The Florence Cottage House Plan: A Perfect Family Home

When someone mentions the word “cottage,” the frequent assumption is that the home will be too confined for comfort. However, our current house plan of the week, the Florence, is a set of small cottage house plans that feel spacious. Think cozy, not cramped. You’ll see what we mean as we take an imaginative tour of these house plans.
“Cottage” refers to a home of modest size, at least in the U.S. Appropriately, as we walk up to the Florence, you’ll notice that the home doesn’t take up too much space – its overall dimensions are 40 feet wide by 47 feet deep. Still, the home packs a host of wonderful features into a small footprint. Three roof peaks add interest to the home’s façade. On the left: a two car garage. On the right: a columned covered porch. Right in the middle is the front door, which leads into the combined great room, dining and kitchen area. An open floor plan helps the communal living area feel expansive. The kitchen is on the right, toward the front of the home; you might imagine washing dishes at the sink while keeping an eye on the young ones playing in the front yard. The U-shaped counters are extended on one side to create a convenient bar-level dining space. A built-in pantry helps keep the counters clutter-free.

The dining room, adjacent to the kitchen, has two large windows onto the side yard. It is open to the great room, which has sliding doors to a covered patio facing the backyard, and graced with a column. A corner fireplace adds elegance to the great room; a facing set of stairs leads to the second story. But let’s continue our tour of the ground floor before venturing upstairs.

Directly opposite the dining room is a hallway leading past a convenient half-bath, the doorway to the garage and, at the end of the hall, a utility room with washer and dryer.  Finally, on the right side of this hallway is the vaulted master bedroom and bath, found in the right rear of the home. You’ll love the master bedroom’s double doors, natural light and vaulted ceiling. The bathroom suite here includes a walk-in shower, twin sinks and a large walk-in closet.

As we return to the great room and climb the stairs, you’ll appreciate that one side of this floor is open to the floor below, adding another layer of spaciousness. The loft area at the top of the stairs here is open to the great room below; this would make a great office or guest room – or a fourth bedroom. The other two bedrooms on this floor face the street, each with a generous closet and a large window. This floor also contains a linen closet and a bath with a shower/tub.

They say good things come in small packages; this is certainly true of the Florence house plans. “Cottage” may describe this home’s style, but it doesn’t fully express how roomy it feels to its occupants. If you’re looking for a compact home that will be inexpensive to heat and friendly for the environment but still require an airy, flowing floor plan, the Florence could be your best bet.

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