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If you are in the market for a new home that you want to design yourself, but want a smaller more affordable home, then a bungalow home is the perfect choice for you. The style of most bungalows is of a smaller stature with less square footage than the average home. A bungalow is the perfect solution for those who live alone or who simply want less area to take care of.

When it comes to designing your bungalow craftsman house plans, keep in mind that most bungalows are one and a half stories. You might consider placing the master bedroom in the downstairs. The second story would hold simply two bedrooms and a bathroom. The second floor could even look down on the first floor if you wish for a more open feel to the smaller area. The downstairs would then house the kitchen, a great room, the laundry room and a powder bath.

Another option that you could consider would be to up the square footage just a little bit. You could put the master bedroom and two more bedrooms on the lower floor. You could then have the kitchen, great room, dining room, laundry room and a main bath on the first floor as well. The second story would be more traditional. The second story would only contain a bonus room of sorts. If you wanted you could even turn this bonus room into a media room. If these floor plans don’t sound appealing, you could always choose to design a coastal cottage house plan instead.

To make your diminutive bungalow appear larger and more inviting you should also considering having a sunroom or large front porch designed into your plans. Either of these options will create an illusion that your home is actually larger than it is, while also adding a touch of relaxation to it as well. A large front porch or sunroom is just what a bungalow style home needs to draw a person’s eye to the dwelling. These features also tend to invite your guests to sit and relax for a spell or two.

If these features aren’t what you are looking for in your new home, then perhaps you should check out some luxury home plan styles. But if a smaller home is exactly what you are looking for, then a bungalow would be a wise choice. A bungalow is small yet elegant and artistic in its’ own unique way. When you are at home in your bungalow you will feel as though it is in fact a home. A bungalow has a way of making the most ordinary of homes feel extraordinary. Sitting down to read the morning’s paper with a cup of coffee will never be the same!

If you are looking for information on bungalow craftsman house plans or coastal cottage house plan, be sure to visit House Plans And More today. House Plans And More also has information on luxury home plan styles as well.

Bungalow house plans are quickly returning as a desired home style. Bungalow house plans originally came from western areas of the United States but quickly drew interest from southern and northern area families. The original bungalow houses were quite small and only a single storey in height. Bungalows often had wide verandas across the front or wrapping around the house providing additional family gathering areas. Today bungalows are still considered to be single stories but may include partial second floors or loft areas.

The popularity of bungalow floor plans is often the result of the desired convenience of having all the main living areas on one floor. In some cases it may be a requirement of necessity as the absence of stairs makes the floor plans well suited to those who are aging, have limited mobility or are confined to a wheelchair.

Bungalow floor plans come in a wide range of sizes from small, compact plans suitable for inner city lots to large, sprawling plans that take advantage of country locations. Therefore bungalows can be considered suitable floor plans for any type of homeowner – young or old, single or married, large families or small.

The smaller bungalow plans will be designed with strict, efficient use of all space as was typical in the original traditional bungalow designs. Simplicity of design is essential in creating a functional small bungalow plan. These plans can provide comfortable living spaces with all the current household conveniences that families are looking for while allowing for an ease of maintenance and smaller lot considerations. Smaller bungalow plans are suitable for individual homeowners or small families. They are often considered as ‘starter’ homes for families but are often found to be so efficiently designed accommodating grown families is possible.

Larger bungalow floor plans have become very popular in recent years. These floor plans provide families with designs that include more elaborate spaces in which to entertain, relax or engage in family activities. Often these larger plans may include separate ‘wings’ to allow for privacy between bedroom areas and active living spaces. Active living spaces may now include mini gyms, game rooms, home theaters and hobby spaces. In areas where construction practices include full basements bungalows with fully developed basement areas are extremely common. This helps to offset the more expensive aspect of bungalow construction. Since bungalows require more foundation and roof area on a per unit basis (per sq.ft, per sq.M) than the same living space in a two storey, bungalows are more expensive to construct. By retaining the convenience of all the daily living spaces on one floor and adding the amenities and/or extra bedrooms in the basement level the footprint can be kept smaller and maintain cost.

Bungalows can be designed in any style of exterior architectural design. Traditional exterior styles will customarily be Craftsman, Prairie, Shingle or Colonial designs. Typically clad in natural materials and finished in earthy color schemes these styles all offer wonderful attributes for a comfortable family home and blend suitably in most surroundings.

Bungalows are also well defined by Modern, Post Modern and International styles of architecture. These styles will consist of strong yet simple forms enhanced with edgy detailing. Finishing materials will be clean and smooth with possible textured or boldly colored accents. These styles offer the discriminating homeowner opportunity to make a contemporary lifestyle statement.

Kathy Evans is the author of DesignerPlans.ca – the first website of it’s kind to host tailored online portfolios of house plans, offer sales material and marketing services for residential builders. Learn more about Bungalow House Plans – Get 3D virtual views, and the opportunity to customize your home plans.