your needs. What do you do? Do you keep looking? Do you settle? Can you modify the plan?

After reaching out to talk to the designer about the plan you found you learn that plan modifications are possible. And in fact is a great option for getting a design that feels customized to you without the investment of a design created from scratch.

New house plan, the Foxboro 31-153, is a one such design. Starting with the Sturnbridge 30-663 – a classic 2000 square foot Craftsman house plan – Associated Designs clients were able to tailor the design inside and out to create a unique home plan.

Foxboro 31-153	Sturnbridge 30-663

Starting with the exterior stone was added around the front facing garage and the lap siding on the second level was replaced with batt and board to give the design some farmhouse style while retaining its Craftsman roots. Shutters were added to all of the windows on the front of the home.

Diving into the floor plan, the bayed den/dining room was squared off for a more contemporary feel. The core of the first floor plan is a large, vaulted great room which was kept and expanded. The kitchen was stretched to encompass the breakfast nook, adding to the available work space and giving some space for a small corner office in the kitchen. Incorporating the outdoors was important so outside the kitchen an outdoor kitchen was added to the covered deck. A built in bar-b-que with plenty of counter space and a prep sink are great for summer evening entertaining. The main floor master suite was also kept from the original design along with the well-appointed master bathroom.

Foxboro First Floor Plan	Sturnbridge First Floor Plan

The second floor plan received some more revisions. The desire to maintain a 3 bedroom floor plan was kept with one of the secondary offices serving as access to a large home office. The bonus room over the garage remained to add flexibility for future expansion or additional storage.

Foxboro Second Floor Plan	Sturnbridge Second Floor Plan

One of the larger changes to the original Sturnbridge house plan was the addition of a walk-out basement. Hillside house plans are becoming more popular as people look to build where they can enjoy sweeping urban or natural views. For the Foxboro the homeowner decided to work through a finished layout for the walk-out basement so that it could be finished at a later date. Their vision for their home included a recreation room with beverage bar and two additional bedrooms to push the original 3 bedroom layout to a potential 5 bedroom house plan.

When considering plan modifications make sure to provide plenty of time for the design phase. The revision process is done in phases giving you the opportunity to see the changes reflected in the design. Building a home is an exciting process and it can be easy to start feeling anxious to see progress, to start selecting finishes, and to see walls going up. But by allotting plenty of time for the design phase you are taking steps that will ensure you are happy with the home for years to come.

Interested in learning more about plan modifications or custom home design? Check out our information pages to see how we can help with your next project.

(Note: Make sure to head over to the Foxboro's plan detail page to see a collection of photos!)

The past year has taught homeowners everywhere the value of a little extra space. With families spending more time than ever in their homes, bedrooms have been turned into offices or classrooms, while bonus rooms have been converted to living spaces for extended family.

Though the pandemic will eventually fade into memory, these home trends show signs of enduring for the long term. Numerous plans available through The House Plan Company reflect these changing preferences, with buyers increasingly placing an emphasis on flexibility and efficient, creative use of spaces. And those with room on their primary lots are taking advantage of the small house plan trend by adding modern guest houses to their property.

House plans like the Joshua #93093 featured on The House Plan Company fit this trend perfectly. The modern siding and stone-facade cottage combines all the amenities of a two-story home plan, but fits it all in at under 1,000 square feet. A front door beneath a covered porch steps into a foyer that reveals an open-concept floor plan with the living room, dining area and kitchen, as well as a bedroom with closet space, a full bathroom and a laundry room all on the main level. A staircase leads up to the second-floor master suite with a master bath. Sliding doors from the suite open to one of the true gems of this plan: a second-story terrace, with space to entertain family or guests outdoors.

The Cub Creek #54439 is another great guest cottage. This one-story craftsman cottage with large front-facing windows packs the warmth of a lodge plan in a small design. An open plan dining room, kitchen and living room with fireplace offer a cozy space to unwind before retiring to two bedrooms with adjoining baths. This eye-catching design also makes a great option for those looking for their primary residence to be a tiny home.

For those wanting to keep their existing home, but build a bit of flexibility into their lot, the #57764 guest cottage plan may be the perfect solution. This two-story farmhouse design places a spacious bedroom and full bath atop a sitting room with fireplace, a kitchen with a breakfast nook and walk-in pantry, plus a laundry room, opening out to a rear-facing deck. It’s a stylish yet practical way to add space for an extended family visit, or a permanent residence for an aging relative.

Those looking to build flexibility into a single primary residence, meanwhile, are finding opportunities in unexpected places. The trend toward maximizing design efficiency has zeroed in on the adaptability of garages into office spaces or living quarters. Plan #79444 country craftsman plan typifies this trend. An exterior staircase leads to the second-floor main living area. But ground-floor entrances step into a roomy office area adjacent to the two-car garage. This space could easily be converted into a guest room, complete with a full bath and storage. A stairway leads up to the primary living and lounging areas: a master suite and secondary bedroom with ample closet space, a spacious great room that opens to a covered deck, and an adjoining kitchen and dining room.

The Windcrest #83377 farmhouse plan incorporates similar design flexibility in a cottage-style build. A ground-floor garage can be accessed from a side entrance into an adaptable open space, providing builders freedom to create a ground floor living or working area customized to an owner’s needs. Atop this open space sits a fully built-out living room, detached kitchen and spacious primary bedroom with full bath. This floor includes ample closet and attic space, perfect for storing accessories from the lower office or living area.

For those wanting to build the same flexibility into a smaller plan, the #84620 ranch design offers adaptable garage space in a single-level build. Stepping into a breakfast nook and sitting area, the design extends back beyond the kitchen to a primary bedroom with full bath. But a doorway beyond the laundry room opens to a wide garage, offering plenty of space to convert to a workshop, home office or even additional bedroom. Within a build under 700 square feet, this plan brings exceptional versatility to a design that can easily be built as an accessory structure on an already occupied lot.

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Associated Designs and The House Plan Company are located in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1990, Associated Designs has sold more than 60,000 home plans and publishes a weekly home design column in newspapers around the country. The House Plan Company helps to connect leading Architects and Designers throughout the United States with people interested in home design by featuring a variety of house and garage plans.

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Wind River 31-241

A metal roof, stone based columns, and tidy batt and board siding create a charming look to the lodge style house plan, Wind River. Designed for those who enjoy outdoor living this luxurious cabin plan is ideal for any mountain view, lake side, or river front property. The large side, vaulted covered deck catches your attention as you approach the home. Centered along the back of the deck is a large wood burning fireplace. Inside the first floor plan is filled with a grand, vaulted great room. A fireplace provides some separation between the living area and the dining room. The kichen fills the back of the great room and offers and island with eating bar and generous sized walk-in pantry which has access to under stair storage. Along the right side of the main floor are 4 bedrooms, each is a suite with private full bathroom. The upper level of this two story house plan is a recreation room, another full bathroom, plus a bunk room which offers additional flex space if the extra bedroom isn't needed.