Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello all, new to the forum. I came across it while searching house styles back in January. Very informative!! I was researching high ranch houses and got a lot of good information. I hope it's still quite active, I could really use some advice. We currently live in a 3 bedroom ranch. With 3 little ones we are busting at the seams, as you can imagine. It does have an unfinished basement which helps a lot. We priced putting a second story addition on but it is quite pricey. Besides, we are looking to relocate to a quieter area of our neighborhood. After weighing our options we feel the best decision is to move. We love the school district, especially the elementary school our kids are in. We came across a contemporary style house in our area that meets our needs. The biggest plus is it's on an extremely quiet dead end street, something our house is truly lacking now. We live on a main road cutting through our neighborhood. Although the speed limit is only 30mph, people tend to drive very fast...closer to 50mph. I get nervous doing yard work!!! I never really seen a contemporary style house, or I wasn't really looking! I grew up in a colonial and love the charm of them. The idea of having all the bedrooms upstairs with the living areas downstairs makes sense to me. Now that we saw a contemporary style house we have noticed several others. I heat our house solely with a 1905 antique parlor coal stove. Nothing beats coal heat, hands down!! Especially using an antique. I'm thinking the open layout of the contemporary will be inviting to this method of heating. I'm having trouble grasping the idea that there are 2 bedrooms upstairs and 3 downstairs. Plus, I'm not sold on the look of it. It has unique design characteristics. My question is how does a house of this style function for those that either have lived or currently live in one? It's all about location, right!!! I just realized there is no photo attachment option so not sure how much help this explanation will be, haha.
Well, i think it's safe to say we need more information because contemporary could mean a number of things. Generally speaking it's interchangeable with "modern" which is something you don't see often here but will see in alot of European countries. Namely, mostly straight lines (boxy) - large windows / clean lines / natural light and open flow.
So, without anything else to go on. I'd say this style house is good for what you're asking. That being one powerful central heating source and three little ones running around. Open concept helps spread the heat and keep an eye on the kiddos.
As a side note, the actual development of the open floor plan and what we now consider modern design (back then its first form was mid century modern) has those two concepts at its core (among a few others) namely - families buying houses on smaller lots with more kids which demanded less "dedicated" space (such as libraries or offices etc) so you perhaps knock down the dining room wall so you can watch the kids do their homework from the kitchen. That, and the development of more modern material which increased efficiency and allowed greater flexibility with layout. If you were to put your stove in a 1890s house I doubt you've much chance of heating your entire house without some serious waste/help. Nowadays, perfectly doable depending on how energy efficient it is.
I'm curious where you're seeing these contemporary homes? Anyway, if you've got more info i'm sure we could give some more insight
This is what I think of when I hear contemporary home. I looked at a few (not this much $$) I liked them. Ultimately a colonial can’t be beat. We have a post modern great functional layout.
I finally got in to see that contemporary house. Passing on buying it, house was a disaster. Got a good feel for the layout walking through it. I didn’t get that warm fuzzy feeling. Odd layout, not good flow. Looked at a colonial also, that felt like home!!! Very dated, needs work. Well taken care of though. Only 3 bedroom, but could add an optional master suite later on. Kids are still young!!! We will see.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
