Owner-specific modifications:
Enlarged home to 2,880 square feet
Enlarged front secondary bedrooms
Enlarged guest bedroom behind garage to accommodate full in-law suite with kitchen; slightly modified rear elevation in this area
Built flat, rather than vaulted, ceiling in Great Room
Raised ceilings to 9'4" in all rooms except Great Room, which remained 11'
Building your dream home can present certain obstacles, but having three hurricanes land just over 40 miles away as construction is getting under way isn't normally one of them. But even hurricane season could not prevent Sue Conlon and Frank Oldham of St. Cloud, Fla., from making their dream of building Plan DD-2541-1B a reality.
When Sue, a retired army officer and current seventh-grade teacher, and Frank, a machinist and custom-knife maker, first decided to build a home, they shied away from the mass-produced homes offered by builders. This would be their last home, and they wanted the best fit for their family.
"We like the Craftsman style, and this plan suited well to the Florida lifestyle," Sue says. "We also needed a plan that would allow us to expand for an in-law apartment. This one worked perfectly."
They used Homeplans Design Services to modify the blueprints, increasing the square footage by 331 square feet. Homeplans Design Services was "extremely helpful and patient" in making changes and even in changing back things that did not work, says Sue.
First, the couple expanded the guest bedroom behind the garage to accommodate a full in-law suite with a kitchen for Sue's mother. Next, they increased all ceiling heights to 9 feet, 4 inches and enlarged the front secondary bedrooms.
Sue and Frank particularly enjoy the home's Great Room, where they kept the high ceiling but chose to forgo the vaulted look. One of their favorite aspects of the Great Room is the fireplace. "[The fireplace] is an awesome focal point," Sue says. "We found a 100-year-old mantle that we refinished, and surrounded the fireplace with slate and Mexican tiles."
The home's southern location influenced more than just the home's interior decorating. The couple used a slab foundation, calling it a "Florida necessity." They also installed a radiant barrier in the attic, foam in the block, and double-paned windows to increase energy efficiency.
Despite the obstacles that arose from building their home during hurricane season, Sue and Frank are happy they built Plan DD-2541-1B. "Stock plans are affordable and give you the opportunity to customize your home the way you want it," Sue says. She adds that there is satisfaction in being involved in the building process "from conception to completion."
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