Kathleen Kedigh
After nine grueling months of anguish, my husband and I finally gave birth to this reverse story-and-a-half home. When asked for advice, anyone who has built a home will tell you "just say no!" I emphathize. But if you're patient and don't spend all your dimes when choosing windows, floor coverings, and even knobs (!), it can be done. We are thrilled with the result. Our home is beautiful; but more importantly, it is functional.
The living room features a full wall of arching windows and a faux rock fireplace that drove the stonemason mad to build. He walked away from a full wheelbarrow of grout on a hot summer day in complete frustration. The hickory floor adds to the rustic casual feel of this room.
The kitchen opens to the living room with a dining area at one end and a walk-in pantry around the opposite corner. Next to the refrigerator is a cabinet with armoire doors that holds the microwave, coffeepot, mixer, and toaster. Off the kitchen is a screened-in porch and deck area for grilling.
The "drop zone," as our builder liked to call it, holds shoes below the bench and coats on hooks as well as gloves and scarves in the baskets above. The cabinets next to it store wine, liquor, and glasses.
The laundry room has a classic black-and-white checkered floor and loads of cabinet space for all those cleaning supplies I should be using more often.
My office is light-filled and cheerful. If I have to work, I want to be happy about it! And it has an en suite bathroom accessible through a pocket door, also used as a guest bathroom through a door to the hallway.
The master bedroom, just off the living room, boasts a bay window and a tray ceiling with recessed lighting.
From there, down a hallway that holds his and hers closets and a water closet is the master bathroom with walk-in shower that features a rainhead and handheld faucets as well as lots of jets -- all done in porcelain that looks like carerra marble.
And the light-filled family room on the lower level features double-patio doors to the back yard, a desk area, and doors to two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and storage areas.
Kitchen style bar (good colors)