This luxurious French country home was originally finished in stone veneer and wood cedar shingles. It is reminiscent of Old World architecture, with its wooden shutters and trim, and the arched entryway that mimics the multiple arched windows at the front and rear.

After entering the open two–story foyer from the covered entry, there is a formal dining room to the left and a stairwell to the right. Straight ahead through a narrow gallery is a grand salon with an 11'4" ceiling and a central fireplace that is flanked with built–ins. Windows along the rear wall look out to the open terrace, which is accessed by a glazed door in the salon. The living areas are all open to each other, creating an open and flexible environment. Next to the salon is a family dining area that has sliding glass doors that open to a screened porch, extending the dining area during warmer weather. The screened porch has a door that also accesses the outdoor terrace. The large open kitchen has room for a center island with a double sink on top and both a dishwasher and a trash compacter below. Next to it is a keeping room with a cathedral ceiling that rises to a dramatic 20' and double doors that open to the study.

From the kitchen, a rear hall leads to a walk–in pantry, a stairwell to the lower level, a powder room, an optional elevator, and a mudroom. The mudroom has room for a desk and coat closets, and accesses the laundry room and the two–car garage. An exterior door from the mudroom brings you to a separate one–car garage.

A door in the gallery on the other side of the house leads to the master suite. Like the salon, the ceiling in the master bedroom is set at 11'4". A door in this room accesses the open backyard terrace. The spacious master bath features a whirlpool tub and a large shower in opposite corners, two separated sinks, and a private toilet. A door from the bath leads to a large walk–in closet that is divided into two closet spaces.

The upper floor has a comfortable guest suite with a vaulted ceiling that rises to 20', and two walk–in closets. It has it's own private bath with two vanity sinks and a private toilet room. Two additional bedroom suites are located on the upper floor, each with its own private bath and walk–in closet. The upper floor has a ceiling height of 9', but bedroom 2 has a ceiling height of 10'6". There is also room for future expansion over the garage, which would make an ideal recreation room, office or playroom.

If you build the lower basement level, you can add another 2,087 square feet! After coming downstairs, you find yourself in a large open game room with multiple windows that look out to the back, and a glazed door that walks out to the lower terrace. The room features a wet bar with bar storage, a wine cellar, and a large multi–use storage room located next to the stairwell. To the right of the wet bar there is a future theater room and a large exercise room that has two walls of windows to keep the room bright, and a door to a lake garage. To the left of the game room there is a hall that leads to a powder room, the elevator, an office, and a guest suite. The guest suite features a walk–in closet and a private full bath, which has a secondary door to the backyard.

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.

Please Note
This house was originally designed for a couple in Charlotte, North Carolina, who (understandably) do not want another house just like theirs built nearby. If you're planning to build within a 50–mile radius of downtown Charlotte the designer needs to approve the location before he'll grant a copyright release allowing you to legally build the house. Just give us the address or location of your property, via email or phone –– and we'll get back to you right away.

Electronic Format
These plans were drawn using a well–known and highly respected architectural design software program called SoftPlan (version 13). This software can export the same files in .dwg format, so they can also be modified by anyone who uses AutoCAD, which is nearly universal. The CD for this plan includes the files in both SoftPlan and AutoCAD–ready .dwg, as well as in .pdf for easy viewing on your home or office computer.