I’m in love.

I’m in love with another Idea House.

I know, I know. This happens often. What can I say? If something awesome comes my way it’s hard for me to not fall in love and this house is no exception!

Goodness gracious could I make this my own! I’ve already transferred the floorplan to graph paper and have been playing around with it. Tucker Bayou was built in the Florida Panhandle area and is definitely “Florida Cracker” style. I love the wide expanse of porches and the tin roof.

Here is the view into the house from the foyer. They’ve taken the long wall and made a gallery of photographs all tied together in the same frames and in a solid pattern so that you pay more attention to the photographs within instead of the design on the wall.

Here you can see how the family room, dining room, and kitchen all flow seamlessly from one to another. I love the idea of a big great room overlooking the backyard and they’ve managed to use design elements such as the columns and coffered ceiling to create a room within a room.

Look at this kitchen … how cool is that range and hood? I love how they extend the glass tile all the way up to the ceiling.

Some additional views of the porch and the yard toward the detached garage … very Florida!

Here is a great idea for a master bedroom. They’ve taken one wall and covered it with bookshelves to create a nook for the bed with plenty room for storage and art … much better than a giant blank wall.

And here is the master bath with the double shower. Absolutely gorgeous … I want one just like it!

What a cool guest bedroom! I love the study alcove. Someone can easily be on the computer while the other person is sleeping soundly.

Finally, how cute is this bunk room? I love how they’ve made the bunk beds built ins. So cool! I’d want to stay here as an adult … I can’t imagine how cool it would be as a child!

Here is the link to Haven Custom Homes. They are the manufacturers of this home which is modular … can you believe it!?! It is yours to purchase and have shipped to your lot. So cool! I would never have imagined this house being something pre-fabricated but it is … and fully customizable! Here, also, is a link to the Southern Living website for this Idea House featured in 2007 and the link to the video. Enjoy and have a great weekend y’all!

Julia, over at Hooked On Houses, is asking for this home as a Christmas present and I can totally see why. I’m a huge fan of homes … all shapes and sizes. With a father who works in luxury home construction all you do all day long is dream of homes. So, I clicked the link and fell in love.

Here you can see the rear view. This plan is definitely tiny and probably couldn’t be used for anything other than a young couple just starting out or an older couple with an empty nest. When you first look at the home you can sense the coziness and comfort. When you look inside the home there are plenty of wonderful details that demonstrate clearly that craftsman vibe. Check it out … and while you’re at it … you can buy it for me!?!

Hey there … hope you’re having a wonderful Friday and have some great plans for the weekend! Today I’m once again participating in Julia’s blog party over at Hooked On Houses. Today I’m featuring the Coastal Living Idea House from 2002: Family Reunion (click the link for a PDF of the featured property).

Seriously, y’all … this house is definitely added to the list of things someone needs to buy me! It’s gorgeous. Just the right amount of space and the interior design is top notch. I can’t get enough of this place … I’ve even saved that issue of Coastal Living and peruse it every so often when I feel like dreaming and instead of placing all the pictures here I’m letting you read the article for yourself.

This oceanfront Idea House, located on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, mixes nostalgic beach-home style with modern building technology.

The entry hall immediately establishes the plan’s sense of airiness. An open staircase bends and climbs toward the second-floor landing and 20-foot ceiling. Built-in shelves house a collection of locally made Nantucket lightship baskets, seashells, and beach reads.

The palette is so succinct that colors flow seamlessly throughout the great room’s three areas: living, dining, and sitting. On the room’s two sofas, a tawny silk weave is visually reminiscent of burlap–but surprises the touch with smooth softness. Abundant rattan tables stand ready to hold cocktails or an interrupted book.

The expansive kitchen, separated from the great room by a counter bar, mixes the latest conveniences with contemporary design. For cabinetry, the design team chose dove-tailed maple with Quaker styling and bronze knobs to stay true to the simple aesthetic. Stainless steel appliances and chrome fixtures add reflective accents.

George designed four bedrooms in the main house with a family in mind. In the dormerlike space upstairs, a large bedroom is decorated in marsh browns and greens. Adding a touch of the tropics, carved pineapple–a symbol of welcome used throughout the home–cap a king-size leather and raffia bed. A duneside bedroom is dressed in rich tones defined by dark wood blinds. For impact, designer Linda Woodrum placed the bed against the three windows. In the oceanside bedroom, a palm motif reigns. The accent crops up on neutral bedding, lamps, the rug, even the finials on the canopy bed. Silky to the touch, cotton linens layered in complementary tones whisper of island breezes and lazy afternoons.

The upstairs centers on the study/media area. Just off the staircase and accessed by French doors, this “away room,” as George calls it, offers a handsome retreat.

Room for outdoor living at a beach house is essential. Ideally, you need spaces for entertaining, a lounge area to catch rays, shady porches, and quiet corners for naps. George gave the house all these functions with plenty of decking and porches. A deep porch stretches across the front and to a side, screened porch that opens onto the back porch and deck.

The attached guesthouse serves several purposes. Besides privacy for visitors, it gives family members a getaway from the main house. Outfitted with a full bath, galley kitchen, outdoor shower, pullout sofa, skirted dining table, and TV armoire, this cozy space fills all the needs of a complete house.

By Cathy Still Johnson

More information can be found on the Coastal Living website. Don’t forget to see what everyone else is “Hooked On” today!

Happy Friday y’all! Once again, I’m participating in Julia‘s blog party. I know I’ve mentioned it before but I absolutely love her site, Hooked on Houses! Plus, she’s introduced me to other fun sites such as Designing Your Dream Home, Design Ties, and The Devine Home. YAY!

So, today I’m showcasing one of my most favorite of the HGTV dream homes … a beautiful mountain escape built in 2007 in Winter Park, Colorado, and I’m adding it to the “buy me this” list although I’d really rather it not be bought for me but a duplicate built instead so I can customize it a bit more … hee hee.

This place is absolutely gorgeous! Here, below, you can see a few pictures of the living room which is located off the foyer. The living room is two story with a beautiful vaulted ceiling and gigantic stone fireplace.

Don’t you just love the view from the balcony loft above? Those beams are fantastic! From the living room, you walk past the staircase into the kitchen/dining area.

I love how everything is open and flows from one room to the next. The color scheme follows throughout and nothing feels cut off or closed in. Off the back of the house is a dining porch and I just love the table! Talk about outdoorsy … this thing looks like the ultimate in rustic!

Past the dining room you enter the master bedroom. Here you will see how inviting a space can truly be. Normally, vaulted ceilings would make a space like this seem too large and not at all intimate. However, the combination of the canopy bed, the draperies, and the intimate nook by the fireplace help to keep it cozy.

Here, below, I’ve posted a picture of the tub in the master bath. Don’t you just love how they’ve hung that chandelier over with all the votives!?! I think that is a great idea, however, it must be a pain in the butt to light them all.

In the Restoration Hardware catalog I saw something similar where they had pillars that were made to look like candles but it was really a regular light fixture which seems much more practical.

Moving on we make our way upstairs to the landing which features a balcony overlook into the living room and a front porch with quite a view! Upstairs, the home features two more suites with their own bathrooms and a private back porch. These bedrooms can most certainly be arranged as additional master suites.

Last, but not least, we end with another shot of the beautiful front facade on a snowy Colorado day. How gorgeous is that!?! I mean, seriously folks. Someone needs to buy me this!

Okay … let me know your thoughts. Yay or Nay? Would you give an arm or a leg for this lodge or is a beach front cottage more your speed? How about one of both!?! Heck, if we’re dreaming we might as well go all the way, right? Hope y’all have a wonderful weekend planned and don’t forget to check out what everyone else is Hooked On!

*Pictures courtesy of HGTV. I’ve linked to the videos of the home here, here, and here in case you are looking for more info.