Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time to kick back and relax. Enjoy some swimming. Slather on the sunblock. Drink some of those fancy coconut drinks with the little umbrellas. It’s that time of year when we all start having dreams of Florida and the beautiful sandy beaches. So, let’s look at some plans that are so perfect for The Sunshine State that we named the collection after them. One thing you have to remember about Florida and the house designs that are created and built in the area

Warm sand, palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze, the smell of coconuts and suntan oil; who wouldn’t want to live in a beach paradise? On the East Coast, Florida is the prime beach location. It’s warm for most of the year, its mostly surrounded by the ocean and it only occasionally gets the horrific weather. Wouldn’t you just love to build a home in Florida? Yeah, me too. There’s just one minor problem. I have way too much family in this part of the world to uproot and go to Florida just to be

This week is Outdoor Living Week and I’ve shown you some great house plans that give you a wonderful space and some great grilling gadgets. But what if you aren’t in the market for a new house and you don’t have a nice place to grill? Well, we can fix that. Grab your tools and let’s build us a deck! Building a deck is a relatively simple process. Basically, if you know how to use hand tools and a measuring tape, you can build just about anything. So, we’re going to walk through the basic proces

I don’t think it is any coincidence that Father’s Day is in the middle of June and that June is when you really start grilling out. So in honor of Father’s Day, I went and found 20 of the coolest grill gadgets. Some of them I have seen before, some we actually own ourselves and some just make me go “Oh that’s cool!" And all of these products are available with Amazon Prime shipping so if you have prime, you can get it delivered in two days. The pictures are links that will take you directly to A

Well summer is in full swing and that can only mean two things; mosquitos and oppressive heat. No, wait that wasn’t what I meant to write. I meant to say Father’s Day and Cookouts! Yes! Father’s Day is right around the corner kids and I hope that you have that perfect gift picked out for dad. And what do dads like to do? Grill out and give you unnecessary advice. So let’s celebrate dad this week with our Outdoor Living Week! Starting with some house plans that make you want to slap some hot dogs

This year is shaping up to be both dangerous and deadly. So far this year there have been over 1,000 preliminary reports of tornadoes in the United States alone. Of that number, nearly 800 have been confirmed. In those storms, 38 people lost their lives. There have been at least 4 confirmed EF4 tornadoes in 4 different locations. Let’s keep us all safe this year, ok? Severe Weather The majority of the United States is at risk for severe weather. There are very few places where you can live that

In 1993, there was an historic flood throughout the Mississippi Delta and its tributaries. I was a child at the time, but I remember hearing my parents talking about the river rising and the chances of the levee breaking. I didn’t understand what was really going on at the time, but I remember that we took steps both at home and at school to be prepared for if the flood came. We were spared that year but thousands had their lives ruined. Forecasters are saying that this year may be the year that

With the temperatures rising and the days getting longer, swimming is just too much of a temptation to be ignored. A relaxing dip in a cool pool, lake or river is perfect for these hot summer days. But a relaxing day can turn tragic in an instant. Death due to drowning claims over 3,500 people per year. And to make it worse, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under 5. As a mother of 2 beautiful little girls, I never want to see anything bad happen to a child. So let’s tal

Summer is here! The kids are out of school and the temperatures are skyrocketing. It’s time to uncover the pool and get it ready. Maybe this year you won’t have one of the kids tromping through the house with wet feet and walking all over your carpets. Or maybe you won’t have the pile of soggy clothes sitting in the laundry room smelling faintly of chlorine and sunscreen. Who are we kidding? You need a pool house. Luckily, Nelson Design Group has several pool house plans to fit any budget and an

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It is also the day when many of the pools and swimming areas open officially for the season. What’s more iconic in summer than relaxing next to a pool or swimming in its cool depths? Honestly, it’s one of the things I look forward to every year. I have great memories of swimming in the summers. Rivers, lakes, creeks; it didn’t really matter to me where we swam as long as it was cool and we were able to splash around. My favorite place to swim, t

The temperatures are warming up and summer activities are gearing up for their return to popularity. Public pools will open up soon, despite the snow that was dropped on the northern states recently. And while I’m writing this, my oldest child is attending her last day of school. It’s time to get the family together for all of those great summertime activities: swimming, water play, throwing water balloons, and pouring foundations. Featured house plan is our La Maison Point (SMN 1022). Now tha

The birds are chirping, the weathers warming up and the sounds of lawn mowers and weed whackers fill the air of the nation’s neighborhoods. It’s spring and that means that it’s time to get out side. It’s time to plant the garden, get the lawn under control and build a house. Well, that escalated quickly. Featured plan is The Andrew (NDG 1400). Spring is the busiest time of year for builders and the companies that support them. The lumber yards are hustling and bustling. The concrete companies ar

When you think of a cabin, there are many images that come to mind. For some, it is a log cabin in the woods with tall trees surrounding it and smoke creeping from the chimney. For others, it’s a fishing cabin on the shores of a lake with the sound of birds rustling and fog coming off the water. For many, it’s the image of a getaway home on a river with the white water rushing past wearing the rocks along the way. Whatever your definition of cabin is, we have the perfect plans for you. The plan

There is nothing quite like the view from the top of a mountain. The sky seems so close, like you could reach up and scoop the clouds up in your hands. The rivers seem so far below you, like they are a still life painting. The breeze is slightly cooler and the air is just a little cleaner. You can almost taste the sunshine because you are the first one it touches. It makes you feel alive. That’s where the inspirations for the Mountain Style homes come from. I haven’t traveled much so I haven’t s

So you’re thinking about building a house. You have certain things in mind for your dream home. This many bedrooms, that many bathrooms, the Great Room looks like this, etc. So you’re looking through house plan after house plan, website after website and you’re just not seeing what you need. You even called that friend that your granddad recommended that used to build houses and he couldn’t find you one. Don’t despair! We can help. House plan featured above is our Belle Maison (SMN 1011). Here