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House Plan J-92100 Customer Testimonials
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Owner-specific modifications:
Eliminated front porch railing
Turned bedroom near foyer into parlor and removed wall to foyer, creating open feel
Eliminated one set of French doors in family room and made remaining two sets larger
Extended family room two feet
Added raised hearth to family room's fireplace
Eliminated window overlooking porch in breakfast nook
Finished upper floor and created den, TV/game room and two bedrooms
Nashville, Tenn., is home to a stunning structure—a fine example of craftsmanship, architecture and beauty. No, we're not talking about the Grand Old Opry. It is the charming one-story home belonging to Ron and Phyllis Swanson. The Swansons' home is located on the outskirts of the famous "Music City," and it is a shining example of the versatility of an expandable one-story home.
The Swansons, who met while in college at Middle Tennessee State University, had been looking for a new home for quite a while. The home they were living in at the time was a two-story condo with all the bedrooms upstairs and the living area downstairs. This proved to be inconvenient, as they found themselves constantly running up and down the stairs for various reasons. With their three children—two sons and a daughter—grown, they were looking for a home with a more convenient layout and a master suite on the main floor.
The couple searched the homes for sale in the area and were unsuccessful. Since they were unable to find anything that suited them on the market, they decided to build their own home. "We knew what we wanted and what we didn't," explained Ron, who works for the police department. Phyllis, who works for a stockbroker, actually drew up a plan herself and brought it to an architect to have blueprints made. The blueprints were in the works when the Swansons received some unexpected news—their daughter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The Swansons scrapped their drawings and decided to start over. This time, they were looking for a home plan that had a master suite, as well as a second bedroom, on the main floor. That way, if their daughter ever needed to live with them, she would have the convenience of stair-free living.
They found just the home they were looking for in Plan J-92100, which was featured in their newspaper as the Associated Press House of the Week. The country-style home had what they wanted in a master suite, as well as not one, but two, secondary bedrooms on the main floor. An expansive future area lay upstairs, creating many options for finishing off down the road. As for the exterior, a deck, a trio of pretty dormers, and front and back porches made for a charming appearance. The Swansons were sold!
While the home was exactly what they wanted, the Swansons still wanted to make a few modifications to personalize the plan. One change they made to the exterior was to leave the railing off the front porch, emphasizing the stately columns—built by Ron—which offer an elegant welcome to visitors.
As one enters the home, one immediately notices the beautiful hardwood floors, which were done by Phyllis and her son. The bedroom just off the foyer was turned into a parlor. The Swansons removed the wall shared with the foyer, so that the foyer opens right into the parlor now overlooked by the staircase.
Just ahead, at the heart of the home, lies the cozy family room. The Swansons decided two sets of French doors were plenty, so they eliminated the third set that the original plans called for. The remaining two sets were made larger. The family room was also extended two feet to create a little more space, and the fireplace's hearth was raised up a bit.
The family room is open to the home's charming kitchen. While most of the main-floor living areas are painted a creamy off-white, the kitchen enjoys a lovely dark green color, which is highlighted by the light-colored cupboards and marble countertops. Steps away, the cheery breakfast nook shares the kitchen's dark green color and enjoys windows looking out to the backyard. The window overlooking the porch was eliminated and the Swansons instead added a beautiful hutch piece.
The spacious master suite is bathed in lots of light, thanks to a trio of windows overlooking the backyard. Two closets offer the Swansons plenty of extra storage space, while the posh private bath features a soothing garden tub, a separate shower and a handy dual-sink vanity. The Swansons enjoy the main-floor location of the master suite and its convenience for daily living.
The remaining bedroom is perfect for guests. A soothing blue covers the walls, and a charming window seat, which the Swansons added, welcomes you to sit in the sunlight with a good book.
Since the upper-floor future area was undesigned, the possibilities for finishing it were endless! The Swansons didn't have immediate plans for the space, since everything they needed was on the main floor. However, they worked on it "day by day," figuring out bedrooms and the overall layout. They ended up finishing the entire upper floor in no time, creating two bedrooms, a den and a TV area. Now the space is perfect for extra guests at holiday time or for when the Swansons' children visit. The vastness of the upper floor offers spaciousness as well as privacy. And while the Swansons admit they don't use the space frequently, it is nice to have the extra living space when they do need it. This home is a great example of how a one-story home can live as a two-story home.
When asked what the Swansons like best about their home,
Phyllis offers a simple answer: "We have everything we need on the first floor." Ron chimes in, "I like the openness. I like the rear deck and the [master] bath."
The Swansons even enjoyed the process of building their home and agreed on most of the decisions during construction. According to Ron, "People told us if you have a good marriage, you won't when you're done building. We will fight over a glass of water, but we've never fought about this house!"
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