A DIVISION OF DESIGN BASICS, LLC

BUILDING & REMODELING INSIGHTS

Shabby to ChicDreaming About

Wood Floors Intelligent Traffic Flow

De-Stress Your Home Life

Planning For

Entertaining 101

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whatyouwantchanged.

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directlywithoneofourdesigners,soyou’re

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howtobestmodifyaplanfromourlibraryto

meetyourspecificneeds.Knowingyourgoals,

we’llevensuggestnewopportunitiesand

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photobyDavidSacks

contentsthis issue features

LIFESTAGES

I WISH I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT...

AND IN THIS ISSUE...

HOME DESIGN

INSPIRED DESIGN

FINALLY ABOUT ME

3 Planning for Entertaining 101

24 A New Spin on Delicates

24 More Than Merely Convenient

20 Woman of the Year

19 Home Plans

22 Home plan Makeover

15 Intelligent Traffic Flow

6 Shabby to Chic

11 Dreaming About Wood Floors

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6

photo courtesy Lumber Liquidators

photo courtesy Jill Greene

The economy is getting stronger. Housing is making a turnaround. The time to remodel and build is now, with lower labor costs, interest rates, land prices…

It’s being reported that many of today’s home buyers are spending less on upgrades than buyers did before the housing recession. But part of that difference is represented in a higher level of included features found in today’s new home designs. Drop zones—virtually unheard of 10 years ago—solve numerous issues for which yesterday’s home buyers paid extra.

Entertaining spaces are taking on a new priority, requiring a bit more up-front and planning to accommodate how you like to socialize (see page 3). Their kitchens and bathrooms are not merely functional spaces. They are more. Much more—with design solutions meeting and even exceeding the necessities of homeowners’ changing lifestyles. Just look at Jill Greene’s AMAZING remodel in Shabby to Chic!

Today’s kitchen is a blend of form, style and function addressing a homeowner’s personal lifestyle and the way they live in a home. To determine priorities, a checklist is critical to make sure each item is budgeted and planned for accordingly. Her Home is proud to introduce designer Nita Hull in her article on kitchen design and traffic flow, (see page 15). We’re equally proud to introduce you to a remarkable land developer and home builder

Toni Raymus, recently named “Woman of the Year” (see page 20).

Today’s wants in a bathroom center around personal style and relaxing calm--the haven necessary for a much needed stress break. Options are numerous, from spa-like features to heated floors. Did you know wood (look) floors are all the rage in bathrooms? Learn more in this issue’s feature, Dreaming of Wood Floors.

Design Basics, publisher of HER Home, has a strong reputation for providing design that embodies innovation, ideation, creativity, buildability. We pride ourselves in partnering with prospective homeowners to identify and create their “perfect homeplan”, balancing form, function and building costs. Design is not a “one house fits all” proposition and you, our clients and readers, helped us focus on the home’s livability. That’s why we color-code the floorplans and have the industry’s only online home plan search that allows you to identify how important the home’s Entertaining, De-stressing, Flexible living and Storing characteristics are to you!

Design Basics . . . where great design matters!

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CHIEF EDITOR

cover photo by David Guyon the cover Ted & Karena Johnson

Times are changing.

A DIVISION OF DESIGN BASICS LLC

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art director

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contributing writers

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Janie Murnane

Annette Guy

Shawn DohertyCris Zandt

Carl Cuozzo

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Few things in life are as en-joyable as getting together with family and friends. What could be better than being with others who are happy to be with us? So, considering

how we like to socialize is an important element in arriving at

a home design with great livabil-ity. To illustrate some of the prin-ciples, we’re using Design Basics’ Mather Cottage floor plan.

Accommodating various sized groups.The Mather cottage’s unified family room/kitchen/eating area works nicely for small to mid-size gatherings. The adjacent dining room space allows you to invite even more guests. And for larger gatherings, incorporate the outdoor living area and/or finished space in the home’s lower level.

PLANNINGENTERTAINING

FOR

PLAN 42223-54AA “MATHER COTTAGE” | 2,025 TOTAL SQ. FT.

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3 Inward not outward. Today’s thin flat panel TVs and RF remote controls have made popular a clean media presentation with everything recessed into the walls, from display niches to that big TV, hiding the mounting brackets and wiring. Speaking of wiring, determine where you will place furniture and particularly lamps to identify locations for in-floor electrical outlets.

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Entry views. Narrow home designs often have a longer center entry hall. To minimize that perception, the Mather Cottage’s front entry foyer was designed as a gallery, with details and lighting calling attention to pho-tos and/or artwork lining this space. Should guests come in through the garage, they’re not greeted by piles of laundry walking through a cluttered laundry room!

Research from Recon Analytics shows 92% of Americans with attached garages use the garage door as the main entrance of their home, suggest-ing extended family and neighbors may be coming in via the rear foyer.

Open layouts. Today’s designs typically present a primary, open entertaining area, incor-porating the kitchen and eating area(s) as well. Focal points, such as windows, a fireplace and large screen TV are primary considerations when designing this space. Many buyers prefer to not have a fireplace interrupt a window grouping at the back side of this space, so corner fireplaces or fireplaces on a side wall have become popular. A comfortable feeling of symmetry occurs when the kitchen island is centered with the fireplace.

4 Dining. The Mather Cottage presents three eating options—formal dining room, breakfast area and island snack bar. With its wide openings, the dining room flows effort-lessly into the entertaining space. Problem solved. With no walls limiting flexibility, large holiday meals can be accommodated by add-ing leaves to the dining room table, temporar-ily extending into the family room so every-one’s together for dinner!

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8 Noise. Minimizing unwanted noise in open layouts is a challenge. Sounds echo against hard surfaces. Rugs, carpet and pad, and upholstered, padded furniture help absorb sound.

Products such as soft close cabinet doors and drawers, quieter dishwashers, refrigerators, laun-dry pairs, exhaust fans, and food waste disposers, reduce noise levels.

Soundproofing measures to minimize sound traveling through walls can make a big differ-ence. So can locating the guest bathroom away from the entertaining area for privacy.

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Outdoor entertaining is just as impor-tant as indoor spaces for some home buyers. Deciding where the door to the rear yard goes is often a balance between aesthetics and the practical aspect of traffic flow.

7 Secondary entertaining space. Hav-ing a separate place for the kids, ideally on a separate level (i.e., basement or second floor) means their Xbox games or loud conversa-tions don’t disrupt the adults.

Media rooms…rec rooms… even a ball-room…if your entertaining centers on FUN, identify early on if you envision a wet bar and/or kitchenette. Finally, you’ll want to plan for specialized storage, whether that’s for games, media or supplies such as those for a scrap-booking party!

Ceiling heights in entertaining areas today typically start at 9-feet, but rarely extend more than 11-feet high—even in high-end custom homes, according to Residential Designer Carl Cuozzo. Who says you can enjoy taller windows and doors plus dramatic ceiling details without the practical hassles and wasted energy of 2-story-high rooms.

With no wall to help absorb sound, specify an extra-quiet dishwasher when installed in a kitchen island, such as this Bosch model, the quietest in its class. Photo courtesy Bosch.

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SHABBYCHICTO

“Being in this space brings me great joy.

before

photos courtesy of Sand Castle Kitchens and More

“That’s the place,” Jill Greene, owner of the design and remodeling firm Sand Castle Kitchens and More in Delray Beach, Florida, said after touring a seventh floor condo. Funny thing though, Greene had been looking for a 3-bedroom ranch with a pool in the backyard. But while touring condos for sale with a friend, Jill started thinking, “Why do I want to mess with the outside? What I love is the inside!”

Most of us get goose bumps thinking about purchasing a beautiful home as we walk through it. We’re buying what we see. But seeing potential in an older home requires vision. In Greene’s situation, the 40-year old condo was dirty and the kitchen was a disaster. Yet, it offered privacy—the building was designed with just two condos per floor—and gorgeous ocean views. Jill’s knowledge of remodeling, her imagination and design savvy all helped her to “see” what this condo could become.

Built in 1973 mostly for “snowbirds” (people who migrate to the condos from cold northern climates during the winter months) kitchens were modest and generally hidden from socializing areas. An entertainer at heart, Jill knew eliminating the big wall separating the kitchen from the dining and living space would transform her new home.

Opening up that wall meant the loss of some storage cabinets found in the original kitchen layout. With kitchen space at a premium, storage had to be strategically thought through. Effective storage solutions consider not only adequate storage space, but also the usability of that space. The new kitchen incorporates numerous pull-out drawers, making it easy to find and access desired items. Other specialized storage amenities included dish towel rods in the sink base cabinet and a pull-out, double wastebasket drawer.

It’s unique. It’s exactly what I envisioned. Most people say they’ve never seen anything like it… and I love that.”Jill Greene

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kitchen before: The original kitchen circa 1973.left: The resurrected kitchen stands in stunning contrast to its former self. What a difference an eye for design makes!left circle: Sharp’s Microwave Drawer oven installed at a height convenient for all.middle circle: Pull out drawers bring items to you, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.right circle: Basket weave kitchen backsplash tile was chosen because it suggests the sensation of waves. The Moen Faucet completes the dramatic transformation.

before

dining before: Greene’s original dining area.below: A glass divider that passes natural light provides a sense of room definition for Greene’s dining and living areas.

bath before: What Greene had to begin with in the guest suite bathroom.

below: Can you say “B AT H R O O M M A K E O V E R ”?

before

before

“Unique” resonates with Jill’s personal

style.

kitchen: Greene wanted to be able to entertain and be a part of what’s going on while she’s in the kitchen. Eliminating the wall allows the kitchen to flow effortlessly into the dining and living rooms. The chalkboard wall discretely hides her home’s electrical panel. also shown (upper right) is Greene’s sitting room, before and after.

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Removing the wall also deleted the location for the original microwave oven—atop the range. “I would never install a microwave over the stove unless there’s absolutely no where else to put it,” says Greene. An aspect emphasized in Greene’s Certified Aging In Place coursework, reaching overhead to remove steaming hot dishes from the microwave represents a safety issue for many. “It’s simply not a practical location,” according to Greene. She opted for Sharp’s wildly popular microwave drawer, mounted in the base cabinet.

In addition to aesthetics, Greene had specific reasons for other product choices in her kitchen. As with her clients who cook a lot, Greene chose a French door refrigerator, because she’ll use the refrigerator much more than the freezer. Without room for a double oven, she decided on an oven plus a warming drawer under the oven. So that she could carry

on conversations from the kitchen, Jill opted for a Bosch dishwasher because it’s very quiet. She selected Moen’s 90 Degree faucet because of its single lever control, detachable spray head and unique design. “Unique” resonates with Jill’s personal style.

Perhaps nowhere in the new kitchen is “unique” more powerfully presented than the red cabinets. Jill said “There are beautiful shades of red in sunrises and sunsets in Delray Beach,” and red became her chosen accent color, used sparingly throughout the home. Because she wanted the red cabinets to be the attention grabber, Greene selected gray and white granite countertops, though she initially wanted marble. Greene explains “Marble can etch with wine or tomato sauce spills,” and with her love of entertaining, she didn’t want to have to deal with that.

Lighting becomes even more important as we age. Big changes in the kitchen also

included under-cabinet lighting illuminating the work surfaces and rope lighting in the toe kick under the base cabinets. Recessed can lights were added and the kitchen ceiling was vaulted for drama and to accommodate the overhead light fixture. Jill also placed motion-sensor activated lighting in the upper cabinets and pantry, making it easier to see what she was looking for.

Metallic wallpaper so reminiscent of the 1970’s adorned the walls of Jill’s living area. At first, Jill had planned on keeping the carpeting in the living areas. But after the former owner’s furnishings were removed, she realized how stained the carpeting was, necessitating new flooring.

In design school Jill gained an appreciation for reflecting the outside environment within the home. Enjoying Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway views from 3 sides of her condo, blue was a natural color to bring

before

living room before: Greene’s living room as purchased. above: Greene’s new living room! The wood mouldings bordering the original metallic wallpaper were retained. New lighting fixtures offered a classic feel updated with modern, clean lines. Note the red chairs, carrying Jill’s accent color into the living area.

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in. But the water changes hues at different times of the day. Greene chose porcelain floor tile with blue striations because she felt it provided a feel of water movement. Yellow walls tied in with sunshine. The wood trim was painted gloss white, bringing in white from the clouds. The bedroom furniture is white, with color being introduced in things easily changed, such as bedspreads. Greene is currently adding black and white pictures of the beach and local scenery.

The bathrooms were re-designed around clean lines. The big wall mirror originally in the dining room was re-purposed in the powder bath—making this small space with no window appear dramatically larger! Placing the border tile in an unpredictable location was important, as was the choice of an exceptional faucet. If you’ve followed Design Basics’ “Finally About Me” personality profiles (visit DesignBasics.com/finally_about_me.asp for more info) Jill is a “Margo” with strong secondary “Claire” tendencies. Surprised?

Greene’s passion for transforming environments is supplemented by her lifelong learning quest. From formal classes to attending the KBIS (the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) to working closely with her team of sub-contractors (electricians, plumbers, flooring, drywallers, painters, etc.) Jill stays ahead of the trends in interior design. That’s also why Greene embraced Woman-Centric Matters!, Design Basics initiative to help home builders and remodelers learn and embrace women’s preferences in their homes. She uses her God-given talent to take in everything around her, assimilate that knowledge, and bring it to each client’s project, finding great inspiration in her client’s dreams for their homes. But this project was, perhaps, even more challenging because Jill was her own client. As she explained, “Relationships are like dance—one person leads, the other follows. But it takes two to make something beautiful and they have to be in sync.”

Accustomed to drawing out the real persona within each of her clients, Jill knew she would be happiest having the real Jill come through in the renovation. Her love for entertaining family and friends…a warm and inviting environment…a place that honors her past, her family, who Jill is today and her future… these were her internal design guidelines.

And now, how does it make her feel? “Being in this space brings me great joy. It’s unique. It’s exactly what I envisioned. Most people say they’ve never seen anything like it…and I love that.”

Placing the border tile in an unpredictable location

was important, as was the choice of an

exceptional faucet.

bath before: Step into yesteryear in the original powder bath, located just outside bedroom 3. above: Its full wall mirror creates a spacious feel in this modest powder bath. The border tile was positioned higher than what you might expect, drawing the eye upwards, providing a more elongated look.

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Dreaming About

Whether for a special area or your whole home, the look of wood flooring presents an unrivaled aesthetic. From classic and elegant to contemporary and casual, the tremendous variety in wood species, finishes and plank sizes presents attractive options for just about every style and budget.

Besides its natural good looks, wood flooring is a popular choice because it is relatively low-maintenance. Compared with carpeting, spills and muddy shoe prints on wood flooring are generally much easier to clean up. Carpeting can also be a haven for dust, bacteria, mites and pet dander—all of which can present health risks, particularly for small children and individuals with respiratory ailments—making wood floors a healthier choice.

But all wood flooring solutions are not the same. In fact, some aren’t actually wood at all! Which is a good thing, because traditional solid hardwoods aren’t recommended for some applications, such as bathrooms and basement floors. Turn the page to learn about five of the most popular wood flooring and wood floor alternatives.

So,what’smostimportanttowomen buyingwoodflooring?

above:Bambooisactuallyagrass,notwood.pictured:MorningStarNaturalBamboofromLumberLiquidators

VINYLWOODPLANKSUnlikesheetvinylflooring,individualvinylwoodplankscomeinsizeswhichreplicatetruehardwoodflooringplanks.Installationis easy—some varieties are self-adhesive (“peel-n-stick”),others simply click together. A wide variety of highly realisticwoodspecies“looks”areavailable,thevinylwoodplanksareessentiallywaterproof,surprisinglydurableandsomeareevenmadefromrecycledmaterials.Ifbudgetisanissue,knowthatthevinylwoodplanksarelikelyyourmostaffordableoption.pictured:TranquilityAntiqueOakResilientVinylfromLumberLiquidators.

LAMINATEWOODFLOORINGTwenty years ago, laminate wood flooring was introduced intheUnitedStatesunder thePergo®brand.Easy tocleanandvery scuff/scratch resistant, laminate wood flooring gainedwidespreadacceptance.Printedphotographsofvariouswoodspecies, beneath an extremely tough surface layer, providelaminateit’sauthenticgoodlooks.Easytoinstallandsuitableforhighermoistureareas,laminatecanbehardandsomepeopledislike the “unnatural” sound of walking on laminate woodflooring.Bothof those issuescanbeminimizedby installingapadundertheflooring.pictured:CapeDoctorLaminateFlooring,partoftheKensingtonManorCollection

byDreamHomesoldthruLumberLiquidators.

ENGINEEREDWOODFLOORINGCommonlyconsistingofa1/8”-thicklayerofthewoodspeciesyouselectoveraplywoodbase,engineeredwoodflooringismorestable,with lessshrinkageorswellingthansolidwood. Itcan be nailed down, glued or installed as a “floating floor”.Consistent high quality factory-finishes are a hallmark ofengineeredwoodflooring.Becausetheboardsarepre-finishedthere isminimaloff-gassing, so thiscanbeahealthieroptioncomparedwithfinishedon-sitehardwoodflooringandtypically,theycanbesanded/refinishedonceortwice.pictured:VirginiaMillWorksBirchEngineeredSomertonHand-Scraped

fromLumberLiquidators.

SOLIDWOODFLOORINGAbundantandrelativelyhard,oakhasbeenthemostcommonwood flooring but many buyers today are opting for otherspecies, with bamboo, hickory and maple among the mostpopular. Price varies by species, plank size (wider planks aretypicallymoreexpensive),boardthickness(rangesfrom3/8”to3/4”—thickerboardscanbesanded/refinishedseveraltimes),finish (gloss, dull, hand-scraped), and the wood’s “grade”(degree of color variation, number and size of knots, etc.)Carefullyconsiderthewood’s“hardness”.Harderwoodswearbetterandarelesspronetoscratchesandotherdamage.pictured:BellawoodNaturalMaplefromLumberLiquidators.

WOODTILEFLOORINGThoughnotwoodatall,woodtileflooringisimprintedwiththelookofwoodwhileofferingthedurabilityandeasymaintenanceof ceramic and porcelain tile. Well-suited for bathrooms,laundryareasandotherareas thatexperiencehumidityandtemperaturechanges,thewoodtilesareavailableincommonwood plank sizes and offer realistic textures including slip-resistantfinishes.As tilecanbecolder to thetouch,youmaywanttoconsiderradiant in-floorheating.Andwhileminimallyvisible,takespecialcareinselectingthegroutcolor.pictured:AmericanHeritageNaturalPorcelainfromAmericanMarazziTile

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CommonRedOakwithanaverageJankaratingof1290istheindustrybenchmarkforcomparingtherelativehardnessofdifferentwoodspecies.

*BambootestedonMorningStarBamboobrandwhichusesamorematurebamboo(4yearminimum)

ThemostcommonlyusedtesttoassessthehardnessofwoodistheJankaratingscale.Ahighernumberonthescale indicatesaharderwood.Jankaratingsforaparticularspeciesofwoodmayvarybaseduponthesourceofthewoodandanumberofrelatedfactors.Inanefforttopresentourcustomerswithaccurateinformation,theJankaratingsnotedbyLumberLiquidatorsareacompilationofresultsfromthevarioussourcesthatsupplyourproducts.Accordingly,ourfiguresmaydifferfromJankaratingslistedbyotherwoodflooringsuppliers.Jankaratingsarenotabsoluteandarebestusedtounderstandwhichwoodsareharderthanothers.

courtesyLumberLiquidators

How“hard”isthewoodspeciesyouprefer?

Harderwoodsbetterwithstandwearand

scratches.

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Bill Schlegel is a guy who knows wood floors…and he knows a lot about today’s wood flooring buyers, starting with gender. “Ninety-eight percent of the time women are the ultimate decision makers when it comes to wood flooring purchases,” said Schlegel. So, what’s most important to women buying wood flooring?

HOW IT LOOKS. Beyond the wood species chosen, selecting the right finish is important. According to Schlegel, “High gloss finishes are beautiful, but they show dirt. So many women are opting for duller finishes, though not as formal. Additionally, hand-scraped finishes don’t show dirt as much.” Schlegel also mentioned that grays and blacks are “hot” wood flooring colors for 2013.

IS IT GREEN? Wood flooring requires cutting down trees. Accordingly, Schlegel stated “At Lumber Liquidators, our flooring comes only from managed forests and styles such as butcher block utilize more of the

log.” Bamboo and cork regrow from the same plant after harvesting, so no replanting is necessary. With its plywood base, engineered wood makes maximum use of timber that is harvested and both can be refinished, keeping the flooring out of landfills.

HOW DOES IT WEAR? High traffic areas warrant special attention. “Harder wood species such as bamboo and dull finishes are good choices for high wear areas,” suggested Schlegel, who also suggested that wear and scratches are less perceptible with hand-scraped finishes due to the surface irregularities. Warranties are another indicator of wear. Schlegel pointed out that Bellawood, Lumber Liquidator’s top-of-the-line wood flooring, carries a 100 year, transferable, finish warranty for wear. The company’s other solid wood, engineered wood, laminate and vinyl wood planks are warranted from 15 to 30 years.

PRICE. Schlegel was proud to point out “Lumber Liquidators has flooring options for

every price point.” Of course, the material price is just one of the costs involved. There’s also moldings for where the floors and walls meet, underlayment plus installation tools and supplies. Then there’s the expense of installation labor. According to Schlegel, Lumber Liquidators can arrange professional installation through a network of local, independent contractors. The company also offers to teach do-it-yourselfers how to install their flooring and save as much as $2 to $4 per square foot.

Finally, we asked Schlegel “What was the one thing women regretted or wish they had known once their new floors were in? He replied, “That would probably be women wishing they had more carefully followed the instructions. For example, after the wood flooring arrives, it should be left for a few days in the area where it will be installed to acclimate to the temperature and humidity levels.”

One-On-One with Bill Schlegel, Chief Merchandising Officer at Lumber Liquidators

pictured:VirginiaMillworksOldWorldOakHandscrapedSolidWoodFlooringfromLumberLiquidators

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You’ve seen it on carpet. You’ve seen it on grass –a flattened path revealing the shortest walk-ing distance between any two points! Similarly, inside our house we naturally choose the shortest distance as we flow through and between rooms. Intelligently placed circulation paths are a major determining factor in how comfortably your new home will function.

Interior designer, David Ferguson, writer of the syndicated newspaper column, Creative Space, states, “In my experience, traffic flow is possibly the Number One hindrance to a good furniture ar-rangement.” Since poorly placed traffic paths generate irritation and can even create safety hazards,

identifying, analyzing and improving circulation routes in your proposed floor plan during the planning process will ensure your creation of a calming, stress-reducing new home design!

INTELLIGENTTraffic Fl w

De-Stresses Your Home Life!

by Nita Hull

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STEP ONE: Identify Traffic Paths

Draw in all the natural circulation routes. An easy way to do this is to place a dot in the center of each door, doorway, room entrance, hallway and stairwell and then connect each dot to all its ADJACENT dots. The network of lines created represents exactly where you will naturally walk as you move from room to room in your new home.

Within a room, such as a bathroom, con-tinue to draw the path from the entry door to each fixture; in a bedroom extend the path to the closet(s).

To mark a traffic path to a sliding patio door, you need to decide which side the door will slide open from –left-hand or right-hand opening. A triple slider may open from either end or the ends could be stationary and the center panel moves. A 4-panel slider may have both middle panels slide open from the center towards each side.

Mark in the Kitchen Work Triangle. The kitchen work triangle is a traffic path between the sink, range and refrigerator. Designers have long recommended using it to study the interaction between convenient food prepara-tion, cooking and clean-up with the location of appliances and counter space.

To mark the triangle on your plan, draw a dot at the center of sink, cook top / range and refrigerator and then connect the three dots. If something (like an island or peninsula cabinet) prevents you from forming an actual triangle, move your lines around the obstacle, just as if you were walking in the real kitchen.

Indicate door swings. Most floor plans show the swing path of room doors open at 90 degrees. If yours doesn’t, or only shows them open 45 degrees add the full swing so you can see clearly the actual space they take when in use.

STEP TWO: Analyze Traffic Paths

Analysis requires observing how the traffic paths intersect with open doors and their im-pact on furniture arranging.

PLAN #1 greets residents with traffic troubles immediately upon entering from the garage. Conflicting door swings interrupt flow. What if another person is coming through the base-ment stair door or changing laundry loads as you are entering?

A long trek is required to the front door closet to hang up coats.

Conflict between this major traffic path and the cook opening the hot oven door (safety is-sue) or using the refrigerator is inevitable and a recipe for intense frustration.

The direction the patio doors in the Din-ing Room and the Owner’s Suite slide open creates longer traffic paths and interferes with furniture placement more than if the opening direction were reversed.

This NOT-SO-Great Room functions as a giant hallway. Any furniture grouping will feel like an obstruction and it will be a challenge to fully relax in this thoroughfare room.

In the Owner’s Suite, the person accessing

the smaller closet will block passage to the En Suite Bath. (Sliding closet doors would make more sense in this arrangement.) The En Suite Bathroom door conflicts with the shower door and crowds the person using the first sink.

STEP THREE: Improve Traffic Paths

Improve traffic flow by choosing the num-ber and location of doors, openings, hallways and staircases wisely.

PLAN #2 embodies all the principles of excel-lent traffic flow which are:

• Use short & direct routes

• Hug the edge or side of rooms

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PLAN ONE: TROUBLESOME TRAFFIC PATHS

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• Create pools of uninterrupted space for comfortable furniture arranging

• Don’t allow open doors to hinder passage

• Don’t place a door behind a door (The ubiquitous coat closet positioned imme-diately behind an entry door is a typical bad example.)

• No MAJOR traffic path is allowed to break the kitchen work triangle

Invest time and energy during the planning stage on anticipating your needs and ensuring the layout accommodates them.

Traffic & Appliance Doors

In preparation for assessing traffic paths, mark short dashed lines on the floor plan to show all the appliance doors in their open position.

Typical OPEN door depths are: • Oven door – 21” • Tall-tub dishwasher door – 26.5”• Standard microwave oven door

swing – 18”• Over-the-range microwave

door swing – 25” (Swing door microwaves are ONLY left-hand opening –NOT reversible.)

• 36” wide refrigerator with:Side-by-side asymmetrical fridge doors (Not reversible)

• 15” wide left-hand opening freezer door

• 21” wide right-hand opening fridge door

Single fridge door (Sometimes reversible –many stainless steel single door refrig-erators are not reversible even though the same model in other color choic-es is. You need to order either a Right Hand or Left Hand opening model.)

• Swing door identical to width of appliance

• Pull-out freezer drawer 24-26” (Depending on fridge depth)

Side-by-side symmetrical fridge doors (French Door Style)

• Each swing door – 18”• Pull-out freezer drawer – 24-26”

(Depending on fridge depth)

Refrigerator heights and depths vary greatly and the deeper models can have a negative impact on traffic flow. Be sure to note the total combined depth of the unit + the door thickness + the handle depth.

• Front-loading washer & dryer swing doors – 21”

Typically a dryer door swing is reversible but many Front Loading washer doors are not.

PLAN #1 reveals how a non-reversible washer door can become an annoying impediment to the transfer of clothes from the washer to the dryer depending on which side of the dryer it is installed on.

TIP: Choose your appliances early in the design phase so you have accu-rate sizes and door swing information to plan with.

You will love living with the results every day in your new home!

PLAN TWO: SMOOTH FLOWING TRAFFIC

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Major Traffic Routes verses Minor

The likelihood of circulation paths con-flicting with room function is directly re-lated to how heavily the route is trav-elled. The busy ‘Interstate’ highways inside the house are to and from the:

• Family Entry (The exterior door located closest to the parking where residents enter and exit daily.)

• Kitchen

• Stairs going up to the bedrooms or down to a TV Room

Residential Designer Nita Hull fell in love with home design when reviewing blue-prints for her family’s new home—and she was just five years old! Even at that tender age, a connection between the language of drawings and the three-dimensional structure clicked, laying a foundation for her career and pas-sion…creating homes that flow.

Hull founded Homes That Flow to work with home buyers and home builders, helping them understand the inherent livability of homes based upon traffic patterns within the home’s design. With an exceptional ability to spot and solve irritating design flaws during the design phase and BEFORE construction begins, “Forget regret” is Hull’s mantra.

In addition to creating distinctive, well-thought out home plans, Hull teaches space-planning at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and has been published in Canadian Homes and Cot-tages Magazine.

“Nita, your ideas were fantastic! Your time to analyze our two spec home plans, I feel was invaluable…thank you so much! I want to learn to see what you see!!!” – Cheryl Martens, Cherry Hill Ventures Ltd.

© HTF

the Moraine | plan 29800-54AA1641 main level sq. ft. | 1015 upper level sq. ft. | 2656 total sq. ft.

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the Cedar Glen II | plan 42229V-54AA1584 main level sq. ft. | 532 upper level sq. ft. 2116 total sq. ft.

the Fair Haven | plan 42234V-54AA1710 total sq. ft.

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WomanWomanYearof the

In March 2012, Toni Raymus was named “Woman Of The Year” by the State of California, 26th District, “in recognition of outstanding service and dedication to the people of the State of California.” Raymus, a land developer and home builder from Manteca, California, said, “We build

homes, but our passion is creating strong, vibrant communities.”

photos courtesy of Raymus Homes

www.HerHome.com 21

Raymus Homes has made giving back to the community one of its core values dating all the way back to 1947. According to Toni, “Profit is only one measure of success.” Focused on improving the quality of life in and around Manteca, she is involved with her family’s foundation Building Dreams, the Boys & Girls Club, Give Every Child A Chance, Doctor’s Hospital of Manteca, and the Mural Society which celebrates the storied history of Manteca through public art.

In the historically male-dominated field of home building, Toni succeeds by tapping into her nurturing instinct. “We start with raw ground and I imagine the completed neighborhood and how the families will live there. Where will the kids play, go to school? How can we slow and minimize traffic through the neighborhood to create a safe environment? We take this focus ultimately to the home design level. Again envisioning how the family will live in the home. That is why Women-Centric design made so much sense.”

2012 was also a pivotal year for Raymus Homes, as the new construction housing market turned around strongly. Liberty, a Raymus Homes neighborhood in Oakdale, California, will be sold out by June. These woman-centric three- and four-bedroom homes “have gone over beautifully”, says Raymus, continuing, “At first, buyers looked at new innovative woman-centric amenities such as the drop zone and asked ‘why’? Now buyers wouldn’t purchase a home without a drop zone!”

With the housing recession still fresh in their minds, Raymus Homes’ buyers are more conservative and more realistic with what they can afford. “In terms of upgrades, we’re seeing buyers concentrating on good, solid basics rather than the indulgent choices buyers often selected before the housing crisis.”

“It’s such an enviable time to purchase a new home. Many of our trade contractors are company founders and principals, “moms and pops”, delivering true craftsmanship. Mortgage interest rates are extremely low and while both land and building material costs are starting to rise, they’re still less than they were a few years ago.”

“We hadn’t forecast selling out at Liberty so quickly. Our new, master-planned community with 536 home sites in southern Manteca won’t be open until later in 2013. The land development process in California takes a long time to get a community approved—we’ve been working on this one since 1999.”

Building and developing can be quite political, rewarding individuals with the “right” connections. Growing up in the business (her father started the company in 1947), Raymus does not depend on golf and drinks to acquire land and push her projects forward. She keeps active in the area vesting “free” time in building a better community. She uses her talents of organization, follow-up and attention to detail to work to benefit the community, particularly “giving our children every opportunity to succeed.” Raymus provides leadership while serving on the boards of the Manteca District Ambulance Board, Goodwill Industries of the San Joaquin Valley, and SEEDS, an organization that supports tuition assistance for Catholic Schools in the Stockton Diocese.

Inspired by her daughter’s visit to the Decatur Book Festival in Georgia, Raymus brought the idea back to Manteca. With the help of a wonderful team, she spearheaded the 2012 Manteca Book Festival, a “community-builder and friend-raiser” drawing 2,500 people from a 60-mile radius. According to Raymus, “Meeting and interacting with authors makes reading more fun. The Bookfest featured authors from many genres attracting from the earliest of readers to adults plus a variety of genres from fiction and paranormal romance to rock climbing and fly fishing. Attendees were also inspired hearing from self-publishers during the aspiring writers workshop. We even enjoyed “slam poetry”, popular with teens. It’s a fact—kids that read are less likely to get into trouble.”

Toni Raymus and Raymus Homes. Doing good…and getting credit for it!

www.HerHome.com22

Home PlanMakeover

the Quimby | plan 3010-54AA1422 total sq. ft.

This issue’s woman-centric home plan make-over starts with a classic top-selling home plan named the “Quimby”. The goal was to retain the original plan’s design flavor, enhance with woman-centric design amenities and inte-grate the latest building practices and codes which resulted in—the “Talon”.

Retaining the overall shape and basic room arrangements, at first glance the Talon doesn’t appear all that different from the Quimby. Yet the changes significantly impact how the home lives:

OPEN ENTERTAINING. A half-wall between the kitchen and great room visu-ally connects these two areas. The original design’s kitchen also felt a bit “cramped” due to the columns and arches separating the kitchen and dining area, which were removed in the new version. A 10-foot high ceiling further unifies the great room/kitchen/dining into a large socializing area.

MORE FUNCTIONAL. The refrigerator was relocated to be near the dining area, con-venient for refilling glasses and putting away condiments. Relocating the pantry provides more storage and kitchen workspace. One-foot added to the width in the kitchen and dining room makes these areas more accom-modating.

STAIRS TO BASEMENT. Changing from the Quimby’s 8-foot high basement walls today’s more popular 9’-high lower level, as well as updated building codes, necessitated adding 3 steps to the staircase, which in turn required relocating the staircase. Multiple windows brighten the staircase and provide a connection to the outdoors.

LAUNDRY ROOM. The original Qui-mby’s laundry room was a trafficway. In the Talon, the laundry room is still conveniently off the kitchen, but now offers a laundry sink, folding counter, abundant storage and natural light.

REAR FOYER. Rather than having to walk through the laundry room when going

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to/from the garage, the Talon presents a rear foyer complete with drop zone to de-clutter the kitchen and lockers atop a bench handy for untying/removing shoes.

BIGGER GARAGE. Nearly 3-feet wid-er, the Talon’s garage addresses larger vehicles and storage issues. Additionally, the new plan suggests an 18-foot wide garage door, compared with a 16-foot wide door shown on the Quimby.

COMPARTMENTED HALL BATH. With its pocket door between the vanity and the tub, the Talon’s shared bathroom can be used by two people at the same time.

BIGGER BEDROOM 2. Bedroom #2 is actually 26% larger in the Talon plan.

EASY LIVING OWNER’S SUITE. At 16” wider, the Talon’s owner’s suite bedroom feels much more spacious. A luxurious, doorless walk-in shower replaces the Quimby’s whirl-pool tub and small shower. The toilet in the Talon design is private and because the bath-room is wider overall, it does not feel as tight as the Quimby’s master bath.

OTHER CHANGES. All interior doors in the new Talon design are 32”-wide. Bedroom doors in the Quimby plan were 30”-wide and modest 24”-wide doors led into

the hall bathroom, master bathroom and master bedroom walk-in closet.

Reflecting today’s emphasis on energy-efficient construction, exterior walls in the Talon plan are 2x6 construction, allowing 50% more insulation than the Quimby’s 2x4 exterior walls.

Bedroom 2 was brought forward to line up with bedroom 3, eliminating the expensive “jog” in the Quimby’s foundation. Similarly, the boxed-out windows shown in the Qui-mby’s bedrooms 2 and 3 were deleted, saving considerable expense.

the Talon | plan 42272-54AA1694 total sq. ft.

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“Reflecting today’s emphasis on energy-efficient

construction, exterior walls in the Talon plan are 2x6 construction, allowing

50% more insulation than the Quimby’s 2x4 exterior walls.”

www.HerHome.com24

Helping buyers make wise, informed decisions regarding their homes and the products that go

into those homes.

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A reader recently shared one of her “must haves” with us—a jetted laundry sink for hand-wash items! MTI, a producer of tubs, showers, sinks and related bath furniture, offers two Jentel Jet laundry sinks which, according to the manufacturer, offer an “innovative use of the power of micro-jets to thoroughly launder delicate washables.” Thanks T.B.!

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Stairs from the garage leading directly to a basement can minimize a lot of problem issues. One of the most obvious is moving large/bulky items in and out of that lower level. Relying only on an interior staircase may present challenges, particularly if that inside staircase has angles or is “U-shaped” when moving furniture.

Additionally, direct basement access from the garage can be quite handy for home and D-I-Y projects. Your workbench and tools may be located in the garage, in the basement, or in both locations. Certain projects require more room to spread out in.

Also, if the lower level space is finished off for casual entertaining, you may prefer your teens go in and out directly through the garage—especially when it’s “band practice” at your home!

Shown is plan 7231-54AA which can be viewed at www.HerHome.com Sign up at www.HerHome.com to receive Her Home Thought of the Day

via e-mail. It’s FREE!

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