Celebrating National Grilling Month: Top Ten Great Grilling Plans - Part 2

So, the heat index yesterday was 108 degrees F, for our international friends that’s 42 degrees C. It was stifling. The afternoon ended with an epic thunderstorm that rattled windows and blew the tops of the trees around magnificently. I think I have digressed, though. The point I was making was that it was way too hot to cook inside. So, what’s a mom and wife supposed to do? Get out the grill! We’re eating al fresco! (Does a couple of lawn chairs and some paper plates count as al fresco?)

July is National Grilling Month and here at Nelson Design Group we are celebrating with the house plans that have the best grilling porches. Part 1 featured 5 great plans that each have a great outdoor space to entertain. This is Part 2 with 5 more plans to give you that backyard barbeque space that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Ambrose Boulevard (NDG 844)

This lovely home is a great one to start out our Top Five list. This 2,400 square foot home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths gives you everything that you will need. This home also offers a 2-car garage. As you enter the home through the large covered porch you step into the foyer. On your right you see the Dining Room that gives you ample space to entertain.

Moving through the foyer and the 5-foot arched opening you find yourself in the central hallway of the home. The Great Room is right before you and features a brickwork fireplace with a media center and built in shelving on either side. On the right side of the great room you see the bar seating for the kitchen area which gives you 4 place settings. The kitchen is separated from the Great Room by this divide.

The Kitchen features a large pantry and an L-shaped countertop that gives you lots of counter space. The Breakfast Room gives you a place for informal dining and for those first cups of coffee in the Morning. The Great Room has large French doors and windows that open up onto a Grilling Porch. The Breakfast Nook can access it as well.

Returning to the main hallway, you can make your way to the Garage, Laundry Room with built-in space for hanging clothes, the half bath and the Kid’s Nook/Mudroom. If you go back to the Great Room, you will find the entrance to the Master Suite.

Adjacent to the Master Bedroom is a small Office/Computer area that will give you space to do business and check emails. The Master Bathroom has a whirlpool tub and a walk-in shower as well as access to the large walk in closet. The second floor gives you Bedrooms 2, 3 and 4 with another bathroom. It also gives you a Computer Center that is perfect for the kids to do homework. The hallway between the rooms doubles as a balcony and overlooks the Great Room below.

The Andrew (NDG 1400)

This Traditional Style Home is 2,000 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. This home also features a 2 car Garage for all of your vehicular needs. As you enter the home through the covered front porch with the beaded ceiling you find yourself in the grand foyer. The foyer features a 12-foot ceiling that gives your home character and makes any room feel larger. To your right is the Dining Room where the ceiling drops to a modest 10-foot-high and features a large picture window facing the front of your home.

To the left of the foyer you find the half bath. This is perfect for your guests or if you have small children. Straight ahead of the foyer is a large hallway that connects the rest of the home. Immediately across from the foyer is the Great Room featuring a vaulted ceiling and a brickwork fireplace. The Great Room also has a bank of windows facing the rear of the home and showing the view of the Screened Grilling Porch. The Screened Grilling Porch has beaded ceilings and a corner outdoor fireplace making it the coziest porch in the neighborhood.

The Great Room leads you to the Breakfast Room and Kitchen Area. The Kitchen features bar seating for 6 and parallel countertops giving you plenty of space to work. Returning to the hallway and continuing to the left you find Bedrooms 2 and 3 that share the Jack and Jill bathroom, the Laundry Area, the stairway to the upper floor and the Garage.

Stepping back into the hallway and moving past the Great Room on the left you will find the Master Suite. The Master Suite features a Master Bedroom with 10-foot boxed ceilings. It also features a Master Bath with his and hers sinks a whirlpool tub, shower and an absolutely massive walk-in closet.

The second floor is all bonus room to be used however you see fit. This home is ideal for families and it’s not hard to see why it is one of most popular plans.

Adirondack Place (MEN 5025)

This beautiful home gives you over 2,000 square feet of living area with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. This home features timber trusses, a metal roof and a gorgeous stone lining the outside. Coming in from the entryway you enter an open floor plan with a Great Room, Dining Room and Kitchen area. The Great Room features a large stonework fireplace and gives the whole area a warm cozy feel. The Kitchen features a large high bar with room for four to sit comfortably while entertaining.

As you move down the hall from the open area you take a turn into the Master Suite with its adjoining Master Bath. The Master Suite features vaulted ceilings while the Master Bath gives you an enormous walk in shower. The walk-in closet is accessed through the bathroom. No more hunting for clothes with wet dripping hair. Just outside of the Master Suite is a laundry area and the half bath. The half bath is convenient to both the kitchen and the bedroom areas.

Moving down the hall you find Bedroom 2 and 3. The bedrooms both feature a closet with a sliding barn door to give you that country feel. They also feature a window seat, not just in both bedrooms, but in the hallway as well. These window seats give you a comfy place to read or listen to music and enjoy the scenery on those days when you just don’t want to go outside. Both bedrooms also have access to an adjoining bathroom. The first floor is completed by a grilling porch just outside of the Great Room.

The basement, which is accessed by the stairs located between the Master Suite and Kitchen, opens up into a large Game Room with an attached full bath with a walk-in shower. A covered porch gives you the perfect place to sit in the shade on those super-hot summer days. Space for a refrigerator and sink makes this the perfect multi use space.

Kalie’s Place (MEN 5077)

These 1,400 square foot home features 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. A 2-car garage gives you plenty of space to shelter your vehicles from the weather. This plan was built by one of our recommended builders and they provided us with gorgeous photos of the finished home.

The home is fronted by a large covered porch that opens into the Foyer. This is actually one large room that encompasses the Foyer, Great Room, Kitchen and Dining Area. The Great Room part of the space features a fireplace and large windows facing the covered porch. The Kitchen and Dining Area feature an island with seating for 4 and an entrance to the Grilling Porch on the rear of the home.

As you move down the hall into the rest of the home you will find the Laundry Room and the hall bathroom which is shared by the 2 smaller bedrooms. These bedrooms, however, feature their own walk-in closets. The Master Suite features a boxed ceiling, access to its own private bathroom and two walk-in closets, one for him and one for her. The garage which is accessed through the Laundry Room also has a storage area and a place for the water heater.

Stone Brook (NDG 422)

This rustic little beauty features 1,400 square feet of living space with 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths. As you come into the home from the covered front porch you find yourself in a large Great Room which features a stonework fireplace. From the Great Room you can walk immediately into one of the bedrooms which has its own bathroom and access to the large Grilling Porch on the rear of the home. The Grilling Porch features a cleaning table with its own sink. These make this plan perfect for those who love to fish and hunt.

Moving from the Grilling Porch, you find your way in the Kitchen. The Kitchen features room for a pantry as well as for a small laundry area with a stacked washer and dryer. I had an apartment once that had the laundry area set up like that. It was incredibly convenient to be able to gather the laundry and throw it in and keep it running while I was cooking. (I spend a LOT of time cooking, FYI.)

The kitchen features lots of counter space with a bar area for seating 4. The Breakfast Room butts up against the Kitchen and has a lovely window seat giving you a place to sit and look out on your property out of three windows. Moving upstairs, you find Bedroom number 2 with sloped ceilings. I used to have dreams as a kid of having a room with sloped ceilings. It just seemed so cool to me to be that close to the roof when it rained. This bedroom features a window that has its own dormer. Can you just imagine having a small writing desk there?

The second floor also features a sleeping loft/office area with built in bookshelves and window seat facing a large picture window. The Sleeping Loft is open to the Great Room below so even if you are working on something, you can still keep an eye on what’s going on in the main portion of the house. This plan gives you plenty of windows to enjoy the beauty of the land around you.

Maybe you're looking for something in particular? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Come check out Nelson Design Group’s collection of over 1,800 house plans. And come check out the past blog posts in our house plan series:

• Farmhouse style
• Farmhouse House Plans
• Contemporary Modern style
• Contemporary Modern House Plans
• Rustic Style
• Rustic House plans
• Mountain and Cabins House Style
• Mountain and Cabin House Plans
• Examining House Styles: Pool Houses
• House Plan Spotlight: Pool Houses
• Examining House Styles: The Florida Collection
• House Plan Spotlight: The Florida Collection
• Outdoor Buildings: Garages and Pool Houses

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