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Moravian Falls is an elegant home with practical undertones. A relatively simple shape has been enhanced with a few dramatic details. The large, symmetrical entry gives stability, while the eyebrow nearby winks to hint at the surprises inside. The light from the second floor windows trickles down into the central, open staircase. The stone hearth at the end of the great room, and the corner morning/sunroom on the opposite side of the house, also add character and charm to this lovely home. This house can be easily modified to include a full in–law unit on the main floor. If this is of interest to you, please read the section near the end of this Description titled In–Law Unit.

Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Moravian Falls was originally designed for a client who wanted an energy–efficient, passive solar home. You can build this house facing in whatever direction suits your needs, but if you're interested in building it as a passive solar home, please read the section below titled Passive Solar Info for specific information on orientation.

First Floor
The foyer off the front porch brings you right into the main living spaces of the home. The spacious kitchen – the hub of most homes – enjoys the same views the living and dining areas have, and is separated from the dining area by a counter with a breakfast bar. It features an optional central island, and is next to a room that functions as both a pantry and a laundry room. Next to it is a family entry that leads to the detached garage.

The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, and double doors leading to both a porch (which also has a vaulted ceiling) and an open deck. The master bath has a large walk–in closet, a private toilet, two sinks, and room for both a tub and a shower. A second bedroom on this floor, and its attached full bath (which also serves as the guest bath), are wheelchair–friendly (indicated by the dotted circles on the floor plans). The morning room across from it is sure to be a popular spot during the day.

The great room and dining area have vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, and the double French doors in the great room lead to the porch and an open deck beyond it.

Second Floor
The approach to the second floor is delightful as you ascend the curving stairs. The central game room overlooks the first floor living area, and it has views at both ends through large dormers. The third bedroom has a sunny morning window nook and a full bath nearby, which can be shared by guests staying in the study or sleeping nook. The ample spaces on the second floor that are tucked into the numerous eaves will make storage a breeze.

Daylight Basement
The central stairs also lead down to a large entertainment room with its own kitchenette in the daylight basement. There are at least two more bedrooms on this floor that share a full bath, and a possible sixth bedroom could be used as a home office that can be entered through the outside patio. A large storage space and a mechanical room are located on this floor as well.

Garage
The extra large garage has room for 3 vehicles and a workshop. It was designed to be detached, and thus can be located where it works best on your property. The attic storage space above it can be accessed by pull–down stairs.

Passive Solar Info
To maximize its passive solar design, the front of the house should face south. The thermal mass is in a few stone covered concrete block walls and in the tile covered floors throughout the first floor. The 35 pages of specifications that come with these plans (see Please Note below) will give your builder precise details on all the passive solar issues pertinent to the construction of this house.

Construction Info
On the first floor, all but the kitchen, bath and bedroom 2, and the corner morning room (which have 9' ceilings like the basement) have sloped ceilings. Structural beams that support the panels are exposed.

The basement was designed for ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) walls, while the remainder of the house was designed for SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels). If you plan to change the walls to a different type of construction, like 2x4 or 2x6 stud walls, we recommend that you purchase the plans in CAD format.

Foundation Info
This house was originally designed to have a basement foundation. However, if you prefer a crawlspace or a slab foundation, these are fairly simple and inexpensive changes that your builder can often make for you. If the basement design is not displayed in the Floor Plans, it's because it is unfinished.

In–Law Unit
Use the morning room, bedroom 2, and bath 2 as an in–law suite by simply adding a door between the bedroom and the morning room!

Please Note
All of Ms. Coleman's plans include 35(!) 8.5"x11" pages of specifications to help your builder construct this house exactly as it was designed. These technical specifications are organized to follow the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) format, and apply to the various aspects of the built home. They also include complete details on passive solar issues.