The Rainbow home is a one story plan with a few curves to brighten the simple lines. From the elegant foyer, guests can enter the large and spacious southern great room or the nearby home office to the left. The great room features a large bay nook in front for overnight guests or curling up with a book. Throughout the house there are bookshelves for our book-loving clients who also requested the large insulated attic to store other books, photos, etc. The front of the house is designed to face west (or east if reversed) leaving the east side for the back porch and patio.

The Rainbow home is a one story plan with a few curves to brighten the simple lines. From the elegant foyer, guests can enter the large and spacious southern great room or the nearby home office to the left. The great room features a large bay nook in front for overnight guests or curling up with a book. Throughout the house there are bookshelves for our book-loving clients who also requested the large insulated attic to store other books, photos, etc. The front of the house is designed to face west (or east if reversed) leaving the east side for the back porch and patio.

First Floor

The great room and dining are on the south while the kitchen is on the cooler side but still with a sunny, east window box. The nearby French doors open to an east porch for sunny outdoor breakfasts. The kitchen is open to the great room yet divided with the raised breakfast bar. The nearby desk and shelves are a great place for the phone and small computer. The master bedroom is for both morning sun lovers and those who like to sleep late. The bed itself will not get direct sun, but the sitting area will be full of morning sun as will the master bath. The laundry is close to the side entry, yet you don't have to walk through it. And from the master bath, you can pass your dirty clothes through the linen closet door. The carport allows for some glimpses outside from the laundry. Most doorways are wide for wheelchair access and many are pocket doors that can be left open without being in the way.

Carport & Storage

The attached carport allows the family to enter an extra wide corridor with shelf nooks that serves as a catch-all for keys, boots, etc. The nearby laundry/mudroom can be closed off on the extra messy days. On the cool north side, the carport will also function as an outdoor party area that captures cool breezes. Garage doors could easily be added to either the front or back. If your lot was narrow, the carport or garage could be moved to the back of the house.

Construction Info

The great room, dining, and part of the kitchen have raised tray ceilings. Elsewhere, the house has 9' ceilings. The roof is designed to be stick-framed to allow for the extra large attic storage. The attic is accessed from the carport (or garage) with permanent, full size walk-up stairs. With added insulation just below the roof deck, your items will be stored in semi-conditioned space. Thermal mass is in the concrete floors that can be covered a number of attractive materials. With this home having a lower amount of solar glazing (as if often the case with larger one-story homes), thermal is less important to keeping the interior comfortable year round. The Rainbow can work well in both cold and hot climates. Tile floors are great for both summer cooling as well as winter heating if Hydronic radiant heating is installed in the floor.

Modification Ideas

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

- Move bath 2 to between the two front bedrooms
- Construct the roof with trusses to lower costs. If your land allows for a basement on the south side, additional storage space could then be down instead of up.

Read more about the drawings available for various Sun Plans.

Custom Energy Specs that describe any recommended adaptations for your climate – insulation values, glass type for the various windows, overhang lengths.