Hearth & Soul– The Hearthstone
The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there. – Ellie Rodriguez
Hearth – a place, traditionally where a fire is/was kept for home heating or cooking. A central area of the home. Hearths were integral to homes and typically built of brick or stone. Look at this lovely home, the HEARTHSTONE (F-4271A), by Frank Snodgrass of Living Concepts. As a base, a place of warmth, gathering, and solid comfort you are welcomed by 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 half-baths, and almost 4300 square feet. You can’t go wrong in choosing this plan as your next home. It is warm and welcoming by using exterior materials of brick and stone. While the peaks of the roofline may seem steep and royal, the arched windows, especially those of the dormers, bring a soft charm and ease to this architecture.
Hearth & Soul – The Hearthstone
Come on In
Let’s get right into this home as it is eager to see you. Your covered portico would love a few plants and a rocking chair for when you just want to sit with your thoughts. Stepping into your foyer, your eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful curved staircase. Imagine a small round table with a glorious floral arrangement in the nook of the curve as décor. A study, with a fireplace, is to your left. Again, the warmth and comfort (even if it’s in a place where you conduct work), are obvious. A dining room, to your right, houses the warmth of meals with those you love.
Through the foyer, you’ll walk beneath an archway. You’ll notice, throughout this home, the many arched/rounded, soft, architectural features. Cross a gallery hallway into your large family room. This room is bordered on the foyer side, by 2 columns and 3 arched entries. Family room central, with a fireplace is great for cozy tv time, reading, family game night, or sitting and talking with friends. A large sectional, wide coffee table, and cushy-soft armchairs will invite all to sit and stay awhile. Windows along the back wall look toward your large terrace.
The terrace will be the space for great al fresco dining, early morning coffee, and newspaper reading and entertaining for 2 or a crowd. Plant herbs, some bright flowers, and light the grill for kebabs, I hear the neighbors headed your way.
Kitchen Central
From the family room, walk under another arch to your kitchen with plenty of space for sitting and cooking. A rounded window area with a door to your terrace is on the back wall. Then a peninsula-shaped island with room for barstools, and a prep sink, anchors the area. A long wall of cabinets, refrigerator and sink take up but a portion of counter space that is available on the right side of the kitchen. This kitchen is perfect for entertaining and having multiple cooks around to prepare great meals.
Outside of the kitchen ‘parameter’, is a walk-in pantry for your dried goods, extra kitchen appliances, and more.
Your pantry is next to a second stairwell that leads up to the second floor.
Hearth & Soul – The Hearthstone
Front of house spaces
Across from the second stairway, you have space for bench seating and hooks or tall built-in shelves. Continue to the front of the house, toward the garage, and a small powder room sits across from another office space. This office space can be a less formal area as a homework area for children or casual office space for you. Your laundry room has a counter with a sink and a washer and dryer.
There is a door to your 2 car garage and another door to the outside, that faces your main portico entry. A utility door leads from your garage to the side of the house.
Hearth & Soul – The Hearthstone
The master suite and secret surprises
Back to the foyer, take a left town the gallery hallway. You will love the spaces yet to be seen. You come to a doored space that can be used for a wine closet, a linen closet, or a small elevator to the second level. Another powder room is located here as well. Now, welcome to your private comfort zone. Your rest, your cozy, your space of rejuvenation and reflection is right here. The master suite is not only big in space, it has an arch/bay window, like the breakfast area, for a comfortable sitting area. I think a chaise lounge, light coverlet blanket, and a table for a lamp and candle sounds perfect.
Through an ‘angled’ corner of the room, you walk to your master bath. The master bath has a corner, oval soaking tub for days when your body says ‘stop’ and rest. Separate sinks and vanities keep you from bumping elbows too. There is a small cabinet for linens as well as a separate space for commode privacy.
Your walk-in closet is a dream in the making. For all your shoes, handbags, built-in islands for drawers of fancy socks and ties and jewelry, this closet can be ‘your all’. If you can dream it, this space can hold it.
Piece De Resistance
Lastly, a door to the ‘best-kept secret’ in the house, leads to a ‘morning kitchen’ – or in my opinion, any time of day kitchen. With a small sink, countertop, and space below, this is where you keep a coffee machine, fridge with wine, champagne, bottles of water, and containers of fruit for snacking on, adding to your water or strawberries for your champagne.
Hearth & Soul – The Hearthstone
Guest Space and Sitting Area
On the second floor, you walk into a sitting area/open loft space. This area is open, on the left, to the family room below. To the left of the staircase is the first of two suites and a closet or where your elevator from the first floor, rises. This suite follows the same arch window feature as the master on the main floor. With a full bath and walk-in closet, this space is sure to make any guest feel rested and relaxed.
Between the suite and the curved stairs is a door to a convenient, easy walk-in storage area.
The sitting/loft area might be where people read quietly. If you built a long counter and placed it under one of the dormer windows, this could be for arts and crafts. At the ‘end’ of the sitting area is another suite with a round window to match the seating area in the kitchen. This suite also has a walk-in closet and a full bath. This bath has 2 exterior doors so you have access from the sitting area. The u-shaped stairs down to the main level are here also.
Now, what makes a hearth a home? Where is the heart of the home? Where there is….. Comfort. Ease. Cozy. Feelings of being welcome and content. Accepted. The last space is this home can be built in at the on-set, or know that it is an absolute possibility for future growth and needs.
In-Laws, not Outlaws
Above the garage is a wonderful answer for living space and privacy for aging parents, other relatives, or older children that need to be home for whatever reason. A doorway near the ‘end’ of the sitting area takes you down a step into space for a future kitchen, and not just a galley style. There is space for counters, appliances, and a table.
Walk from the future kitchen into a long living room area. Add couches, perhaps a lift-style recliner for an older adult, a large screen television, and heart and home resound here. A bathroom with a single sink, commode, and shower is handy here. Lastly, a future bedroom for anytime rest rounds out this private but ‘not alone’ living space.
Heart – Hearth & Soul – Home. Where it is warm, welcoming, a place to gather for good times – that’s the place to be, and Hearthstone, by Living Concepts brings it all to you.
Make it your own. Welcome Home.