“Warmth” and “comfort” are just two of the words that come to mind when people think of Inglenook’s Cottage Homes. 

Cottage Homes are filled with spirit and happy informality, something that’s often missing from today’s cold, oversized mansions. All of the wasted space so common in today’s traditional “big box” houses has purposely been designed out of our Cottage Homes. We have worked hard to make them functional for the everyday.  Whether hosting a small dinner party, a family gathering, or spending some quiet time alone – Inglenook’s Cottage Homes live large.

Obvious Differences

When people first set foot in an Inglenook Cottage Home, they often remark upon the warmth and charm they feel within the home.  We like to think of these feelings as a product of our good old fashion recipe for living.

The hallmark of cottage design is the front porch.  At Inglenook the front porch functions as more than a decorative entry.  With a Cottage Home the front porch is an extension of your home serving as an outdoor room.  It’s a perfect place for friends to gather, share family meals, or simply relax alone when the mood strikes.

Another thing you’ll notice is that Cottage Homes have bigger windows and more windows than traditional homes.  Light streams into the rooms creating bright and airy spaces.  Or, as one of our Inglenook residents puts it, “When the weather is nice, if you open all the windows, you feel like you are in a screened porch.” Additionally in our Cottage Homes, windows are placed strategically to maximize the impact of sunlight and add an extra feel-good spark in each home.

Third, a Cottage Home utilizes every inch of space by including built-in bookshelves, reading nooks, and storage spaces.  Built-in nooks and alcoves add to the coziness, offer space-saving storage, and serve as the perfect spot to curl up with your favorite read.  Besides being functional, these elements personalize a home.

Finally, there are quite a few of what we call “hidden design secrets”, in every Cottage Home floor plan.  The secret is how we plan for the way people actually live.  Rather than hook one room into the next, each living space is planned around your everyday private and social life.  Transitions from one activity to another are so smooth that you barely notice how easy your house makes it.

Cottage Home Design Secrets

The secrets of what make a Cottage Home so wonderful are not in the granite countertops or fancy finishes (although we have those too).  Rather, the secrets are in the design details of the home itself – small touches that add to the feeling of a space and have a huge impact on your daily life.  Here are a few of those secrets.

First, Cottage Home design is thoughtfully planned for both your social and private life.  Inside, active social spaces such as your living, kitchen, and dining areas are designed in the front of the home, overlooking the community green spaces.   Personal spaces, like bedrooms and dens are purposely located at the back or on the second floors of the Cottage Homes.  This creates a natural separation between activity and privacy.

Another design secret is that every room, every stairwell, and every built-in has a reason to be where it is.  Take a simple element like a stairwell; rather than at the front of a home, we place the stairwell in the center of the home.  Not only does this make it more efficient moving from room to room, but it also serves as a noise buffer between private and social spaces too.

Next, to ensure privacy between the Cottage Homes, we have nested them together with an "open" side and a "closed" side.  We face the “open” side of one house to the “closed” side of the neighboring home.  The "open" side of the house contains numerous large windows, whereas the "closed" side has higher windows and skylights. 

On top of our design, there’s one final secret – customization.  Unlike your standard production builders, when we talk customization it’s much more than picking out the finishes.  It’s customizing your home to reflect how you live.