This week the weather has been positively nasty. It's been cold, wet and it just won't stop raining. I'm hoping that next week that silly groundhog doesn't see his shadow and that we can get spring in here a bit sooner. That would be so nice. Warm breezes, the sun warming your face, being able to wear flip flops and roll the windows down on the car. Ah... It will be glorious. Until then, let's look at some great new plans. That should cheer us up. Whispering Winds (MEN 5236) This is one of

We love when we get to release new plans! Sometimes we get to that pretty often. Sometimes it takes a little while for them to be finished. Luckily, I have several new ones that I get to show off this week! So, here are some great new plans for you to feast your eyes on. Loftin Place (MEN 5221) This lovely one-story farmhouse style house plan by award winning designer Michael E. Nelson has everything that you would ever want in your dream home. With just under 2,000 square feet of living s

For years, I resisted setting up my Google assistant on my phone. I always thought of it as something that would be listening to everything that I said and did and be kind of invasive. Recently, I found myself needing a pair of extra hands. So, I set up my Google assistant on my phone and started using it for tons of different things. I didn’t realize how many different tasks that little program can do. Did you know that you can now install things that are controlled by your assistant or Siri to

As the new decade beckons, we find ourselves looking at trends that are going to be the new norm. Last year was the year of the modern farmhouse and that idea has reigned supreme for several years now. Now we are looking for something a bit more complicated. One of the newest trends in home design and house planning is not a style or a type of house, but rather a feature that is being sought after. People are looking for a large, efficient kitchen so that they can make their gourmet dreams a rea

Now that the new decade is beginning its time for some changes. Time to break out the old exercise equipment and get started on those new year’s resolutions. Time to get fit and to make sure we drink enough water. I’m going to get started on that as soon as I finish browsing these awesome house plans. Seriously, though, this year I think the trends are going to expand on a couple of things from the last few years. One of those is a “Drop Zone" type of area. A drop zone is basically a place where

From eye catching chevron patterns in every color of the rainbow to the minimalist movement inspired by the Scandinavian winters, this decade has been a blur of interior decorating trends. While I think that the decade will be remember more for the Modern Farmhouse movement and the resurgence of the Mid-Century aesthetic, there were many other phases and styles that came through during this time. Early 2010’s During the early part of the decade, the interior design industry found itself in a bi

Another decade has come and gone, and time marches on. This decade has seen some remarkable trends take shape. Trends with home design are no different. These past few years we’ve had almost two completely opposite trends come into focus when it comes to house plans and home design. On the one hand we have the Modern Farmhouse look. This style is very down to Earth and almost rustic. On the other hand, we have the Contemporary Modern look. While this style was very popular in the 1950’s and 1960

This year marks the end of another decade and we’ve had so many things happen over the last ten years. Home design is no different. Ten years ago, we would have never guessed what would end up being the most popular trends. One of those trends from the last decade was the modern farmhouse. In both home design and interior design, the modern farmhouse trend has skyrocketed, and it doesn’t look like its going to be coming back down to earth any time soon. Thanks to people like Chip and Jo Gaines a

When you think of a classic, you think of something that is timeless. You start thinking about things that tend to be made simply, but well. A good hamburger and fries. A simple black dress and flats. A nice rain coats. These things are things that we know are going to be something that people are always going to need and actually want to buy. Craftsman-bungalow house plans are exactly like that. They are made with simple lines and built to last. With classic items, it is always easy for them t

There are certain things that will never go out of style. A diamond solitaire, a string of pearls, proper use of “please and thank you", etc. I would hazard that a good craftsman-bungalow house plan may be one of those things. There are homes that were built in the early part of the last century from kits that are still standing and still looking great! So, what makes these houses last so long? What has made them stand up to the test of time? Is it the simple lines and hardy exterior materials?

One of the things that I enjoy the most about writing the blogs is getting to do loads of research. I’m a history buff and I also love random trivia, so getting to find out new things about a wide range of topics is perfect for me. We have a unique opportunity right now to look at history from a different perspective. I love that exactly 100 years ago, it was the roaring 20’s. When you look at house plans from the 1920’s, one of the types that tended to stand out was the craftsman-bungalow style

Happy New Year! I have a feeling that 2020 is going to be a great year. It’s going to be a year of change, self-reflection and success. Speaking of success, if you want a successful build this year now is THE time to buy your house plans. It can take more than 3 months to move from the planning stage of a build to the actual building stage. This means that if you want to get the build started in early summer, you need to have that plan purchased and ready to go very, very soon. Here at Nelson D

Is it just me or did 2019 seem to just fly by? New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching, and I don’t have anything ready. Of course, we don’t ever actually plan to do anything, but it would be nice if these holidays would quick sneaking up on me. The more important thing to consider this time of year is that it’s THE time to buy your house plan if you want to build this year. If you are in the market for building a home, then you have probably run into one of the biggest hurdles of picking out a ho

Christmas is always such a hectic time of year. We hustle and bustle until the actual day of and then we finally have time to spend with our loved ones. We usually spend the weekend before or the weekend after Christmas traveling to see our extended family. We would just host them at our house, but it’s a bit on the small side. If you’re like us, you wish you could have a bigger home or maybe one closer to the family. Maybe one of these new plans will inspire you to have you a new home for the n

Christmas time is here! Finally! I absolutely love this time of year. There is always so much joy and anticipation surrounding it and when it finally gets here, you just want to settle in and enjoy all of the fun that can be had. I know I still have a ton to do at home but let’s take a look at some new house plans that could be your home for the holidays next year. Homes for the Holidays – New House Plans Whispering Winds (MEN 5236) This is one of the newest plans by award winning designe