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House Plan HDC-3220 Customer Testimonials
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Steve Iltis, a Houston-based home designer, wanted to create a country
home of his own. With a young, growing family and the possibility of
more children, Steve knew that a larger home, removed from the confines
of the city, would best suit his family and their lifestyle.
Steve wanted a homestead with enough acreage for his family to enjoy
the outdoors in privacy. He also knew that, surrounded by so many
cookie-cutter developments, designing his own home would be the best
way to ensure the quality he desired. Steve and his wife, Jana, found
the perfect spot in a growing development outside of Houston called
Sienna Plantation.
Having found the property they were looking for, Steve set about
planning their home's design, taking into consideration the limitations
of the development. Because the goal of Sienna Plantation is to offer
a mix of homes with character, each design must be approved by an
architectural review board before construction.
Experienced in creating large luxury homes for his clients, Steve began
thinking of his home's design on a more practical level. At Jana's
request, Steve's goal was to make sure that, despite the home's size,
it would have a cozy feel to it, which suggested a more
traditional-style home. Jana explains that they wanted
"practicality for a family with children," which meant no
balconies or ultra-high ceilings that would carry noise easily.
They also didn't need an overly elaborate home. Steve says that,
in his experience, people who build homes with large rooms and
impressive, high ceilings end up spending most of their time in
the smaller rooms anyway, because these rooms are more comforting.
Anticipating that his family would do the same, Steve tried to
incorporate into his home design certain elements that would add
to its coziness and everyday utility.
The Iltises broke ground in April of 2000 and moved into their new
home nine months later. After construction was complete, Steve
asked Jana whether his design had met her expectations, to which,
he says, she replied in the affirmative. "I feel cozy,"
she said, "I can't believe this is my home!"
The living room perfectly illustrates Steve's success in creating
this effect. He says one way that he achieved this comfortable
feel was through the use of a lower, nine-foot ceiling. In addition,
built-in shelves provide the perfect spot for media equipment, books
and trinkets. "Our living room is more functional with built-ins
and enough shelves for knickknacks," Steve says of how he
created a clever and cozy family space. But the view out the back
was the most appealing factor in designing the room as it is.
"I wanted to be able to sit in the living room and feel open
to the outside," he says. The solution was to place two
extra-large windows side by side, facing the back of the house,
making the outdoors the focal point for anyone entering or
relaxing in the room.
The other half of the living area—the dining room and the
kitchen—was also designed with utility and comfort in mind.
Seeing no need in their life for a formal dining room, Steve
decided instead to create an expanded dining nook that would
accommodate a full-sized table. He placed this area in full
view of the living room not only to extend the view out the
back, but also to allow guests at large gatherings to interact
more during meals, should they need to be divided between rooms.
"The main thing we didn't like [about formal dining rooms]
was that, with large groups, you were separated into different
rooms, and you couldn't interact with people you hadn't seen
for a while," he says.
The kitchen's overall design allows for easy meal preparation
and service, due to a feature Steve calls "two working
triangles." One of the triangles includes the snack bar,
a sink, a walk-in pantry and an oversized island cooktop,
which offers plenty of counter space around the range. The
opposite triangle features a second utility sink, an oven/
microwave combo and a refrigerator. The reason for dual
sinks is twofold: first, Steve wanted a utility sink to
accommodate some of his outdoor interests, while complementing
a standard sink; second, because he wanted a window to face
the scenic view on the east side of the home, Steve thought
a sink might best use the extra counter space. Now, when he
and Jana put together a meal, he says, they "do not
interfere with each other at all." As Jana puts it,
"He has his area, and I have mine."
To offer Jana a working area of her own, Steve designed a quiet
space off the kitchen that would function as her office. A
nurse who stays home with Hannah, 8, and Rachel, 2, Jana says
she appreciates the little room's seclusion, which is
created not only by its location, but also by the clever
pocket door that allows her to shut out noise and distraction.
From here, Jana can pay bills, manage the family's schedule,
deal with the mail and make phone calls without the burden
of cords and papers all over their kitchen work space. Jana
is pleased with how this space helps her stay organized.
Another convenient spot near the kitchen is what Steve calls
the "drop zone." Realizing that they enter their
home most often via the side porch, Steve knew that without
a place to set their things, that heavily traveled area
would soon become cluttered with shoes, backpacks and
purses. So he designed a multipurpose area that provides
the right kind of storage for their needs—individual racks
for the shoes, hooks for coats and backpacks, plus cabinets
and cubbyholes for keys, purses and cell phones—and a large
desk area for computer work and projects that require more
space. Jana says this area is great for unloading her bundles
when she comes home. It's also a great spot for the kids to
use the computer or watch TV and still be supervised from the
kitchen, the dining room or the utility room, Steve says.
While this is a particularly exciting part of the home, Steve
says his favorite feature is none other than his walk-in
closet. Customized to fit his clothing and other storage
items, the closet was designed so that everything has a
place, which helps protect his clothing and keeps him
organized. Jana's closet is similarly planned, as are the
girls' closets in their upper-floor bedrooms.
Bright colors adorn the girls' bedrooms, each of which features
a vaulted ceiling and a built-in desk. Jana says that Hannah
is enthralled with her desk because "she can do homework
there and not be disturbed by her little sister." Also on
the upper floor is a time-saving split bath that's sure to be
a plus once the kids enter their teens, and a large game room
that Steve originally earmarked as future space, but found
more cost-effective to finish off while still in the construction
process. Should they have another child in the future, Steve
says, that space can be used as a third upper-floor bedroom.
For now, the room works well both for the girls' playtime and
for Jana's housekeeping: "They don't even drag their toys
downstairs," she says, helping to maintain a tidy main
floor. Jana touts another benefit of giving the kids space
upstairs: "Hannah had a slumber party with 12 little
girls in her room, and we couldn't even hear them."
Extra space over the garage offers a second area for expansion.
Steve says that eventually he may transition into working more
from home, which makes this space ideal for an office, not only
because of its relative seclusion, but also because of its
proximity to the side entrance, through which he could receive
clients without having them traipse through the house.
While most of the home's design draws attention to its
practicality, a few features hint at a bit of whimsy and
luxury. For example, niches and shelves that Steve added
to finish off corners and hallways offer spots for the
Iltises to display souvenirs. The main-floor guest bedroom,
Steve says, isn't entirely necessary, since they rarely
have overnight guests. Still, its richly painted walls and
adjoining Jacuzzi bath are a treat for any visitor. And an
exercise room off the master suite offers a quiet spot to
unwind and then easily slip into the private bath's Jacuzzi
tub for a much-deserved soak. Because there are no upper-floor
rooms overhead, the master suite has the added benefit of
extra-quiet rooms and vaulted ceilings.
All of the home's many amenities, coupled with a surrounding
environment Steve dreamed about, make this the perfect
homestead for the Iltises. "I feel like I'm in the
country when I'm at home, but my wife can still go to
the mall nearby," Steve says of their choice location.
The average American couldn't ask for much more.
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