As a huge aficionado of jewels, most specifically diamonds, I look at stones as beautiful possibilities and open options. As I plan my jewelry designs, quality and purchases (down to devilish details), it matters to me that what I purchase means something to me. With big purchases of any sort, I deal with my needs being met v. my desires, as much as possible, and consider financial resources to the aspects that mean the most. My priorities for a stone may not be someone else’s and that’s fine. For me, that is also the beauty of customization, which I do often. Setting. Stone. Cut. Color. Options. A house is like that too right? Setting. Size. Colors. Textures. Options. Your preferences and tastes. Your style, needs and wants. This Munhall (E-3891) by Living Concepts Frank Snodgrass is a beauty of a plan. The uncut, raw state of this plan has great possibility. The end result, the polish and beauty and joy it brings you is yours to create. With 3 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, 1 story, (but the addition of a fantastic finished lower level) of 3,891 square feet of space, your gem will be beautiful.
Cut, Not Polished
This Craftsman style home, from its immediate curb appeal, welcomes you. The covered front porch, the tapered pillars, the natural shake cedar and squared multi-paned windows are all common features of a classic Craftsman style home. This home has a great lay-out, a rough cut. You bring the polish and beauty. Window boxes with your favorite flowers, pots of what makes you happy can flank the front edge of the porch will add to the inherent charm. Your covered porch has enough space for a rocking chair and table or a small table and chairs for watching the world go by. Hang a windchime in the space between the front door and the garage and you’ll be sure to enjoy it anytime the breeze blows.
Table
Once inside the foyer, your dining room opens to the right and a U-shaped stairwell leads to an (optional if you want to build it out) office space or bedroom and half bath or use for storage on the top level (above the garage).
The ‘table’ of a diamond is the top surface of a stone, the largest view. From the foyer, your ‘table’ opens up to you. You see a good bit of your living space, from a large breakfast area that sits between your open, large kitchen and a really big family room. Cross a ‘hallway’ and walk into the main event – the living, the entertaining, the feeding, the heart-beat of the home is here. There is a wonderful walk-in pantry, as part of the kitchen, that is perfect for cleaning supplies, canned items, cookbooks and the ‘staples’ you like to always have around. Your large kitchen island, with room for barstools and a prep sink, will be a great place for guests that want to sit and chat or for those that love to get involved and help out while you work. There is a door to a beautiful open terrace from this area as well. The breakfast area is so large that it could be a dining area, instead of having a formal dining room, if you prefer. The family room, with a coffered ceiling of wood beams, showcases a warm, fireplace. Another door from this family room opens to your terrace. A cozy sectional seating area, a corner ‘bar’ and some shelves flanking your fireplace brings you all you need for a great night indoors.
Facets
Facets are the ‘cuts’ in a stone. The cuts show dimension, shape, and add to how the clarity (shine) is determined. One facet of this home is the dining room. Don’t want/need a dining room? Make it your office. Another facet, is your beautiful open terrace. While this is not a covered terrace, perhaps an addition of a retractable awning will help shade warm days and nights. No matter, this shining feature will host many family dinners, lunch for one (if you like), guests for birthdays, holidays, and ‘every’ reason for being outdoors. Tables, chairs, pots of plants and herbs, amongst your favorite people, are just the perfect atmosphere. Add a great sound system and invite me too.
Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes. I hope you walk to the left of your dining room, past the large laundry room and find clarity daily in your master bedroom and bath. The master bedroom has a double tray ceiling for added feeling of height. There is plenty of room for a large, lush-linen dressed bed, side tables and perhaps a chair and ottoman for comfortable reading. Walk into your master bath and, add clarity in a spa-like environment. Colors of blues, greys, iridescent creams/whites along with scents of lavender or eucalyptus in a diffuser and your spa is right here. Separate vanities and sinks are opposite the soaking tub, separate shower and separate room for the commode. At the front of the house (and ‘end’) of the suite, is your walk-in closet with plenty of space for clothes, shoes, handbags and more. The closet, being at the front of the house, has a large window in it as well.
Channel Set
The channel setting means stones are set between 2 walls of metal – no space between stones. Back toward your breakfast area, heading to the 2-car garage, is an area with a hall closet (that can be later used for elevator space if need be), a powder room, a smaller closet, stairs to the space (that you can finish with a half bath and bedroom, rec room, etc) above the garage if you wish. There is also the door to your front-load garage here.
Brilliant Pavillion
Brilliance is the shine, the intensity of light perceived in a stone. Clarity, polish, proportions and quality of workmanship contribute to brilliance. A pavilion is the angled bottom portion of stone that sits below the mounting, below the ‘girdle’ of the stone. This Munhall plan, has a brilliant pavilion. This lower level shines, sparkles and adds to the splendor of the main floor. You’re going to love this. Down the stairs is a large rec room with kitchen space. A large mechanical/storage space and even room for another washer and dryer is easily accessible here. A great option and total surprise is the addition for more parking, as in another 2-car garage. This is optional, but think of the possibilities! With 2 suites in this lower level, closets, and 2 full baths, this incredible space is perfect for older kids, parents or older adults living here. There is a wine closet too, that could be omitted and that space is the ‘shaft’ for the elevator down here. There are so many bonuses, let’s go outside and see more.
With several doors leading outside (from bedrooms, the rec room, a bathroom), there must be great reason right? You have a covered patio/terrace that can house more seating, plants, grill or even a hot tub. Enjoy all this under the protections from whatever the weather throws your way. A smaller side patio area can be an extended open area. Do you have room for a pool? Your favorite vacation will be right out your back doors. So many windows on the backside (main and lower level) bring nature and brilliance right into your daily living.
See, this Munhall plan by Living Concepts isn’t rough, it’s a gleaming, glowy plan that needs your setting, your styling and your clarity to make it the ‘perfect gem’.
Make this your own. Welcome Home.