What Matters Most to You: Look & Feel vs. Function

How to get the best of both worlds!

If you were buying a pre-designed house plan, what are the key elements you’d look for? Is it all about the kitchen and how it flows? Or whether the mudroom has a sink and ample storage? Is having the primary bedroom on the main floor a MUST? 

If this line of thinking mirrors your own, then it’s safe to say that what’s of primary importance to you in a home plan is…the actual…floor plan. For ease, let’s call you Floor-Plan Fanatics. And if this describes you, you’re in for a real shock, and here it is: did you know that, in our experience, about 50% of people are actually more concerned with the curb appeal than the floor plan? To them, the floor plan is secondary; what’s paramount is the front elevation (that’s industry jargon for the front of the home). Let’s call this second group Curb Appeal Pleasers.   

Fanatics—meet the Pleasers. Pleasers—meet the Fanatics.

You probably never knew the other existed, unless of course, you find yourself married to each other. Which, in our experience of selling thousands of our pre-designed plans, happens often enough. We actually have some clients right now who are in this predicament. Partner A loves the floor plan of our Coal Canyon plan (1st image below); Partner B loves the exterior of our Homestead plan (2nd image below). These homes look radically different, yet our drafting team is working to find a way to bring it all together. It definitely takes some skill to pull that off, but with our team of professionals, it’s absolutely attainable.

While a floor plan certainly impacts the exterior of a home, it’s not the only influencing factor; exterior materials can dramatically change “the look” too; switch out stone for brick, or dark siding for light siding, and two homes with the exact same floor plan can feel distinct; kinda like fraternal twins. (Now, as an aside, material choices should align with the overall aesthetic you’re looking to achieve; if, say, you had the idea to put board and batten on a modern home, we’d say no way, José!) 

Alternatively, if you’re willing to make just a few modifications to a floorplan, the difference in look and feel can be downright staggering—while still (by and large) retaining the same layout. 

Take for example, our Ashford and Laval plans (pictured below). Both have the same square footage (967 sq ft), but there’s been two minor modifications: 1) the primary ensuite and walk-in closet are flipped in the one plan, and 2) The Ashford has an enclosed stoop at the entrance, whereas The Laval has the single post; all other elements? THE SAME.  And yet the exterior elevation? Radically different.

    

The Ashford is designed as a modern farmhouse (due to the gabled roofs, board and batten cladding, and the covered porch / stoop), whereas The Laval features a west-coast contemporary style—a shed roof (single-sloped roofline), which results in raked windows, and light tones mixed with textured wood. 

So, what’s your heart’s desire? Or better still, what’s “the third way” for you and your partner to consider? If you’re the Fanatic and they’re the Pleaser, the best way forward is probably this third way; a few adjustments, which results in a brand-new exterior elevation, while retaining all the functionality of the desired floorplan. Done and done.  

Browse our pre-designed plans today (available here within the Shoppe) to get the wheels spinning on the possibilities for YOUR future home—anything is possible.