Top 10 house plan websites

There are probably a million house plan companies selling zillions of plans through the internet.  Most are terrible.  In my business I create one of a kind custom homes.  I can't tell you how many clients of mine have come to me after being frustrated looking through one plan book (or plan website) after another.  After exhaustive searching they will eventually break down and hire a competent house designer or an Architect.

I definitely believe that if your needs are truly unique then you should hire a residential architect.  But if your needs and tastes are less specific you might be able to save yourself some time and money by going the pre-designed plan route. So I decided to publish a list of the top 10 house plan websites that I have run across.  Here goes.

8. Southern Living House plans - Large collection of traditionally styled house plans.  All shapes, sizes and configurations.

7. John Tee Architect - Architect designed homes in predominantly southern american styles.  Plans in this fairly extensive collection are well executed.

6. Rick Thompson Architect - Collection of traditionally styled house plans.  Most of the collection is under 2000 square feet.

5. Coastal Living House Plans - A large collection of plans, many of which designed with a lake or coastal property in mind.  The architectural styles again are mostly traditional.  There are a good number of more "quirky" plans however, which makes for more interesting surfing.

4. LaMiDesign Modern House Plans - If you are looking for a truly modern home online, your choices are limited.  LaMiDesign is the best that I have run across.

3. Good Fit plans by Ross Chapin Architects - Modest collection of very well designed smaller homes.  Modernized cottage aesthetic.  Simple, clean and well done.

2. Architectural House Plans - This site specializes in unique Architect designed homes.  They started out being very selective and only published great plans.  The quality seems to be starting to go downhill a bit as the collection increases - but it is still a great source for architect designed house plans.

1. Simply Elegant Home Designs - Ok, I know this is shameless.  It's my own site after all.  This site does not yet have very many plans - but we are definitely going for quality.  We are going for a more edgy and more modern look.

I'll bet you are wondering where number 9 and 10 are.  Well it really is just that hard to find quality plans online.  After you spend a few hours browsing you realize that almost all the plans start looking alike.  In fact quite literally many of the plans are identical.  So I decided to spare the list down to 8.  

Final note.  If you run across any other great house plan web sites please let me know.  I'll update my top 10 list.

Kitchens Galore.

Designing a kitchen can sometimes be the most challenging room to design. They are so personal to the individual that every one is different. I think we might have moved on from the avocado appliances (although I've been seeing a lot of soft greens) by now but what are the trends in kitchens? In my research I found a LOT of things--and like I said, I think that kitchens are SUPER personal and individual. See below some of my favorite picks.....

From Living etc, this kitchen has an industrial feel with metal cabinets and a sleek shiny subway tiled wall. Not really my favorite.

In this tiny Stephanie Stokes kitchen, customization of cabinets are very important. No space is wasted. She customized the floor too, which is beautiful. Also, she used green marble for the counter tops here.

Here is the ever popular farmhouse style kitchen with white marble, white wainscoting, and industrial holophane pendant designed by R. Roman Hudson. Personally I love this look--the pitchers on the open shelves are just adorable.

If you don't have a farmhouse style house, this house in the south shows you can still have a calming, simple kitchen (by Ken Pursley). Wood paneling can sometimes be intimidating, but this looks so soft and has a gorgeous contrast with the white marble countertops and backsplash of the stove.

I grew up in a house in which everything was behind a cabinet door, so the trend of open shelves was a new one to me. I have taken a liking to it though and it's nice to display your nice dishes etc. Ken Pursley again.

From House Beautiful, this designer used Jurassic Green Granite. Go green?

This reminds me of what a french farmhouse kitchen might look like. Hillary Hayne uses this wire in place of glass in the rustic cabinets. LOVE THIS.

A fun color like this blue and a fun chandelier is nice for a small kitchen to take the focus off the fact that it's such a small space. From Domino.

I really love this idea of adding this custom copper grill inside the frame of the cabinets. There is a physical barrier but not a visual one. WOW. By Sandra Bird.

Custom storage spaces created by kitchen genius Christopher Peacock.

Christopher Peacock is pretty much the authority on kitchens. This one is crisp and bright and clearly made for someone who likes to cook. How many stoves are there--four??

In my adoration for farmhouse kitchens, I love the farmhouse style sink which is deep and clean white! From House Beautiful.

Again, I am really leaning towards a french farmhouse sort of look if I had my choice. It looks easy to work in, and if you make a mess it is easy to clean up. What is your favorite new kitchen trend OR lasting style!?

Alicia B.