Laurel Valley

New Build - Mount Vernon, Ohio

Nestled on a hillside, this cozy home is only 2,350 square feet on the first and second floors, but it lives much larger than that!

This is a truly modern Craftsman bungalow.  The exterior was designed to mimic the early twentieth century bungalow style, while still providing a modern layout on the inside.

The spaces inside are wide open to each other, while still maintaining some separation between spaces.  Craftsman homes are, historically, relatively closed-closed off on the inside.  This is a great way to maintain the character we love so much in these homes; while modernizing the layout and connections between spaces.

The rendering above is one of the sketches we did during the design phase of this project.  The photo below is the finished photograph from the same location.

This home was designed to grow with the family.  The front room (in the upper left hand corner) is currently used as a play room, but will eventually be a small office and sitting room; designed to be open yet separate from the family room.

The sketch above was also done during the design phase.  This helped us visualize the connection between the kitchen and other living spaces, the columns with built-ins below, and the stair.  Below is the final photograph.

In this house, the fireplace is the focal point of the dining room, so that the television can be the focal point of the living room.

I love this home because it's a true example of defining and utilizing every square foot.  There is no "wasted" space in this house; every bit of it is thought-out, functional and meaningful.  Homes don't necessarily need to be large to function well for a family with kids!

Contractor: Schlabach Builders

Architect: Project Designed while employed at RTA Studio