Like the Atwell plan by Living Concepts, the Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out, realizes that the outside space is nearly as important as what’s inside. Almost. When we are prone to wander outside on a beautiful day, we do want our living area that is outside the confines of four walls to be useful, to be beautiful. And this home delivers. It is of Mediterranean influence, a home with 7311 square feet, a basement and two more levels. There are five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and one powder room.
The portico has three arches. (The word portico derives from Italian porticus, meaning a covered walk). Directly above, there are three arched windows. Cornices right below the roof line draw the eyes upward. The first and second floors are visible in the front elevation as shown. Let’s explore, though, going through the basement first.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The Basement: Garage, Recreation and Media/Exercise Room
First, you will need to drive around to the back left side of your home to access the three-car garage. The far right bay of the garage provides the perfect spot for you to store maintenance essentials, like small tools. Garage cabinets, a work bench and voila! you will have what you need on hand easily. There are two doors that you can use to enter the home. One door is in the middle of the back wall of the garage. Go to the right and you can take the elevator to the first floor.
However, you can use the door at the far left of the garage and you will be in the recreation room, one of two in the home. (Turn to the right to take the stairs leading to the first floor). Here, you have more than 340 square feet of possibilities, plus a fireplace. Windows on opposing walls will keep this room bright, even on the darkest of days. A door leads to your outside covered terrace. The party starts here! Add a heated pool in the backyard and even your neighbor’s pooch will want to stay. (Be sure to add a cover for that pool).
Then, from the covered terrace, you can enter the media/exercise room, or you can use the door by the elevator. Cabinets line one of the inside walls. Around the corner is a full bath (toilet, sink, tub). The bathroom also has a door going out onto the terrace. Definitely the best use of inside and out.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The Basement: The Office and Storage
Next, around the corner from the media/exercise room, you have another full bath with a single sink, shower/tub combination and toilet, designed specifically for your office on the right side of the basement. Finally, for the basement, you have mechanical and outdoor storage. Lots of it. For example, the mechanical storage is adjacent to the elevator. It has nearly 740 square feet available with cabinets you can install at the far left end. The outdoor storage is on the right side of the home.
This is where you can store those bulky tools, such as mowers or weed eaters, that you do not want to clutter the garage. And, of course, there is an outside door for easy retrieval of these items. There is also a door from the outdoor room to the mechanical storage one. Time to go upstairs!
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The First Floor: Foyer, Study and Dining Room
Using the front entrance, the portico, you arrive in the foyer at a staircase going up, one of two on this floor. A reach-in closet and a niche directly across from it are both found on either side of the stairs. To the right of the foyer is the study, which shares the morning kitchen with the master bedroom. To the left of the foyer is your formal dining room. This room also shares a space, the butler’s pantry, with the kitchen area.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The First Floor: Laundry, Kitchen, Breakfast and Family Room
An outside door to the left of the dining room gives you access to the laundry room. Practical, right? And it is once again making the best use of inside and out. The laundry room is ample enough for a utility sink, space for your washer and dryer, as well as countertops and cabinets to complete that chore you dread. (Really, it’s not that bad). A powder room is on the same (left) side right after the laundry.
Then, on your right is the butler’s pantry. This is another convenience, especially when you anticipate feeding large crowds. Step ahead and into the kitchen, take a hard right, and the walk-in pantry is there. However, want to keep it simple and intimate? The kitchen may be the place you decide to place your mug of coffee or tea and that croissant you’ve been craving. A large island in the center of the kitchen is one place that might suit you.
A double sink on the left, outside wall, is under the window. In the far right corner of the kitchen, however, is the elevator. Major appliances have their own designated spaces. Finally, a kitchen peninsula separates the kitchen proper from the breakfast room.
This is the most intimate of dining- the breakfast room. A small table, a few chairs and you can have the solitude or the quiet conversation you crave. Ahead is the family room. A fireplace with shelves on either side is on the far wall. The left wall is embraced by windows and the right wall has a door that opens up to the terrace.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The First Floor: The Terrace, Great Room and Master Suite
The terrace is irregularly shaped and expansive. It stretches from the family room to the master suite. The best use of the terrace? For outdoor entertaining! Or as your window to the natural world beyond the confines of your home.
Once back inside and between the great room and kitchen, you have two sets of stairs. One (bottom view on the plan) leads back down into the basement. The other set (top view) goes up to the third floor. Back in the great room, a fireplace, again with shelves on both sides, is on the far wall. Too much noise in the family room? The great room is always available- or vice versa.
Next, walking towards the front of the home, another niche is right outside of the master suite and morning kitchen. I’ve read that books are perfect for niches. Someone must be reading my mind.
The master suite is on the right side of the home. The bedroom area has a door to the terrace. Next, you wander down into the morning kitchen for that first cup of brew. Inside the master bathroom, there are two single sinks, well separated. A shelf or garden tub anchors the far corner, while an enclosed space with toilet and bidet anchors the other. You step down into the large walk-in shower. Finally, two walk-in closets, a linen closet and a bathroom island (a luxury!) make the best use of this inside space.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
The Second Floor: Bedroom Suites and Recreation
Best use of inside? Yes! You have three options on how to arrive at the second floor. First, you have the stairs from the foyer. Next, you have the stairs that are to the left of the recreation room. Finally, you have the elevator on the left side of the home. All of these are imperative with a home this expansive.
Upstairs, you have four more bedroom suites. Suite #2 is to the left of the main staircase. It faces the front of the home and has a walk-in closet. This room shares a bath with Suite #5. There are two sinks, a linen closet, and shower/tub. Suite #5 has its own walk-in closet, too.
Suite #3 is closest to the elevator and also faces the front of the home. It has its own bath with a single sink, shower/tub, walk-in closet and a linen closet. Suite #4’s bath mirrors that of #3 and also has a walk-in closet. Finally, the recreation room, more than 400 square feet of multiple uses (table tennis, exercise, yoga), is between suites 4 and 5.
The Ashburton: Making Best Use of Inside and Out
Conclusion
The Ashburton plan may be spacious, but every square foot of this home is used to the homeowner’s advantage. There is no wasted space. Whether you delight in spending time outdoors on one of the terraces, inside in contemplation (the study), or upstairs in the recreation room, you will have the best use of inside and outside. To purchase the plan, click on the green button on the right side of this page.
