My Aunt Janice (rest her soul) gave amazing Christmas gifts when I was a kid. One of my favorites was “Hugo the man with a thousand faces.” It was basically a bald plastic head with a case full of disguise equipment. Hugo had mustaches, glasses, eyebrows and wigs galore. Cool gift, wish they still made ‘em.
This week we will look at a Lean-designed, 2,400-square-foot home designed for a growing family. This home picks up on many current trends in housing and, like Hugo, it has the ability to morph into countless facades. Let’s take a closer look:
A. The Family entrance keeps things organized. With a separate Laundry room, and a bench with cubbies and a drop zonesports equipment, backpacks and clothing have a place of their own.
B. The large corner pantry in the Kitchen combined with a generous cabinet layout provides plenty of storage.
C. The Dining room is eliminated; instead casual dining with a sitting bay ensures the home will be perfect for large family gatherings.
D. The Open Family room makes the home feel very large while supporting the concept of open entertaining.
E. The Powder room is tucked away in a private location away from the action.
F. The front door is centered on the homes massing which is the key to allowing the home to easily change its face.
A successful concept for developing outstanding communities is to create Lean-designed homes that are current and have the ability to take on several different looks. This goes beyond the shutters/no shutters approach to alternate elevations.
When building homes in a production setting where the same plan may be built over and over again designing homes that are adaptable and have the ability to transform will keep the development fresh. Take a tip from my dear Aunt Janice and go Hugo style with your designs. It will surprise your competition and delight your customers.