Design & Layout

Guides on house plans, building costs, permits, materials and energy efficiency, with plans you can buy today.

Design & Layout · 10 min read Upstairs or Main-Floor Laundry? How to Place the Laundry Room in a Two-Story Home Most two-story buyers ask this question: should the washer and dryer sit next to the bedrooms or by the mudroom? Here is how to decide, and what an upstairs laundry needs to be built right. Read more → Design & Layout · 7 min read Center-Hall Colonial vs. Ranch: Why the Two-Story Box Still Wins in the Northeast Half the foundation and half the roof for the same living space: here is how the center-hall Colonial stacks up against a ranch, and how modern plans open up the back of the house without losing the classic front. Read more → Design & Layout · 10 min read In-Law Suite House Plans: Private Entrance, Kitchenette and Main-Floor Living A guest room at the end of the hall is not an in-law suite. Here is what makes a multigenerational home work day to day, how zoning treats a second kitchen, and where the suite fits best: a main-floor wing, a lower level, or over the garage. Read more → Design & Layout · 8 min read Scullery, Butler's Pantry or Walk-In Pantry: Which Back Kitchen Fits Your House Plan? An open kitchen only stays clean if the mess has somewhere else to go. Here is how a walk-in pantry, a butler's pantry and a full scullery differ in space, cost, plumbing and placement. Read more → Design & Layout · 7 min read Master on Main: Two-Story House Plans with a Main-Floor Primary Suite Kids upstairs, owners downstairs: the "master on main" two-story is one of the most requested layouts in new construction. Here is what it costs, how it appraises, and how to plan stairs, laundry and HVAC. Read more → Design & Layout · 7 min read Split-Bedroom Ranch House Plans: A Checklist Before You Pick Your Layout Putting the primary suite on the far side of the great room is one of the most popular moves in American ranch plans. Here is how to check whether a split-bedroom layout fits your family, your lot and your budget. Read more → Design & Layout · 9 min read Aging-in-Place Ranch House Plans: Build It In Now or Retrofit Later? Seven layout features decide whether your last house still works at 85. We compare what each one costs on a new build with what it costs to add later. Read more → Design & Layout · 9 min read Walkout Basement on a Sloping Lot: What It Costs and How to Plan the Lower Level A walkout basement can turn a hillside lot into daylight bedrooms, a family room and direct yard access. Here is what each part costs in 2026 and where the budget usually goes wrong. Read more → Design & Layout · 11 min read Small One-Story House Plans Under 1,200 Sq Ft: Smart Layouts for Starter Homes A well-planned ranch under 1,200 square feet can live much larger than its size. Here is how open layouts, split bedrooms, porches and smart storage make a small starter home or downsizing home work. Read more → Design & Layout · 11 min read Modern Farmhouse Plans with a 3-Car Garage: Mudroom, Drop Zone and Layout Ideas The garage door is your family's real front door. Here is how to judge the mudroom, laundry, pantry and bonus room on a Modern Farmhouse plan with a 3-car garage, plus a checklist for any plan. Read more →