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House Plan L-774-VSB Customer Testimonials
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Owner-specific modifications:
Extended front porch to wrap around both sides of study to garage
Moved utility room into space originally allocated for garage storage
Moved main-floor powder room to space originally allocated for utility room
Enlarged kitchen
Put stove in corner opposite sink; moved pantry to left of sink
Built breakfast nook with 90-degree angle
Removed columns separating foyer from dining room
Moved fireplace to rear of family room, where media center was located; installed flat-panel television above fireplace
Attached bayed alcove to master bedroom, rather than bedroom 2
Removed linen closet from master bath and enlarged shower
Moved walk-in closet in bedroom 3 to opposite wall, and built storage area behind closet
Added finished bonus room above master suite
From painting the porch ceiling blue (it's supposed to keep spiders away) to installing
decorative covers for the floor vents to ordering antique transom-window operators, no detail
was too small for home builder Craig Zeigler of Zeigler & Company, when it came to building
Plan L-774-VSB. Zeigler and his team built the Victorian-style home in true Victorian fashion,
ornamenting both the interior and the exterior with carefully detailed design features. His team's
meticulous craftsmanship, lead by artisan and friend, Dennis Wendt, paid off. The home, which was
built for the Raleigh-Wake County Parade of Homes, took the Gold Award, the highest award in its
class, along with an unprecedented four perfect scores.
The home's impressive Victorian ornamentation no doubt played a role in its award winning. The term
"Victorian," which is actually a blanket term used to describe many different styles, refers to
the time during the 19th and early 20th centuries when Queen Victoria reigned in England and advancement in
machine technology gave builders access to mass-produced ornamentation, thereby allowing them to explore new
approaches to building and design. Many Victorian-style homes built today use the same classic ornamentation,
while incorporating modern amenities. Zeigler built Plan L-774-VSB in this fashion, including updated
conveniences such as an intercom system and a home security system.
In addition, Zeigler made a few modifications to the plan's layout, lending the home a personal
touch. The home's exterior, for example, originally called for a rather simple front porch. Zeigler
extended the porch, wrapping it around the home. With a wraparound porch embracing the home, an unmistakably
country feel is added to the otherwise Victorian look. Not that the Victorian features overpower the home;
rather they seem to be veiled beneath a romantic glow created by the soft hues Zeigler used to color the
home. The beautifully capped two-story turret blushes in the sunlight, while a blue shade was used to
highlight the fishscale shingles, providing a double contrast of color and texture. Elegant 8-foot beveled
glass double front doors offer a closer look at the home's beautiful detail, and extend a warm welcome
to guests.
Inside, the ornamentation continues. Decorative trim adorns the baseboards and banisters. Crystal
doorknobs grace the doors. Pretty patterns embellish the floor vent covers. Zeigler even found antique
transom-window operators and made some of the transom windows operable, so they can be used to assist
in air circulation, just as they were designed to do in the days before air conditioning.
In addition to dressing up the home in traditional Victorian ornamentation, Zeigler also made modifications
to the layout in order to enhance the home with modern amenities. To accommodate the wraparound porch,
Zeigler moved the fireplace to the rear of the family room, and installed a flat-panel television above
the fireplace.
He also moved the main-floor powder room to the rear of the home, near the utility room. Not only
did this get the powder room out of the center of the home, but it also allowed for the kitchen to be
slightly rearranged to include an island workstation and more counter space. Zeigler did keep the
pass-through, which connects the kitchen and the family room. In addition to creating a convenient way
to serve snacks to the family room, it also lends more of the historic charm that is weaved throughout
the home.
On the other side of the main floor, the study's bay boasts a unique arrangement, alternating
built-in shelves with windows. The windows naturally brighten the room, while the shelves easily
house books, toys and knickknacks, saving space that would have been taken up by bulky bookshelves.
French doors on either side of the study close the room off from the family and living rooms, offering
quiet and privacy.
Upstairs, the master suite was modified to include the bayed alcove that was originally located
in a secondary bedroom. Because many of today's master suites boast elaborate luxuries, designed
to duplicate the feel of a "pampering getaway," the alcove, which serves as a cozy sitting
area off the master bedroom, helps the master suite attain this kind of ambience. The master bath is
similarly pampering with a deep oval tub surrounded by windows on three sides. An ornate marble vanity
with dual sinks lines the opposite end of the room. Zeigler left out the linen closet, and instead
enlarged the shower, which he trimmed with a stained-glass window to match the one built into the
bathroom's door. A huge walk-in closet rounds out the bath, providing enough room for clothes,
shoes, linens and extra storage.
Three good-sized secondary bedrooms are also found on the upper floor. One of the rooms boasts a
private bath, while the other two offer private access to a compartmentalized bath. A large storage
area was another of Zeigler's additions, built off one of the secondary bedrooms.
Finally, Zeigler added a bonus room above the master suite. The room is spacious and flexible enough
to serve as a playroom, an extra office, a media room or an additional bedroom. Or, the room can be
converted to meet changing needs. When children are young, it can be used as a playroom and then converted
into a study or media room after children have grown.
By combining historic features and Victorian ornamentation with updated amenities and modern rooms,
Zeigler was able to create a home that maintains charm and beauty while accommodating the needs of
today's family. And with a Gold Award and four perfect scores, this combination proves to be a winner!
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