You can build a low country or farm home anywhere- the suburbs or closer into the city. The wildlife noises will be different, of course- squirrel chatter versus an occasional squeal of the tires. Once inside, however, you can put your feet up and relax, forgetting the outside mayhem. This home by Frank Snodgrass of Living Concepts, Farrington B 2375, has 1.5 stories, both with nine-foot ceilings, bonus storage and a side garage. There are also three bedrooms, 2 full baths and a covered front porch.
A Generous Path and Dormer Windows
Before parking your vehicle in the two-car garage, let’s look at the front of the house. A generous path leads you to the covered front porch with three wide steps. The French doors implore light to pour inside, and outside, the porch is roomy enough for rocking chairs with side tables (or wicker, if you prefer). Dormer windows (those that project vertically from a sloping roof) on the front of the home provide more natural light for the upstairs.
A Garage and Two Doors
Upon entering the garage, a few steps on the back wall (far left) will lead up into the house. At the back of the garage, there is another door (far right,) which leads to the backyard. Yet, there is plenty of room inside for you to store two vehicles, as well as gardening tools, with the right storage options, such as metal cabinets and hooks to hang things you want nearby but not in the way. Want to go directly upstairs to the bonus room on the second floor? Step inside, turn left- and voila!
Laundry and a Sink
Once inside and downstairs, to your immediate right is a closet for overflow laundry supplies or a place to drop off your work shoes. Ahead is the laundry room; you could easily add a utility sink for washing your rescued pooch or watering those thirsty houseplants. Cabinets above add storage for laundry necessities. The breakfast room and kitchen are adjacent- let’s look there next.
And a Fridge that Might Know Too Much
The kitchen and breakfast room are open to each other. An L-shaped peninsula divides the two rooms, with space for a double sink, dishwasher and a refrigerator (the newest ones can just about plan your day for you). At the other end of the kitchen, there is a reach-in pantry, counterspace for food prep and your stovetop/oven. The breakfast room opens up to the great room.
Light from Above and Within
Glass nearly fills the back wall of the great room; a door leads to the backyard patio, where you can grill or entertain guests when the weather cooperates. Inside, two skylights supplement the natural light, and a fireplace with shelves on each side adds to the ambiance of the room. You could also opt for a smart television for one side, leaving the other side to showcase objets d’art from your travels abroad or within the United States.
A Powder Room and a Closet
Walking towards the front of the home, a cased opening on the left takes you back into the kitchen. A powder room is close by, and a closet under the stairs allows you to stow away your coat if you enter through the foyer in the front. The dining room on the right as you enter the home has a door that opens to outside, for those days when the pollen is low and the spirits are high. On the opposite side of the house, you walk into the master suite.
A Skylight and Sinks
The master suite also faces the front of the house and, like the dining room, has a door that opens to the front covered porch. There are two walk-in closets, and a capacious master bath with a skylight. You will also find a walk-in shower and a platform tub (instead, you could choose a freestanding garden tub) that is flanked by single sinks. A linen closet provides the perfect spot for storing your towels and bath accessories.
Attic Access (say that three times fast!)
Upstairs, the Farrington has the second and third bedroom suites, as well as a bonus room and attic access. Each suite (and the bonus room, too) has attic access, the second one through the reach-in closet, and the third one with a door beside the closet. The bathroom is shared by both and includes a tub and single sink. You could modify the plan by changing the third suite to a study instead of a bedroom, and then adding a door to the bonus room (after all, you do not want to walk through a bedroom to go to the bonus room, right?).
Say what? An aside
Bonus rooms over the garage were once known as FROG- or family-room-over-the-garage. As architecture progressed, bonus rooms have often been moved to the center of the second floor. Either way, their usefulness has remained. The room can be an entertainment center, space for extra storage, a media center or even a home library.
Enjoying Life
Low country or farmhouse, the Farrington by Living Concepts has ample space for living, sleeping and putting your feet up. Regardless of the “wild life” around you, one thing is certain-you will enjoy living in this house.