This 1,879-square-foot Craftsman home is a wonderful example of how thoughtful planning can turn a relatively modest footprint into a comfortable and highly functional family home.
Designed for one-level living, the house offers three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a vaulted family room, vaulted kitchen, large island, corner pantry, breakfast nook, dedicated home office or study potential, main-level laundry, mud room, private owner’s suite, two additional bedrooms, a generous front porch with a dedicated swing area, rear lanai, and an attached two-car garage.
The design is especially appealing to homeowners who enjoy outdoor living. The front porch is divided into two connected sections, with one section specifically suited to a porch swing. At the back of the house, the lanai creates another comfortable outdoor space and connects directly to the owner’s suite through French doors.All 1,879 square feet of heated living space is located on the first floor. The home measures approximately 78 feet 11 inches wide by 57 feet 11 inches deep, with a maximum ridge height of about 24 feet 11 inches. Ten-foot ceilings are used throughout the main level, while both the family room and kitchen feature vaulted ceilings reaching approximately 11 feet at their highest point.
Exterior & First Impressions
The exterior combines Country, Craftsman, New American, and Northwest influences into a warm and approachable design.Multiple gables and dormer windows give the roofline considerable character, while the covered front porch establishes the home’s strongest architectural feature.The exterior can work beautifully with a mixture of siding, stone, timber-style details, tapered or square porch columns, and contrasting trim. The overall shape is substantial enough to feel like a proper family home without becoming overwhelmingly large.
The attached garage sits toward the front of the home, while the porch and main entrance remain important parts of the street-facing composition.The result is a house that feels comfortable and established rather than overly formal.
Front Swing Porch
The front porch is designed specifically for people who actually enjoy porch living.Instead of treating the porch as a narrow strip along the entrance, the design divides it into two connected sections. One section is particularly well suited for a porch swing.
A swing can become the perfect spot for morning coffee, reading, relaxing after work, or watching the neighborhood go about its business.The other portion of the porch can accommodate chairs, a small table, planters, or additional seating.The combined porch area is approximately 644 square feet when the home’s covered porch spaces are considered together, giving the design a substantial amount of outdoor living potential.
Welcoming Foyer
The foyer creates a direct visual connection through the house toward the vaulted family room and rear lanai.This is an especially effective planning decision because the entry does not feel like a dead-end hallway. Instead, the eye is drawn through the home toward the main living space and backyard.
The ten-foot first-floor ceilings give the entry and surrounding rooms a comfortable sense of spaciousness.For a home under 1,900 square feet, these higher ceilings help prevent the interior from feeling compressed.
Vaulted Family Room
The family room is one of the home’s major architectural highlights.Its vaulted ceiling rises to approximately 11 feet, creating additional vertical volume and making the central living area feel larger than its floor area suggests.The room can accommodate a comfortable sofa or sectional, television, coffee table, accent chairs, bookshelves, and other furnishings.
Because the family room opens directly toward the kitchen, it becomes a natural gathering point for the household.It is equally suited to quiet family evenings and larger gatherings with friends.
Vaulted Kitchen
The kitchen shares the vaulted ceiling treatment used in the family room, creating a strong architectural connection between the two spaces.The vaulted ceiling gives the kitchen additional vertical presence and creates opportunities for attractive pendant lighting, decorative beams, tall cabinetry, or other design details.
The kitchen is positioned so that the person preparing meals remains connected to the family room and surrounding living spaces.This makes everyday family life more social and keeps cooking from becoming an isolated activity.
Large Kitchen Island
A large island provides additional preparation space and becomes a natural gathering point within the kitchen.The island can accommodate casual seating, making it useful for breakfast, quick meals, homework, baking, serving food, or simply talking while dinner is being prepared.In a home of this size, a well-designed island is particularly valuable because it can perform several jobs without requiring separate rooms.
Homeowners can personalize the island with contrasting cabinetry, a different countertop material, pendant lighting, or seating to create a visual centerpiece.
Corner Pantry
The kitchen includes a dedicated corner pantry measuring approximately 4 feet by 4 feet.Although compact, this pantry creates valuable additional storage for canned goods, dry foods, small appliances, beverages, and kitchen supplies.Its location near the kitchen keeps frequently used storage close at hand without filling the main kitchen cabinets with every item in the household food inventory.It is a small feature that can make a noticeable difference in everyday kitchen organization.
Breakfast Nook
The breakfast nook provides a casual dining area near the kitchen.This gives the household an informal alternative to more traditional dining arrangements.A small table can provide a comfortable location for everyday breakfasts, quick lunches, homework, board games, or morning coffee.Its convenient relationship with the kitchen also makes serving meals simple.
Rear Lanai
The rear lanai provides another major outdoor living opportunity.The space is positioned directly behind the main living areas, allowing the family room and kitchen to maintain a strong relationship with the backyard.The lanai can accommodate outdoor seating, a dining table, grill, planters, ceiling fans, and other weather-resistant furniture.It can become a comfortable outdoor extension of the home’s interior during pleasant weather.The rear location also provides greater privacy than the front porch, making it ideal for family relaxation and entertaining.
Indoor-Outdoor Connection
The foyer’s sightline extends through the vaulted family room toward the lanai, creating one of the home’s strongest design features.This visual connection makes the interior feel deeper and gives the backyard a more important role in the overall design.Large windows and appropriately positioned doors can further strengthen this relationship, bringing natural light into the main living spaces while keeping the outdoors visually connected to everyday family life.
Private Owner’s Suite
The owner’s suite is located on the first floor and is designed as a comfortable private retreat.The bedroom has direct access to the rear lanai through French doors, creating a rare and attractive connection between the private bedroom and outdoor living space.In the morning, the homeowners can step directly outside without passing through the main living areas.The bedroom can comfortably accommodate a king-size bed, nightstands, dresser, seating, and other furnishings.
Owner’s Five-Fixture Bathroom
The owner’s bathroom is designed as a five-fixture bath, giving the primary suite a generous and comfortable bathroom arrangement.The layout provides space for multiple fixtures and allows the room to function as a true private retreat rather than simply a basic bedroom bathroom.The bathroom can be customized with dual vanities, a generous shower, soaking tub, private toilet area, storage cabinetry, and contemporary or Craftsman-inspired finishes.Natural materials, warm wood tones, stone countertops, and simple tile could all complement the architectural character of the house.
His and Hers Walk-In Closets
One of the most thoughtful features of the owner’s suite is the pair of walk-in closets flanking the entrance to the bathroom.One closet measures approximately 3 feet 4 inches by 8 feet, while the other measures approximately 5 feet by 8 feet 8 inches.This arrangement gives each occupant dedicated storage rather than forcing two people to negotiate one closet every morning.The closets can be fitted with hanging rods, shelves, drawers, shoe storage, and other organizational systems.It is a practical little bit of domestic diplomacy built directly into the floor plan.
Two Secondary Bedrooms
The home includes two additional bedrooms grouped together on the main floor.These rooms can serve children, teenagers, guests, or other household members.Each bedroom can accommodate a bed, dresser, desk, and personal storage while maintaining comfortable circulation.If the household does not require both rooms as bedrooms, one can easily be converted into a guest room, nursery, study, hobby room, or additional office.
Shared Bathroom
The two secondary bedrooms share a full bathroom.This arrangement provides convenient access without requiring each bedroom to have its own private bathroom.The bathroom can be designed with a bathtub or shower, vanity storage, linen storage, and durable finishes suitable for everyday family use.For a three-bedroom home, two full bathrooms provide a sensible balance between privacy, convenience, and efficient use of space.
Home Office or Study
The design includes features that make it suitable for a home office or study.A dedicated workspace can be used for remote work, reading, household administration, studying, or hobbies.For homeowners who do not need a formal office every day, the space can remain flexible and become a library, craft area, homework room, or quiet reading retreat.This is particularly useful in a home where the main living spaces are intentionally open because it gives work and quiet activities their own territory.
Mud Room
The mud room sits near the garage and creates a practical transition between the outdoors and the interior.The area can be equipped with hooks, cubbies, shelves, cabinets, and a bench.Coats, shoes, backpacks, sports equipment, gardening supplies, and outdoor clothing can all be stored here.This keeps the foyer and kitchen from becoming the household’s default landing zone for every item that comes through the door.
Main-Level Laundry
The laundry area is located on the main level, keeping household chores convenient.Because all three bedrooms are also located on the first floor, laundry baskets do not have to travel between multiple levels.The room can accommodate a washer and dryer along with cabinets, shelving, hanging space, and a folding counter.Cleaning supplies and laundry products can also be stored neatly in the same area.
Two-Car Attached Garage
The attached garage provides approximately 573 square feet of space and accommodates two vehicles.The garage doors are approximately 9 feet wide by 7 feet high, providing practical vehicle access.In addition to parking, the garage offers room for tools, bicycles, lawn equipment, sports gear, storage cabinets, and seasonal belongings.The garage is also conveniently positioned near the kitchen and eating nook, making grocery unloading particularly practical.
Garage Storage
The garage includes additional storage potential, including approximately 58 square feet of dedicated storage space.This can be used for household supplies, tools, outdoor equipment, seasonal decorations, or other belongings that do not need to occupy the main living areas.Wall-mounted cabinets and overhead racks can further improve the efficiency of the garage.With careful organization, a portion of the garage could also function as a compact workshop.
Basement Option
The design provides an unfinished basement option for homeowners who want additional future space beneath the main floor.The basement can provide room for mechanical equipment, storage, recreation, hobbies, or future finished living areas.Stairs are positioned near the garage and utility area, keeping basement access practical without interfering with the main living spaces.An unfinished basement also gives homeowners the opportunity to complete the space later as their budget and needs change.
Walkout Basement Option
A walkout basement option provides another way to adapt the design to sloping properties.With the right site, a walkout can create direct access between the lower level and backyard.This can transform the basement from a simple storage level into a much more useful recreation, guest, hobby, or family area.The final suitability of a walkout configuration depends on the site’s slope, grading, drainage, soil conditions, and local construction requirements.
Bonus Room Option
The design also offers a bonus room option, providing homeowners with additional flexibility above the main level.The bonus space can become a media room, game room, home office, hobby studio, guest area, exercise room, or additional family retreat.Because the main floor already contains three bedrooms and the essential household functions, the bonus room does not have to perform a specific job.It can simply become whatever space the family needs most.
10-Foot Ceilings
The first floor features 10-foot ceilings, giving the home a spacious and comfortable interior atmosphere.The additional ceiling height is particularly effective in the foyer and main living spaces because it complements the home’s open layout.The family room and kitchen are vaulted to approximately 11 feet, creating additional vertical volume in the heart of the home.This combination allows the house to feel larger without relying on an oversized footprint.
8:12 Roof Pitch
The primary roof uses an 8:12 pitch, giving the home a strong Craftsman and Country silhouette.A secondary 3:12 pitch creates variation within the roof design, while the garage roof uses an 8:12 pitch.The maximum ridge height is approximately 24 feet 11 inches.The roof is stick framed, and the different roof slopes help create the layered gables and dormers that give the exterior its architectural personality.
2×4 Exterior Framing
The standard exterior walls use 2×4 framing, with an optional 2×6 exterior-wall configuration available.The deeper wall cavity of 2×6 construction can provide additional room for insulation depending on the selected wall assembly and local energy requirements.The final framing choice should be based on local building codes, climate, insulation strategy, and recommendations from the construction team.
Construction Details
- Country, Craftsman, New American and Northwest architectural influences
- 1,879 square feet of heated living space
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 full bathrooms
- One-story design
- Attached two-car garage
- 573-square-foot garage
- 9-foot by 7-foot garage doors
- 644 square feet of combined porch area
- Front swing porch
- Rear lanai
- Open connection between foyer and rear outdoor space
- Vaulted family room
- Vaulted kitchen
- 11-foot vaulted ceiling height in family room
- 11-foot vaulted ceiling height in kitchen
- Large kitchen island
- 4-foot by 4-foot corner pantry
- Breakfast nook
- Owner’s suite on first floor
- Direct owner’s suite access to rear lanai
- French doors from owner’s suite to lanai
- Five-fixture owner’s bathroom
- His and hers walk-in closets
- Home office/study potential
- Mud room
- Main-level laundry
- Bonus room option
- Unfinished basement option
- Walkout basement option
- 58 square feet of storage
- 78 feet 11 inches overall width
- 57 feet 11 inches overall depth
- 24 feet 11 inches maximum ridge height
- 10-foot first-floor ceilings
- 8:12 primary roof pitch
- 3:12 secondary roof pitch
- 8:12 garage roof pitch
- Stick-framed roof
- 2×4 exterior walls
- Optional 2×6 exterior walls
- Slab foundation option
- Unfinished basement option
- Walkout basement option
Quick Specs
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Home Style | Country Craftsman / New American |
| Heated Living Area | 1,879 Sq. Ft. |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 Full |
| Stories | 1 |
| Garage | 2-Car Attached |
| Garage Area | 573 Sq. Ft. |
| Storage | 58 Sq. Ft. |
| Combined Porch Area | 644 Sq. Ft. |
| Owner’s Suite | First Floor |
| Owner’s Outdoor Access | French Doors to Lanai |
| Owner’s Bathroom | Five-Fixture Bath |
| Owner’s Closets | Two Walk-In Closets |
| Kitchen | Vaulted with Large Island |
| Pantry | 4′ x 4′ Corner Pantry |
| Dining | Breakfast Nook |
| Family Room | Vaulted |
| Ceiling Height | 10 Feet Main Level |
| Vaulted Ceiling Height | 11 Feet |
| Bonus Room | Optional |
| Basement | Optional Unfinished / Walkout |
| Mud Room | Yes |
| Laundry | Main Level |
| Primary Roof Pitch | 8:12 |
| Exterior Walls | 2×4, Optional 2×6 |
| Foundation | Slab, Basement or Walkout |
Estimated U.S. Build Cost
Construction costs vary considerably depending on location, labor rates, site conditions, foundation type, materials, and interior finish selections. For this 1,879-square-foot Craftsman home, a reasonable U.S. construction estimate is:
- Standard-quality finishes: $335,000 to $420,000
- Premium custom finishes: $430,000 to $520,000+
The relatively efficient 1,879-square-foot footprint helps keep the project more manageable than larger family homes, while the vaulted ceilings, extensive covered porch area, attached garage, five-
