French Style One Story

What stands out about the exterior of this house is its intentional simplicity. Not everyone wants a lot of detailing on the outside, preferring understatement to making a statement. The front and back sloping roof and roof materials give it a French look and feel, but we bet one wouldn’t see many 3–car garages in the French countryside!

When you enter the house, a wide arched opening supported by columns provides access to the dining room. Another arched opening allows the dining room to be visually open to the living spaces of the house while still being clearly defined. An angled cased opening on the left provides access to the living room. Like the dining room and most of the other spaces in the house the ceiling in the living room is set at a lofty 10′. Also like the dining room, there are arched windows providing natural light and views, although instead of just a single wide one there are a trio of windows beneath the arch.

The family room, kitchen and nook are all open to each other, but they are separated visually by changing ceiling heights. The family room is vaulted, with the ceiling following the lines of the roof, while the ceiling in the nook is 10′ high and in the kitchen it’s 9′ high. The family room has four windows facing the rear, and a fireplace that can be enjoyed in all three spaces of the house.

The kitchen is separated from the family room by a three–sided peninsula counter with a raised counter for casual dining or serving along the outer edge. A pair of sinks in the middle allows the person who’s doing the dishes after a meal to enjoy the activity in the rest of the house, as well as a fire in the fireplace. There’s a walk–in pantry in one corner, and a cased opening provides easy access to the dining room. Sliding glass doors in the nook open to the back yard, where a deck could be easily added for outdoor dining.

A hall between the living room and the kitchen brings you to the master suite. The master bedroom has a coffered ceiling that rises to 10′ in the middle. Sliding glass doors provide light and rear views along with access to the back yard (or patio), and there are two additional windows near the corners. A pocket door opens to the master bath and a very large walk–in closet beyond it. The bath features a soaking tub beneath a wide window as well as a shower, two vanities, and a private toilet.

On the other side of the house there are two additional bedrooms that share a full bath. There’s a skylight above the hall that leads to both bedrooms, and there are built–in cabinets on either side of the fireplace bump–out. There’s also a laundry room in this part of the house, and a set of pull–down stairs in the laundry provides access to attic storage. A door next to the laundry opens to the three–car garage. There’s room for a small workshop in the garage, where another door opens to the rear of the house.

Please Note:
Due to licensing agreements, this house cannot be constructed within El Dorado County, California.