Southern House Plans

Some of the key characteristics of Southern House Plans are:

• Symmetrical and graceful exterior designs
• Large front and rear porches; oftentimes, a wraparound porch is found and/or screened porches
• Stately columns
• Substantial pillars
• Triangular gables
• Pitched or gabled roofs with overhead dormers
• Elevated foundations
• Tall ceiling heights
• Arched windows
• French doors

Style and Size of Homes

Southern house plans truly display elegant charm and beauty along with a gracious, genteel way of living. This luxury style of home combines fine amenities, charming exteriors and comfortable and inviting interior floor plans. In today’s modern society, Southern house plans are reflective of many different styles of home; however, the overriding factor is a sense of family life and a specific way of living that feature regional variations. These home designs may evoke an overwhelming sense of nostalgia with a casual and relaxed atmosphere. This easy going, slower paced spirit of the American South is an ideal complement to the homes that dot the landscape and our blueprints reflect this same ease of comfort when reading and interpreting them as they relate to home building construction.

Southern plans are designed to capture the spirit of the South and come in all shapes and sizes from small Ranch plans with compact, efficient floor plans to stately manors depicting elegant exteriors and large interior floor plans. Our collection of Southern plans range in size from 800 square feet of living space to in excess of 10,000 square feet with a medium square footage amount of approximately 2,500.

Basements and Garages

Although, Southern house plans of previous times, did not include basements or garages, modern home design and a more complex and faster pace of life, now encourages the use of additional interior space as well as vehicle and storage space. Southern house plans come in a variety of styles and sizes and the addition of a basement foundation allows for increased square footage. This square footage can be utilized as an in-law suite, a teen-ager’s suite or an assortment of recreation space, bedrooms and baths. Along with storage room in the basement, garages can also be used to house outdoor lawn and sporting equipment along with vehicles. These garages can be attached and offer immediate access into the home’s interior or they may be detached or semi-detached allowing for rear placement in order to provide unobstructed sight lines onto the home’s front façade.

One and Two Story Homes

As an ode to days gone by, most Southern house plans today maintain an exterior that echoes the past; however, their interiors have been upgraded to reflect modern, refreshing floor plans. While most floor plans are two storied designs featuring dramatic entrances and foyers, there are one story floor plans as well. The family friendly layouts may typically offer a first floor dedicated to relaxing family space and/or entertaining space while the second floor may be wholly devoted to the family’s sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Regardless of whether the plan is a one or two story layout, these homes are highlighted with large gathering rooms for entertaining, perhaps, more formal living and dining rooms as well and copious amounts of outdoor space; all of which deliver comfort, function and versatility while capturing the true Southern spirit of family, home and hearth.

Porches

Southerners may not have invented the porch but they have certainly perfected it. Born of necessity, these outdoor living spaces have captured the imagination of homeowners, delighting them with porches that are deeply set and widely proportioned, which are designed to offer respite from the weather and a place for family and friends to gather. Wide eaves and deep overhangs contribute to the practicality of these outdoor spaces and offer a way to reduce the direct sunlight the interior of the home receives. These porches may expand the width of the front and rear of the home or they may generously wrap around the front and sides of the home with multiple entry and exit points to the interior. Before the invention of central air conditioning, these large outdoor spaces were practically a necessity from the brutal heat and humidity of the South’s summers. Breeze friendly and community convenient, Southern porches not only shielded homeowners from the sun but also protected the interior of the homes and their furnishings. Along with front, rear and wraparound porches, screened porches offer great spaces to relax and enjoy the weather while being sheltered from the elements. Add an outdoor fireplace to any of these spaces and a three season room is instantly achieved.

These often, sprawling homes of the American South are synonymous with grace, comfort and practicality. Romantic exteriors of a bygone era and refreshingly new and modern interior layouts allow for historically accurate detailing and contemporary amenities to co-exist in a harmonious relationship that delivers a home style that is beloved and cherished. Southern house plans continue to offer some of the most desirable details homeowner’s desire while delivering architecturally aesthetic value and growth in the housing market.