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Well, the kitchen depicted when Doc and Marty went 30 years "Back to the Future" (circa 2015, predicted in 1985), complete with hydrating pizza oven, voice activated roof mounted fruit bowl and dodgy virtual window display seems to be a bit far off the mark, but I wonder if those creative guys over at IKEA will be any nearer with their vision of the future (circa 2040)? The 3D food printer certainly seems intriguing, as does the self-cleaning kitchen countertop. Hope it doesn't clean away my sandwich while I'm still making it!! I guess if it does, I can just print another one, right?

Increasing incentives and product options abound, so solar thermal water heaters offer one of the fastest paybacks in the solar world. Of the may types available, implementing different technologies, one of my favorites continues to be vacuum tube type systems, like this kit from Kingspan.

I was recently at a meeting between local leaders, discussing how the newly released National Green Building Standard (NGBS) fits in with existing state and city level green building programs and incentives. There were a number of interested parties involved, including builders, designers, local utility companies, performance testers, city departments and state non-profits. I was extremely happy that we had such a wide range of perspectives present; the conversation was most interesting and I’d like to quickly share some of the thoughts that came from the group.

Places to work and play. Bedrooms for the whole family. Areas to welcome guests. Nooks to retreat to. Spaces for storage. All the pieces needed to create an elegant-yet-comfortable family home perfectly fit together in this design.

A simple glossary of terms used throughout houseplans.co, all related to construction and home building. Interested in more construction information? Check out our blog pages!

Each set of home plans that Houseplans.co offers will provide you with all the necessary information to build your home. Our plans come detailed to meet the latest International Residential Code, and include gravity loading calcs and beam specifications as needed for the home's design.

Taking the road less traveled may not be easy, but in the end it’s much more worthwhile. Just ask homeowners Don and Sheri Thompson, who spent five painstaking years building their one-of-a-kind custom home in Washington.

When plans for remodeling their historic home proved beyond their reach, Annette and Charles Chapman built an updated Arts and Crafts-inspired home that allowed them to have the amenities they desired while staying in the neighborhood they loved.

No doubt, some of the most interesting pages for you in your blueprints will be the floor plans. But to understand them, you will need to decipher the numbers and symbols that provide the keys to what they say. First, floor plans — and all of the other drawings in a set of blueprints.

Every person has his or her own idea of what a dream home really is, so designing and building a custom home is a very personal decision. Paul Beaudoin is a general contractor in Raleigh, and the owner of Lifestyle Building & Remodeling Co. Inc.. According to him, whatever a homeowner's dream may be, it is the contractor's job to turn it into reality.

Short sale marketing can be a tough call for an in experienced person. He/she may even be bombarded with informative tips and suggestions from friends and well-wishers. To generate great short sale marketing leads one need to put their myriad ideas into action.

You want a builder that has experience. Things come up during construction and you want to make sure your builder has the experience or knowledge to deal with. Make sure the builder you choose has the ability to build the type of construction you are looking for. Look for a builder that has a proven track record, professional business approach, technical skills and the knowledge.

Create large spaces in smaller homes. Break down walls and open up communication. Maximize your home’s natural cooling and heating properties to lower your bills and minimize your environment footprint. With an open floor plan, separate living and dining areas coalesce into one unified space, which encourages connection and makes compact homes — from remodels to cutting edge “green” bungalows — surprisingly roomy.

Alan Mascord Design Associates took part in the 30th Northwest Natural Street of Dreams, with two homes that depict contrasting styles. The contemporary Prairie style features a dramatic 75 foot long skylight, and the traditional East Coast Shingle style, reminiscent of a Long Island vacation home, incorporates more traditional and formal detailing. Both homes were designed by AMDA Design Director Eric Schnell.

Textured walls, worn stone, distressed finishes, wrought iron and colors of cream, deep brown, burnt orange, burgundy and navy blue bring Old World style to the everyday, modern kitchen. Hoods, ranges, sinks, backsplashes and countertops usher in the latest innovative kitchen technology with rustic flair. Placing stone alongside dark woodwork, barn-door inspired cabinetry and the most recent, sleek subzero appliances brings an air of antiquity to a fully equipped cooking space, set to fulfill even the most discerning chef's needs.

Over the years we have had many requests for Arts and Crafts-style houses, both from our custom design and stock plan businesses. Much like the philosophy that drove the original Arts and Crafts movement, you’ll discover that each of these designs honors the philosophy of design and building that make Arts and Crafts-style houses so beloved today.

This is an example of the embedded search pages that Mascord Partner Program Members can put in their own websites.

We occasionally hold competitions, prize draws, or giveaways for products and services we offer. In the event of such an event, these are the basic rules for participation:

Had Nietzsche boasted a great room of his own, perhaps the philosopher would have written such an architectural assertion in place of his oft-quoted theological one. The great room, frequently as grand as its name suggests, eliminates the need for a separate living room by revolutionizing the traditional home layout, bringing a sense of grandeur and togetherness to a home of any size.

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