House Plan Blog

Over the last year the need for one or two extra rooms has become a fast growing desire for homebuyers. Those 3 or 4 bedroom house plans allow for everyone to have a place to work and sleep. Associated Designs has put together a collection of popular 4 bedroom house plans that fit over a range of sizes and styles.

Small Country House Plan – Paisley 30-852

A classic country exterior graces the front of the Paisley house plan. Inside this 1521 square foot floor plan, the entry opens up to the casual great room style living. The living room and dining room are open to each other and the c-shaped kitchen is open to the dining room. Around the corner is the main floor master suite with private full bathroom and walk-in closet. A pass-through laundry room connects the attached 2 car garage. 3 additional bedrooms are on the second floor and share a full bathroom.

Craftsman House Plan – Kokanee 31-202

A trio of textures combines to create a charming Craftsman exterior to the Kokanee home design. At 1780 square feet this 2 story house plan offers a main floor master suite that is tucked away from the great room and other bedrooms. Most of the first floor plan is filled with the great room, a cozy fireplace graces the living room which is open to the dining room. An eating bar separates the kitchen from the dining area while adding to optional seating. Upstairs are 3 additional bedrooms, one of which could serve as a guest suite with direct access to that shared compartmentalized bathroom. Added flexibility is provided with the bonus room over the garage.

1.5 Story House Plan – Ellington 30-242

A Craftsman style exterior and open floor plan make a winning combination in the 1.5. story Ellington house plan. A side entry garage makes this an ideal choice for construction on a corner lot. Inside the floor plan opens up to a great room which fills the core of the home. On the right side of the great room are two additional bedrooms and a full bathroom. On the opposite side of the home is the owners’ suite that features a large private bathroom complete with twin sinks, separate shower and soaking tub plus a walk-in closet. Over the garage is a fourth bedroom and half bathroom.

Farmhouse Plan – Kingsbridge 31-162

What is quickly becoming a timeless style, the Kingsbridge is a classic farmhouse plan. Inspired by the dog trot house plans of warmer climates, the Kingsbridge has separated living and bedroom areas which are connected by enclosed hallways – ideal for those building in the Northwest or other wetter climates. The entry opens to one such hallway. To the right is the great room; to the left is a cluster of 3 bedrooms. The owners’ suite fills once side and offers a large walk-in closet and private bathroom with walk-in shower, soaking tub and dual vanities. Two additional bedrooms are across the hall and share another well-appointed bathroom. Through a set of French doors and down another enclosed hallway is an additional bedroom along with the laundry room and home office.

Luxury House Plan – Brookhill 30-963

Modern prairie style house plan, Brookhill offers a roomy 3109 square foot floor plan with 4 bedrooms. The main floor plan is filled with a large great room. The dining room can be opened to the covered patio with dual sliding glass doors. Along the back of the first floor is a den which provides added flexibility to this home design. This 2 story house plan has all four bedrooms on the upper level. The owners’ suite fills the left side and offers a luxurious bathroom with soaking tub, walk-in shower, twin sinks, and large walk-in closet. Down the hall are three additional bedrooms two with walk-in closets.

Feeling inspired to make your next home a 4 bedroom house? Check out our full collection of 4 bedroom house plans!

When you hear the words cottage house, many images come to mind. From quaint cozy homes tucked along rolling country side, a vacation bungalow along the shore, or larger home packed with old world charm. The cottage house plan is versatile in many settings. 

One Story Cottage House Plan - Danville 30-284

Associated Designs collection of Cottage House Plans will bring to mind storybook settings and natural surrounds. Cottage style house plans tend to be informal designs filled with personality. 

Two Bedroom Cottage House Plan - Branell 30-485

While cottage style homes tend to be small by nature they feature a wide varity of design features. Ranging from one or two-story floor plans the exteriors can feature materials from batt and board, to shingles, to stucco. Inside you will find open-floor plans where living room, dining room, and kitchen all blend to create an informal and enjoyable space for family and friends. Creative design solutions that allow cottage house plans to live larger than their size include built-ins, lofts - for either expanded living space or for storage, basement foundations, and multi-functional/flex rooms.

3 Bedroom Cottage Home Plan - Arden 30-329

For those looking for a unique home plan, the cottage style design is no longer religated to rural settings. Cottage plans can serve as year-round residences or as summer/secondary residences. Homeowners who enjoy the outdoors will be drawn to the large covered porches often associated with cottage house plans.

We invite you to take a look at the Cottage house plans Associated Designs has to offer.

Whether your reason for looking for a small house plan is to reduce maintenance, to ease into homeownership, or to embrace a simpler way of life; Associated Designs in Eugene, Oregon has 5 of America’s best small house plans.

Shed Roof House Plan – Sandstone 30-926

The Sandstone is a modern, 2 story townhouse plan that features different angled shed roofs. At 1533 square feet this design offers a main floor that is filled with a great room that features a cozy corner fireplace. A main floor master suite is another popular feature of this floor plan. The master suite has a private bathroom with twin sinks and a walk-in closet. The second floor offers a loft that is open to the dining room below along with two additional bedrooms with a jack-and-jill bathroom. Over the garage is a bonus room offering the homeowners’ additional flexibility with this floor plan.

Classic Bungalow House Plan – Cleveland 30-105

The Cleveland is an ideal small family house plan. Designed to take advantage of a narrow urban lot, the 32’ wide foot print offers a charming street view and ally access 2 car garage. This 1200 square foot house plan offers 3 bedrooms and an open great room living area. The right side of the floor plan is filled with the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The lack of division between the rooms allows the home to live large. The owners’ suite has a separate hallway from the other bedrooms and boasts a private bathroom and walk-in closet.

Best Selling House Plan – Redrock 30-636

It’s easy to see why the Redrock is a favorite of builders and homeowners’ alike. The handsome cottage exterior blends into most neighborhoods while it’s modern floor plan lives comfortably. The front load two car garage has access to the living area through a pass-through utility room. The back of the floor plan is filled with the great room – dining, living and kitchen arranged in an casual open manner. The right side of the floor plan is filled with 3 bedrooms. The two secondary bedrooms share a bathroom, while the owners’ suite is separate and fills the back of the bedroom wing and offers a private bathroom and walk-in closet.

Ranch House Plan – Andover 30-824

The Andover is a timeless ranch house plan. The front load 2 car garage has direct access through the pass-through utility room. The right side of the floor plan is filled with the great room. The living room looks out the front with a cozy fireplace along the right side, and is open to the dining room and kitchen which is only separated visually by an island. A sliding glass door off the dining room open the great room to the covered porch. This small house design offers 3 bedrooms with the owner’s suite filling the back of the bedroom hallway. A bonus room over the garage offers the option for additional space and added flexibility to the floor plan.

2 Bedroom House Plan – Klickitat 31-129

Charming cottage details grace the exterior of the Klickitat. Inside vaulted ceilings soar adding to the sense of spaciousness. The entry opens to the great room and country-style kitchen. A sliding glass door in the great room allows the space to spill to the covered patio for those that enjoy outdoor living. Two bedrooms are off the great room with the owners’ suite at the end of the hall. This charming small house plan is an ideal choice for construction as a vacation home or year-round residence.

If the simplicity of these small house plans has you feeling inspire, checkout Associated Designs full collection of small home designs.

Parkridge 60-035

This large country-style duplex plan gives you two for the price of one. Each unit provides a three bedroom floor plan with great room style living areas. From the street, visitors are welcomed by charming railed and covered porch up front. The asymmetrical layout helps to provide privacy for each unit. While each offers a great room - open kitchen, dining room and living room - on the main floor, Unit A is set up so that outdoor living occurs along the back of the duplex while Unit B has a side covered patio. Both garages are accessed along the rear. Sleeping areas can be found on the upper level of this 2 story duplex design. 

Ready to explore more unique duplex plans? Check our collection of mult-family designs!

Country-inspired design can mean different things to different people. Depending on who you ask—builders, architects or home buyers—it may include traditional Ranch, Country and Farmhouse designs. For design purists, each of these design themes has specific elements that make them stand apart. As the popularity of home design and renovation shows has exploded over the past decade, the definition of “country-inspired” home design has been unofficially modified, and now includes interpretations that blend the different style elements.

“Often it’s a sense of nostalgia that draws people to ranch, farmhouse and country-inspired designs—whether it reminds them of where they grew up or their grandma’s house,” said Rick McAlexander, CEO of The House Plan Company. “Significant latitude is exercised when designing, allowing for less than traditional execution of the genre. Blending style elements has become more widely accepted, so we often end up with an essence of a specific style. Ultimately, home buyers should go with what makes them feel best about coming home.”

To understand how country-inspired design has evolved, how it differs from ranch and farmhouse styles, and what keeps these options in vogue, The House Plan Company, a house plan marketing firm based in Eugene, Oregon asked designers and architects to weigh in.

Ken Pieper, residential designer at Ken Pieper Signature Designs noted that country and modern farmhouse designs are still a very strong request among his clients. “Main level living, referred to as ranch design, plays well when the customer has property to support the size footprint,” said Pieper. “Ranch and farmhouse designs require more space, and often result in higher costs for the buyer. I always advise my clients to select a design that speaks to their lifestyle, as ‘home’ should be a true reflection of who we are.”

What differentiates these home designs, and what do they have in common?

Ranch

Typically featuring a less complicated layout, most ranch home designs offer single level living and casual, open floor plans. Spacious patios, expansive porches, vaulted ceilings, larger windows and a relaxed layout with open kitchen are characteristics often found in ranch homes.

Country

Known for their use of simple, traditional design elements, country homes are often thought to represent an “Americana” style. The use of softer, curved lines and the incorporation of wide, wrap around porches, gabled rooflines and modest wood exteriors give way to open concept interior designs that feature large kitchens and massive great rooms.

Farmhouse

With floorplans often arranged around expansive, eat-in kitchens, farmhouse designs make use of clean lines, and can incorporate features such as lap siding, steep roofs and generous porches to enjoy the outdoors. Popular because of its warm, approachable style, farmhouse design generally reflects a clean, casual approach with defined lines.

What keeps these styles current? Sometimes it’s a modern twist—smooth lines, glossy accents and neutral color schemes that add a sophisticated element. Versatile traits that blend well with industrial, modern or traditional styles are also key to these designs’ popularity and longevity.

Charles Roccaforte, Texas-based owner of Charles Roccaforte’s Hill Country Plans, Inc. encourages home buyers to consider incorporation of uncommon design elements to give these styles a timeless feel. Ideas he has recommended include stucco, rock, and use of exterior heavy trusses and metal roofs.

“High pitch metal roofs, high ceilings and a pallet of materials are what continue to draw people to these styles. Roughly 75% of my plan portfolio is represented by country-inspired styles. I don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon,” said Roccaforte.

As seen on PRunderground

You’ve decided you want to build but you are having a difficult time finding a pre-designed plan that fits your needs. Plus you have some ideas for what will make this new home or garage perfect for your lifestyle or family and want something unique. Plan modifications are a great way to get a cost-effective custom design.

By taking advantage of a pre-designed home or garage that is close to what you are looking for it is like jumping into the middle stages of a custom design. Plan modifications can be a simple as moving doors or windows to better take advantage of your lot arrangement or view; to nearly custom re-designs where interior spaces are resized or the footprint of the plan is reconfigured.

Associated Designs residential home designer, Kelly Alvord, recently completed a modification to the Crestview plan 10-532. The original design is a 2900 square foot hillside design with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

(Original Crestview Floor Plan)

Starting with the exterior, the client was looking to simplify the materials and replaced the cedar shingles that covered most of the exterior with classic lap siding. The stone wainscot was kept and along with the shutters. The updated exterior is now more country than Craftsman.

Inside at first glance the entry feels much the same. Vaulted ceilings welcome you to the unique, hexagonal center. In great room some of the customizations include – moving the fireplace to the center allowing its cheer to be enjoyed throughout the living area while opening up the right wall to additional views. The kitchen was also reconfigured to allow for a larger walk-in pantry – a great change for the home chef!

Some of the original features that drew the client to the Crestview was the separate owners’ suite. During the modification process they kept this configuration along with the flex space offered by the den/office.

In the opposite wing they kept the two additional bedrooms and full bathroom. The next major change to the floor plan was creating a mud hall out of the utility room and attaching the garage to the front – instead of the original breezeway connection.

The modified Crestview design was recently finished and looks great on this client’s wooded, rural property.

(Modified Crestview Floor Plan)

Looking to take advantage of the space you have while offering a comfortable place for friends and family to stay? Associated Designs has prepared a collection of modern guest house plans that fit a variety of needs. If your building lot has the extra space, adding a small guest house is a worthwhile endeavor. Take a closer look at these 5 guest cottage designs.

2-Story Guest House - Bayberry Cottage

The 1382 square foot Bayberry Cottage is a 2 story, multi-functional plan and an ideal choice for those that only entertain guests seasonally. The first floor can be furnished as a recreation room, living area, or as a small great room. With a beverage bar along the back wall, guests can prepare snacks and drinks without heading into the main house. The second floor studio could be arranged as a spacious bedroom with space enough for a sitting area or home office.

1-Story Craftsman Cottage Getaway – Wolf Creek Cottage

If you are looking for a small Craftsman guest house plan, look no further than the Wolf Creek Cottage house plan. At 704 square feet, this one story house floor plan provides an open recreation room with corner beverage bar and a full bathroom. The recreation room can be furnished as a studio apartment offering space for a bed and sitting area. The beverage bar allows guests to feel independent from the main residence providing a space to prepare snacks and drinks. The full bathroom even has a stacking washer and dryer tucked away in a bi-fold closet. Those that love spending time outdoors will enjoy the large covered patio and balcony.

Modern Guest House Design – Birkland

Luxurious touches are throughout the small guest cottage Birkland . Its modern exterior is eye-catching while it's interior will leave guests feeling welcome and comfortable. Vaulted ceilings are throughout the floor plan. The living room can be separated from the kitchen by a sliding barn door. A ladder in the kitchen leads to the storage loft. At the back of the floor plan is a vaulted bedroom and full bathroom. This small guest house would also make an ideal cottage for college aged children or rented out as an accessory dwelling unit.

Small Lodge Retreat – Clarkridge

If you are looking to match your Northwest house plan with an equally charming lodge guest cottage take a look at the Clarkridge . This cozy, small guest house plan provides a separate great room with full kitchen and one bedroom with vaulted ceilings. A full bathroom is along the back of the floor plan and laundry appliances are stored away in an alcove. The Clarkridge amenities are ideal for those that entertain long term guests.

Tiny Guest House Plan – Guest Cottage

The original guest cottage plan , this tiny house 1.5 story retreat offers 414 square feet. With covered porches along the front and back, guests are sure to have a space to enjoy the views from any urban, hillside, or rural lot. Inside the floor plan is open. The vaulted great room offers a wood stove and small beverage bar. A small mud hall is along the back of the floor plan with a bench and hooks for organizing bags, coasts, and shoes. A full bathroom is just around the corner. Adding to the functionality of the Guest Cottage, two ladders lead to a generous sized storage loft.

Ready to find the perfect guest house plan? Find inspiration with our small house plan collection. Or see how our design services and team of residential designers can help you create a custom guest house design.