house plans

The Hartford: Traditional Home Plans Perfect for Families

This week’s set of spotlight traditional home plans, the Hartford, are perfect for families because they offer versatility in space usage. With a freestanding studio apartment and a flexible bonus room on the second floor, the Hartford can easily accommodate boomerang children and aging parents. The traditional styling of the Hartford offers the best of several different design trends—Victorian elegance comes to mind when viewing details on the home’s many gables, while the Craftsman movement is also present, represented in sturdy columns and a combination of natural exterior materials. Let’s take a “tour” of this beautiful home.

Upon approach, you notice the two-car garage is set off at an attractive angle. We begin our tour here, walking through the garage to see where it connects through a mud room/utility room to the main section of the home. Walking back out where we came in, we climb an exterior staircase to reach the second story of the garage. Here we find a detached independent living space with plenty of storage, a full bath, and even a kitchen—perfect for an in-home office, playroom, guest accommodations, or independent family members. Having savored this unusual, extremely handy feature, we walk back to the Hartford’s front door.

The home’s formal front entry is through a lovely columned porch. Upon entering, the staircase to the second floor is on your left. To the right: an office with double doors, built-in bookshelves, and a charming window seat. Walking straight ahead, we find ourselves in the gorgeous vaulted great room, which leads through double glass doors to a covered, vaulted outdoor living room with a built-in fireplace. This protected, built-out area will provide the whole family with a connection to nature, all year round. To the left of the great room, the open floor plan leads directly to the dining room and kitchen. The angled kitchen island includes a sink, so the chef will feel included in social goings-on. Two more rooms remains on this level: the master bedroom and bath.

The master bedroom is located next to the great room. This luxurious private retreat has 9-foot ceilings and plenty of natural light. The adjoining master bath features side-by-side twin sinks, a shower as well as an elegant spa tub, a private room for the commode, and a generous walk-in closet.

Ascending the stairs, we find a full bath shared by two bedrooms. A third bonus/attic room can function as a playroom, guest room, office, or recreation/exercise room. All that flexible space will delight parents as well as entrepreneurs—the Hartford would offer enough space to thrill any work-at-home type.

The Hartford is designed to grow with your family—and once your nest is empty, you’ll still enjoy comfortable one-story living, with the master suite on the main floor. These traditional house plans are spacious, cleverly laid out, and perfect for families.

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