Maple Forest 3 Cottage Plans & Country Living Home Plans From

This is the third version of Maple Forest, still the top–selling plan on our website for more than eight years! Just like version 2, the architects removed 15 – 20% of the overall cost to build when compared to the original – achieved primarily by lowering the sq. footage by 10%, and changing the roof construction from stick–built to trusses.

Also like version 2, the architects tried to change the overall appearance of both the exterior and the interior, knowing how much folks love the original house. And once again, they changed the positions of the rooms to possibly better suit other lots and views. But the biggest change from both the original and version 2 was the addition of a bedroom and full bath on the lower level.

One of the first things you'll notice is that the entry to the house has changed again. The original has a front door facing the garage at the side of the house; version 2 has one facing what in both versions was considered the wide "front" of the house; while in this version the "front" is on the opposite side of the original. This allows the house to be constructed on a narrow lot, as the overall width is now just 36 feet. However, because of the location of the front door, the deck could easily be considered the left side of the house, so that the garage doors would face the front.

There's a very large deck area at the front (or side) of the house with a semi–circular shape on one side that wraps around the other side to the front door. As you enter the house, the kitchen and dining area are on your left and the living room's to your right. The kitchen, like all the rooms on the main level, has a ceiling height of 9'. There's a large center island with two sinks on top and a dishwasher below, and a raised bar for casual eating and/or dining. A door opens to the large round portion of the deck, making it easy to serve food outdoors when the weather allows. The dining room is open to the kitchen, and it enjoys wrap around views through very large picture windows.

As you enter the living room there are stairs to the upper level on your left. The living room features a large fireplace flanked by windows, with built–in cabinets under them on one side and a window seat on the other. The far wall has a trio of large windows facing the screened porch, providing views and natural light.

From the living room, you pass stairs to the lower level before reaching a tiny foyer that accesses a bedroom on the left and a full bath on the right. The bedroom has a large window that wraps around one corner, and a walk–in closet. A short hall opposite the stairs passes a mudroom and a laundry on the right and a coat closet on the left before leading to the garage.

At the top of the stairs to the upper level, there are doors to both the left and right that open to two bedrooms, while an opening straight ahead brings you to a hall that accesses both the shared full bath and a large storage area over the garage. (Please note that the storage area is not counted in the square footage totals) Each bedroom has transom windows facing the landing between them to add to the light coming through the windows.

The master bedroom features two very long closets on either side, along with two smaller closets flanking a semi–circular window with a built–in window seat below it, and a fifth closet just inside the entry to the bedroom. The ceiling in this room vaults from 8' at the sides to a dramatic 14! In the middle! The master bath has a large tub set beneath a trio of windows, two separate vanities, a shower with a bench, and a private toilet.

The basement, if you choose to build it, has a bedroom with a full bath, a large media room, a craft room, and a large room for utilities and storage.