When you enter the Mountain View, your eyes are immediately drawn through the spacious great room to the large south windows then on to the mountains beyond. This three bedroom, two bath home feels much larger than it is with the large central great room. The plan evolved from our earlier Forest View home, but we reduced the size and modified the exterior to our client's taste, smaller budget, and cooler climate. The front of the home faces north and garage doors on the west allow the house to fit on narrower lots.

When you enter the Mountain View, your eyes are immediately drawn through the spacious great room to the large south windows then on to the mountains beyond. This three bedroom, two bath home feels much larger than it is with the large central great room. The plan evolved from our earlier Forest View home, but we reduced the size and modified the exterior to our client's taste, smaller budget, and cooler climate. The front of the home faces north and garage doors on the west allow the house to fit on narrower lots.

First Floor

The extra high ceilings in the foyer, great room, and back porch (which could be extended to become a sunroom) create elegance, but the floor plan is still comfortable in its openness. Simple arches surround the main living areas. The kitchen is centrally located yet semi-private with the surrounding breakfast bar. This allows for a view to the sunny south as well as the great room. With the main living area open to both the north and south, cooling can be increased with natural ventilation when the windows are open. The master bedroom is private from bedrooms 2 and 3 on the other side of the house. The master suite has its own foyer that screens both the bed and bath from view. The laundry has two large closets and one can be a pet room.

Garage

The garage on the north has been expanded to allow for garage doors on the west near the front door and a storage area on the east. This then allowed us to create permanent attic stairs going up to a large walk in attic storage.

Construction Info

The foyer, dining, and great room have 12' ceilings. The rest of the house has 9' ceilings. We have increased the south glass to maximize solar gain. Walls are drawn as 6" studs but could easily be SIP panels or ICF if expanded out. The roof is designed to be stick framed, but trusses could be used if a large clear attic area was not that important.

Modification Ideas

Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.

- Widen or deepen the house to make bedrooms 2 & 3 larger, and the house more wheelchair friendly
- Add a sunroom where the back porch is and make it deeper
- Enclose the dining to create a small study
- Add a larger front porch similar to the small south porch in width, then add French doors for a cool place to sit in summer
- Lower the roof pitch and change to metal for high wind areas
- Reduce the roof slope and shape to a gable and make the lap siding or shingles for a different exterior look

Read more about the drawings available for various Sun Plans.