As our series on ‘Study of Home: Special Places’ comes to a close with this week’s post, I am a bit surprised! Through helping my parents build their house years ago I knew there were a lot of decisions to make, like bedroom/bathroom placement, open floor plan, etc., but at the time I never really thought about the “why”? I just assumed it was more about fitting everything into the space provided. But now I know there really is a good reason for proper placement. And, the reason my parents designed their house that way – they were planning for future expansion, like a sunroom!
This last Special Place focuses on the ‘Use However you Choose’ spaces. Two areas you’ll typically see are the finished room over the garage (F.R.O.G.) and a loft space. The F.R.O.G. is usually labeled as a future expansion or unfinished area. Some designs offer quite a bit of space, such as our Kenton plan (#6734, featured), which offers 497 sq. ft. of unfinished space that could be used as a loft as well as a F.R.O.G. space of 323 sq. ft.
F.R.O.G.s are generally deep rooms that run the full length of the garage. Their naturally sloping ceilings provide a charming atmosphere similar to a finished attic. Because of their separation from the rest of the house, they work well as an apartment for an older child, an artist’s studio, a media center, or a relaxing space to ‘get away’ (see last week’s post).
Great rooms with soaring ceilings have made lofts a popular addition to many homes. With their open, airy space, dramatic views, and semi-private seclusion, lofts offer interesting architecture and unique ambiance. Highly adaptable, they can be used as home offices, guest bedrooms, play areas, or cozy lounge/hang-out spots.
The Clairborne (plan #24034, above) is a two-story design with the bedrooms on the upper level. The loft space is strategically placed between the two rooms, creating an ideal spot for older children/teens to gather – semi-private, yet open for parental supervision.
An unfinished area is your blank canvas – how you finish the space is up to you! I hope you have enjoyed learning more about ‘Special Places’ and started thinking about how you could incorporate them into your new home design. Use our Plan Search feature to find the home design with that ‘Special Place’ to call your own!
