Livability at a Glance™ – Entertaining, Organizing, Flexible, and De-stressing
Our Livability at a Glance™ color coding for floor plans helps you quickly identify how each area of the home can be utilized. Areas shaded yellow are identified as spaces ideal for entertaining.Whether your need is for formal, informal, or even outdoor entertaining, there are many ways to incorporate entertaining spaces into your home design.
Kitchens
Entertaining kitchens are usually designed with an open flow to other entertaining areas, including dining spaces, the great room, and outdoor living spaces. Entertaining kitchens are designed to eliminate clutter, provide plenty of storage where it is needed, take a creative approach to lighting and employ today’s quieter dishwashers, garbage disposals, and ventilation exhaust fans.
Outdoors
Whether it’s a barbeque or outside games, outdoor entertaining should be a natural extension of your home’s flow. Covered porches are especially appreciated if inclement weather threatens your outdoor plans. Adding screens and windows around the porch means being able to enjoy being outside almost any time of the year!
Dining
The main things to look for regarding dining areas are space, proximity to the kitchen, and flexibility. Is the dining area a comfortable size for your table and chairs? Is it close to the kitchen, reducing steps when carrying hot dishes or clearing the table? Can the space be closed off for privacy? Is there room for storage, such as including a hutch for storing and displaying servingware and dishes?
The DiMarco (plan 50014) at right offers a generous entertaining space. The covered patio even features an outdoor kitchen so your gathering can be taken outside. It’s unique dining area is close in proximity to the kitchen and is open to the great room, accommodating many dining configurations.
Media
With today’s media choices running the gamut from gaming to movies or sports to the Internet, when it comes to media-related entertaining, the first issue is the placement of the TV. Wall-mounted TVs are making the need for deep built-in entertainment centers obsolete. Surround sound systems are being discretely installed within walls and ceilings–no longer have to decorate around the entertainment electronics!
Privacy
It’s inevitable, when friends get together someone else in the home needs privacy–whether studying, catching up on work, or needing to get some sleep. Splitting secondary bedrooms from the master suite, and distancing bedrooms from entertaining areas, provides much needed quiet.
Search our plans and identify which “Livability Lense(s)” you’d like in your next home.
