Image Courtesy: Ethan

There are many different types of country home, which vary in construction methods as well as aesthetic appearance. When an architect works on a project, it’s vital that they have all the information for what type of country home you would prefer.

House Floor Plans

It might be a wise idea to come up with your own layout and floorplan before heading to initial meetings with architects. This will give them a great starting point, as well as giving you the time to think realistically about how the space would work for you.

Start by collecting photographs of homes that you admire, that you feel you could live in, whose space seems to function really well. Write a list of the things you want in your house, an extra large living space incorporating kitchen, dining and sitting areas maybe. Or perhaps you’d like en-suites to most rooms; a sneaky library or movie theatre?

Keep an eye on which rooms you currently use in your existing house. Write a list of the things you do on a day to day basis, and write down the rooms you do these things in, and why. You might have an office, but don’t use it because it’s uninspiring and too small, or you might find you spend too much time moving heavy objects around.

By looking at all these things, you can eliminate unnecessary spaces, and design a space that works for you. So, even if you aren’t willing to actually draw a floorplan, then these lists will be invaluable to any architect working on your home blueprint.

A beautiful Victorian Home – Photo by Frank Kovalchek

Classic Country Home Floor Plans

The classic country home requires a degree of research into historical architecture, and perhaps even a look at old blueprints. Most importantly, you ought to go into some old country cottages, luxury new builds and Victorian homes, to get a feel for the type of space you prefer. The size of the windows, height of ceilings and number of separate spaces are all very personal decisions.

Classic house plans might have outdoor balconies, large porches, wood cladding, large wood framed windows, beams, wine cellars, large staircases. All of which will need to be thought about when drawing a house plan.

English Country Home Designs

Brick, stone, thatch, chimneys, columns, white, ivy, royalty, aristocrat, cottage, estate; these are some of the words you might associate with English country homes. But to design an English country home, you really ought to focus on using local materials and taking local buildings as architectural inspiration.

Traditional English Countryside Homes – Photo Courtesy: sam.romilly

Combine your surroundings with your own personal taste, as well as modern technologies, like solar panels or underfloor heating. The essence of English country home design is its adaptability, it’s willingness to be modernized, whilst retaining its charm and character.

For inspiration, check out films set in England like The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice and Calendar Girls.