Adding architectural details to your walls is a wonderful way to add spice to a home and doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. The following home, now under construction in Watercolor, has some fantastic examples of ways to “kick it up a notch” in the rooms. When finished and furnished, these details can really enhance a room’s personality and give each bedroom its own character. For kids’ rooms, it’s a great way to make a child feel special. In the main living areas, wood walls add a sense of class and refinement.
I hope these photos give you some ideas for what to do in your own home. Enjoy!
Floor plans tend to take center stage when you first start thinking about a house. However, designing a home is about more than just having a good floor plan. You also want something with some curb appeal… an exterior that makes neighbors want to knock on your door for a tour and gives you bonus living rooms outside of those four main walls.
When you first start thinking about your exterior, ask yourself some questions?
How can your home take advantage of the views?
What kind of living spaces on porches, decks and around the yard compliment your way of life?
Think about large overhangs to protect interior spaces from the hot sun. Can you add different kinds of exterior spaces so you have a chance to experience all of nature’s beauty – i.e. open decks to view the stars or screened in porches to eat without the bugs?
How can your home connect with community trails and pathways and offer inviting spaces for neighbors to come over for lemonade on a hot summer day?
These are things that the team at Archiscapes here is always trying to think about. And when we have the opportunity to design a home in a beautiful setting, we try to take full advantage of it. In the photos below, you can see how this Watersound West Beach house is designed to soak up the lake views that surround it. Large, stacked porches give the owners lots of ways to enjoy their setting. A screened in porch comes off the family room/kitchen making it easy to grill out and take a picnic into the yard.
A wonderful trellis and landscaping pavers have been architecturally designed for the yard to add more shade. Although the home is in construction now, once the owners weave vines and flowers along this trellis, it’s going to create the perfect oasis outside the house.
Of course, tons of windows on all sides mean that the gorgeous scenery is not restricted to just those hanging out on the porch.
Most of the time when people consider the Wow elements of a house they think of the kitchen, the master bedroom and bathroom, maybe the awesome backyard or pool.
Rarely are stairs considered a key feature. Of course, there are always those Gone with the Wind homes with the giant spiral staircase that descends into a grand hall, but most homes today just don’t have the space to devote to that kind of entrance. But sometimes it’s fun to revisit the idea of creating a staircase that takes your breath away.
In this Watercolor home, the free-floating staircase wraps around from the second floor den into the first floor living/kitchen area. The walls that line the staircase are stacked with windows on both floors, creating a dynamic look both inside and out. It’s hard to imagine at this stage of construction as the windows are covered with plastic protectors, but the beauty of this staircase still shines through. Even with the dangling wires and unfinished work surrounding it, you can tell this is going to be one heck of a WOW staircase.
The view from the second floor looking down the stairs to the first floor.
The home’s exterior.
