a quick description

our drawings have been finalized! sort of.

we have had several versions, but as you might imagine, we continue to tweak them. the design of the house is just what we want - utilitarian - clean, simple, functional, low-key.

for more specifics, read on... this is a longer post, but i wanted to provide an overview and i will share detailed drawings when i can.

the new first floor includes a pass-through kitchen area with two very large counter islands. there are no shelves or cabinets on the walls which gives it a very minimalist feel and invites easy flow from one side of the house to the other.

one of my favorite aspects of the house design is the 'back kitchen' where the cabinets, storage, bulk storage, w/d, refrigerator, microwave, etc will be housed. all of that and any dirty dishes or excess counter items can be stored in there and hidden from view by guests by closing a giant barn door at its entrance. we love that for entertaining.

the pass-through kitchen area is surrounded on both sides by expansive rooms with high ceilings and trusses - all painted white to continue a clean simple minimalist feel. on one side is the new great room which is the very reason we decided to 'remodel.' on the other side is the dining area and then the master bedroom beyond.

the second floor is a whole new world for us considering it was limited to one tiny bunk room prior to the demo. bedrooms, bathrooms, screened porch, deck - but all compact and simple! you'll note the guest room has mini barn-style doors that overlook the two expansive rooms downstairs to continue the open feel of the house.

in the texas hill country, we are limited on square footage by the septic restrictions of the lcra (lower colorado river authority). our architect approached that by designing an indoor/outdoor bunk room for the kids (half bunk room/half sleeping porch) upstairs. he also designed a screened extension to our entertaining/great room downstairs. any screened areas do not count toward the square footage of the house in terms of lcra restrictions, but add a lot more room to our living space.