Rambling with Charm-The Westhampton, D-3045, may ramble somewhat, but it is tightly packed with form and function. The home plan by Living Concepts is European by design and cottage-like. Oh, but don’t let that fool you. The house may only have 3045 square feet, but it has three bedroom suites, two full baths and one half-bath, a terrace and an atrium. More? Yes!
Rambling with Charm
It’s Good to Look Old
The rendering shows a cedar shake and stone exterior. (I can’t imagine using anything else, can you? Unless it’s that old European brick that looks like it’s a thousand years old). The steeply sloping roof, dormer windows and a bay window (dining room) add to the graciousness of the home. A bonus? You only have a few steps up the front stoop (aka porch) to enter the home.
The detached garage is on the left side of the plan. Remember, a garage that does not share a wall of the home is considered detached. A covered breezeway protects you from most inclement weather situations and leads you into the house.
Decisions, Decisions
Inside the garage, you will have room for your cars, plus storage for your tools. A bump-out of the garage allows for storage on the left side. (Hanging tools away from vehicles is indeed a good idea) and a greenhouse or atrium on the right side, the latter being accessible using the door from the garage or from your backyard. Now what to plant-flowers or vegetables?
Rambling with Charm
Breezing By
A few steps up from the garage and you will be in the breezeway. There are steps here, too, on both sides for easy entrance into your front or back yard. When you enter the home, the laundry room is on your left and a closet is on your right. The laundry room has a utility sink. (Maybe rinse your hands here after gardening) and spaces for your washer and dryer. The reach-in closet is handy as a space to hang up your jacket and a place to leave your gardening shoes.
Open Spaces
The kitchen, family and dining rooms are open to each other. The dining room faces the front of the home, making it the perfect spot for a few live plants in the corners (maybe Ficus and a Peace Lily), plus a round or oblong table with your favorite chairs. Walking counterclockwise and into the kitchen, you will notice that the countertops are shaped like a “C.” The double sink and dishwasher are on the wall facing the breezeway and a window to peer out of.
Rambling with Charm
And Smiling Faces
There are two kitchen islands. A smaller one that would be just right for prepping meals and a larger one containing your stovetop and oven, and with seating. Who wouldn’t smile when the aroma of those freshly baked cinnamon rolls drifts throughout the house? You will have plenty of room to have a wall oven in the kitchen, too, and a refrigerator that will want to plan your meals. (Don’t let it! next thing you know Alexa will do all your shopping. Wait, don’t we already do that?).
Ah, the Aroma!
While waiting on those rolls to rise, you may want to relax in the family room or in the living room, both having fireplaces. In the living room, the fireplace is embordered by built-in shelves, where you can display your treasures, whether fragile or as durable as a bound book.
Both rooms also have doors leading outside to the terrace. When exiting from the family room, you will find a built-in outdoor grill immediately on the right. Corn on the cob, anyone? Pass the butter, please! If those pesky bugs will not let you eat in peace, then you can migrate to the screened porch, which also has a door leading to the master suite.
Rambling with Charm
Smart Choices
Once inside the home and walking towards the front of the house, the master bath will be on your left side. There is a walk-in shower, room for a garden tub, and two single sinks that are opposite from each other. Smart, right? Two walk-in closets make the most efficient use of space in this rambling home. Leaving the master suite, you will arrive immediately at another bathroom. This half-bath could be a full bath if you convert the study (next) into another suite, or you might choose to forgo the shower and have a closet instead.
And More Decisions
In the study, you will also need to make choices. The plans for the Westhampton include a concealed door on the right side, which can give you immediate access to the master suite. This small area could instead be where you place your safe, or you may choose to have a swinging bookcase here. The study also includes a reach-in closet. Back in the foyer, you will find a reach-in closet under the stairs.
Rambling with Charm
Protecting the Precious
Upstairs, you will enter the balcony and a large area that is open to below. To the right, there is a door which leads to attic access and a walk-in closet. So, if you are storing clothes that you prefer to hang rather than fold, such as a tux or wedding gown, this would be just the spot. Lining this closet with cedar will ensure you and your loved ones that these one-of-a-kind outfits will not succumb to pests.
In Your Home
Walking left from the stairs, you will find both the second and third bedroom suites joined by a shared (also known as a Jack and Jill) bath. Each suite has its own sink and walk-in closet, with a shower/tub combination that is shared. Rambling home? Perhaps. However you see this European cottage plan, the Westhampton is the epitome of a well-planned home.