Warm & Welcoming
Do you ever walk into a house and it feels stuffy and you’re afraid to sit down and relax? Too ornate? Too formal? There are many gorgeous home designs out there, but far too many come across as cold and sterile. It’s not the style you can imagine relaxing in with your children or grandchildren. There are too many design elements and not enough thought put into practical matters. We’ve been described as “southern comfort with a modern twist,” “HGTV Fabulous,” and “farmhouse-inspired style”... I simply think of it as making homes that are “warm and welcoming.” Family-friendly is important to achieve without giving up style!
Here are some of the “warm and welcoming” features I incorporate into the Dickens Built floorplans:
Front porch style - Come sit a spell! A functional front porch has ample space - perfect to relax, visit with neighbors, and make a welcoming first impression.
Open floor plan - If your kitchen and living room aren’t open for entertaining and optimum family connection, you’re doing it wrong. No one wants to be cut off from friends and family while they’re making a meal. Open floor plans make gathering easy and natural.
Bright natural light - Dark homes are dreary and uninspiring. We always make smart use of bright natural light by carefully considering the home’s position on the lot, window placement, et cetera. Our paint and flooring tones are warm for a clean, calm feeling of peace that keeps you feeling in harmony when you’re home.
Laundry happens - The laundry room is an essential place to get right! Most families with busy lives need an extra-large capacity washer and dryer, plenty of laundry room cabinets, a place to hang things up, and space for a second fridge - as well as a utility sink! This all needs to be close to the kitchen for practicality.
Mudroom - My wife and I have four children! We’re busy! If a home doesn’t have a place to hang up backpacks, coats, and organize all the shoes, it’s a crying shame! I don’t want this pet peeve of mine to become YOUR pet peeve. We’ve thought of everything to be organized, functional, AND stylish. It’s by the garage door and laundry area and you’ll thank me later.
Master bedroom suite you’ll love - You MUST have the perfect place to unwind. The master suite has to be a stylish, tranquil space featuring an extra-large bathroom with smooth and soothing surfaces, a gorgeous shower, a beautiful soaker tub, as well as a huge walk-in closet. Capturing perfect natural light, the right tone and textures, and footprint of your master suite makes it an indulgent space to relax and unwind. In a home with four children, it’s my wife’s “sanity space.”
Storage, storage, storage! The kitchen pantry has to be BIG - enough to handle large families and the enormous amount of snacks for busy families (just ask my wife!). We love to include a butler’s pantry so you have space to store the special serving pieces, china, and silver (as well as those extra household appliances you might use occasionally but don’t want to clutter up the counters!) Everyone loves the walk-in attic space we take pride in, too! The flooring is durable and secure and there’s enough room for all the Holiday decorations and out of season clothes (or keepsakes from high school or that beer stein collection your wife won’t let you put on display!).
No matter what your design style, we’re working hard to build homes that you truly fall deeply, madly in love with. It’s not a house to us - it’s a HOME we’re building that should warmly welcome you and your family every time you walk through the door.
-Chris