Direct from the Designers recently released Her Dream Home: Tour of Homes featuring house plans perfect for entertaining.

The newest issue of Her Dream Home magazine features great house plans for entertaining from the leading house plan designers and architects at Direct from the Designers. Each of the designs in this special Tour of Homes issue features a dream kitchen with all the latest amenities including additional seating for socializing, innovative energy efficient appliances, eco-friendly cabinetry and flooring products.

These featured house plans also have large great rooms with fireplaces and plenty of windows, open living areas, as well as extended outdoor living spaces. One of the benefits of a having a home with an open floor plan and flexible living spaces is that it can easily accommodate small or large gatherings without having to rearrange your home’s interior.

Each plan features an abundance of great photography to help inspire consumers to design a beautiful, functional and festive home that they can enjoy all year long.

On the cover of Her Dream Home is the Cariati House Plan, which is a 5 Star Mediterranean masterpiece. Take a tour of this home with over a dozen photographs showcasing the two-story stone turret and great room, a pampering master suite and bath, sunken media room, formal dining room, cozy breakfast room, gourmet kitchen with island seating and custom pool area.

The Bellesera House Plan is a natural beauty featuring a private casita above the two-car garage, which is great for overnight guests and features a kitchenette and full bath. The foyer leads to an open living area with a gourmet kitchen, living room and cozy dining room that opens to the pool area with a covered courtyard. The interior décor shown in this home provides plenty of inspiration for consumers looking to replicate an authentic Mediterranean-styled home.

Travel back to Europe with the Boddington House Plan, which is a stylish two-story European Cottage that offers exceptional living spaces for entertaining and easy living. For a timeless traditional home, the Palladian House Plan features and exterior accented by columns and arches, warm shingle-style accents and welcoming front porch. The interior features rich wood flooring, intricate millwork and cabinetry that flow naturally through the open living spaces.

These house plans are just a small sampling from the thousands of best-selling house plans offered by Direct from the Designers, which are available in a wide variety of architectural styles and sizes. Please share your favorite designs from this issue on Direct from the Designers Facebook.

The newest house plan from Direct from the Designers is a gorgeous two-story mountain log home with plenty of green building products like ENERGY STAR windows.

Direct from the Designers newest energy efficient house plan is a two-story lodge log home. This new mountain house plan features plenty of windows for natural light and warmth, which helps reduce the cost of heating and electricity during the day. You can learn more about building a green home by reading this article featured in Direct from the Designers Green Living section. The two story vaulted ceiling in the great room is accented by two walls of windows and features a wood stove with hearth and cathedral ceilings.

It’s designed with 2” x 6” walls and log siding inside and out to minimize construction costs while meeting the more stringent energy codes in many localities, while retaining the charm of a traditional log home. Of course, this design can easily be modified to utilize other modern sidings and interior finishes. Simply contact Direct from the Designers by calling one of their home plan specialist at 877-895-5299 to find out how you can make this your custom dream home. All modification quotes are free. For your convenience you can fill out a modification form for any of their over 6,000 house plans.

Take a peek at the only collection of ENERGY STAR house plans.

Enjoy the view from this two-story great with wood burning stove and wall of windows.

Her Dream Home from Direct from the Designers features great Fall decorating ideas that will inspire you to dress up your porch, light up your home’s exterior, carve a pumpkin, roll out the welcome mat, make a homemade pie and showcase your fireplace. You’ll find some hot, new house plans featuring innovative floor plans and plenty of curb appeal.

This latest issue of Her Dream Home from Direct from the Designers House Plans features great fall decorating ideas & tips that will inspire homeowners to dress up the porch, light up the home’s exterior, carve a pumpkin, roll out the welcome mat, make a homemade pie and showcase the fireplace. Homeowners will find some of Direct from the Designers newest house plans featuring innovative house plans with plenty of curb appeal.

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to dress your home in seasonal décor. There’s also an article on Creating an Authentic Craftsman Home, which highlights the key design elements to look for in a Craftsman house plan, particularly the front porch and entry.

“This new issue features some of Direct from the Designers most popular house plans based on curb appeal and interior design,” said Christine Sears, Managing Director of Direct from the Designers. “Readers will see spectacular homes with large open kitchens and living spaces and gorgeous outdoor living spaces to make entertaining easy.”

One of the homes featured in the new issue, The Fireglow Home Plan, captures the charm of homes from the French countryside. An offset entry featuring a fiberglass door from Therma-Tru’s® Classic-Craft® Rustic Collection™ opens to an impressive two-story foyer and a formal living room with fireplace lead to a formal dining room.

Another gorgeous home readers can take an inside peek of is The Chatham House Plan which embodies the essence of New England luxury and charm with its shingle-style gables, gambrels, columns, turrets, balconies and verandas. Inside is a spectacular grand circular rotunda with domed stained-glass ceiling and compass rose floor. The two-story great room with a curved bay window anchors the expansive family living space, which is great for entertaining.

For a selection of over 6,000 innovative house plans in a wide range of architectural styles and sizes, as well as their exclusive collection of ENERGY STAR house plans visit Direct from the Designers.

Let us know what you think about our Favorite Apple Pie Recipe, which is on page 8 by sending us a Tweet or sharing a photo of your homemade apple pie or favorite holiday dessert on Facebook.

With the holiday’s right around the corner it’s the perfect time to think about designing a new kitchen, which is why Direct from the Designers recently updated its collection of best-selling kitchen floor plans. Regardless of the size of the home, all the kitchens in this collection feature perfectly crafted work zones for prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning so homeowners can create the perfect home cooked dinner or holiday feast with ease and enjoyment.

The trend continues to create an open living space where the kitchen is integrated in a way that it’s not only used for cooking but entertaining and interacting with family and friends. Since the kitchen is such a key ingredient to your homes overall design, it should reflect your personal qualities and tastes, but without losing functionality.

Whether you are planning a kitchen remodel or building a kitchen from scratch for your dream home your kitchen floor plans is critical in how efficiently your kitchen space will function for you and your family. For some great examples of innovative kitchen designs you’ll want to explore kitchen floor plans from leading house plan companies like Direct from the Designers, who not only offer detailed floor plans but great photography so you visualize your new kitchen.

Here are three innovative, fabulous  kitchen floor plans fresh from the architects drafting table to inspire the chef in everyone:

This one-story house plan satisfy and delights on all levels, particularly in the kitchen.

Though this is but a single-story home, The Leewright House Plan satisfies and delights on many levels. The exterior has visual appeal with varied rooflines, a mix of materials and graceful traditional lines. The interior is thoughtfully planned for family living. Count among the living spaces a huge great room with sloped, vaulted ceiling, fireplace and built-ins; a media room with double-door access; a private home office; and an outdoor living area with fireplace. There are two dining spaces — a formal dining room with hutch recess and a nook that opens to an outdoor kitchen with built-in grill. Speaking of kitchens, the main one in this home has an island, two sink prep areas, a butler’s pantry connecting it to the formal dining room and a walk-in pantry. Family bedrooms sit to the front of the plan and are joined by a Jack-and-Jill bath. The master suite is on the far right side. Its grand salon has an eleven-foot ceiling, a fireplace, built-ins, a walk-in closet and a superb bath. If you need extra space, there’s a bonus room on an upper level above the garage.

This gorgeous kitchen features an expansive floor plan with kitchen island.

When you enter the courtyard of this two-story home,  you’ll feel like you’ve just entered into the elegant world of Tuscany. The old world charm and craftsmanship are evident as you pass through the tower entryway into the gallery and great room with beamed ceiling and fireplace. There’s a huge open kitchen with breakfast nook, center island and peninsula so you can enjoy casual dining with family and friends. The French doors lead you to an expansive outdoor living space featuring a covered patio, stone floor and fireplace. The second floor features 461 sq. ft to create a unique/flexible space to fit your family needs. Shown as a game room with full bath, this space could easily be converted into another a fourth bedroom or office.

The brilliantly designed kitchen area of this two-story home features a snack lounge, circular dinette and dining area.

This beautiful traditional house plan has great curb appeal and an amazing layout. Soaring to 22 feet, the ceilings in the great room are adorned with decorative beams, recessed lighting and a massive stone fireplace. The brilliantly designed kitchen area, snack lounge, circular dinette and dining area combine functionality and beauty. Separated by decorative columns, the octagonal shaped hearth room creates a feeling of warmth and relaxation. There’s plenty of room to grow with this house, which comes with an optional basement plan featuring a game and recreational room, wet bar, guest room and plenty of additional flexible spaces.

Enjoy their recently updated its collection of best-selling kitchen flloor plans, featuring a wide range of architectural styles and sizes, including homes from their exclusive ENERGY STAR approved house plans collection.

House plans featuring well-designed garages do much more than house your automobile, they add value, practicality, organization and curb appeal to your home. When searching for house plans, it is best to decide ahead of time, whether you want an attached or detached garage, a one-car or multi-car design or a one-story, two-story and three-story floor plan to extend your living space.

Think of your garage as a valuable extension of your home’s living space. By outfitting your garage with extra electrical outlets, lighting, flooring and insulated garage doors, you can create a functional workspace. Your garage can also provided you with additional storage space by adding simple accessories like cabinets, tables, benches, shelving and racks.

Consumers are also installing upscale, eye-catching and energy-efficient doors to give their home added curb appeal. With the garage accounting for about 30% of your home, it only makes sense to take special care in choosing a garage door that will complement your home’s architectural style.

For example this European–styled manor  features three gorgeous carriage house garage doors with accented by soft stone and dormers and some added storage/bonus space above. This spacious, yet cozy cottage house plan is perfect for a narrow lot design. It’s accented with stone, cedar shakes and carriage style garage doors. An irresistible wrap-around porch makes a great first impression. There is lots of curb appeal packed into this house design, feature a mix of natural stone and siding and a unique front entry two-car garage design.  All of these designs feature garage doors by Wayne-Dalton.

You can preview thousands of popular house plans featuring innovative, flexible garage designs from Direct from the Designers. Check out this week”s issue of Dream Green featuring the our  favorite garage designs and garage doors.

Direct from the Designers presents this cozy cottage featuring a two-car garage design and plenty of curb appeal.

Direct from the Designers House Plans, Home Plans, Floor Plans offers one of the largest collections of online green house plans, including an the only collection of ENERGY STAR® approved house plans to assist homeowners and builders in building innovative, flexible and sustainable homes.

“The designers and architects of Direct from the Designers believe in creating innovative, energy-efficient green house plans that utilize all the latest green building techniques and products to make it easy and affordable for consumers and builders to build an authentic green home without sacrificing aesthetics,” said Christine Sears, Managing Director of Direct from the Designers. “We wanted to take it a step further by providing consumers with a comprehensive resource center called Green Living where they could read about the latest interior and exterior home building products, get inspiring home design ideas and tips and find the latest home product rebates and promotions.”

Articles like Building a Green Home, The Top 10 Commandments to Home Design and Gorgeous, Green Bathroom Products are key to assisting home builders in making informed decisions about green products and building techniques so they can determine how green they want their new home to be.

If you want to stay in touch with the newest green house plans from Direct from the Designers and read the latest articles added to Green Living, you’ll want to sign-up for Dream Green, a free weekly newsletter, showcasing the latest in green home building products and inspiring design ideas.

You’ll find cutting-edge designs like The Evergreen Cottage, which took first place in a recent ENERGY STAR/Green house plan competition, The Greenview House Plan, a contemporary two-story, perfect for narrow lots and the Award-winning Craftsman previewed each week in Dream Green.

The Evergreen Cottage House Plan from Direct from the Designers House Plans was selected because it offers tremendous flexibility in its design, while offering the latest in green technology and innovation.

A recent issue of Dream Green by Direct from the Designers House Plans is all about satisfying home builders craving for creating an eco-friendly kitchen.

After all, the kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in any home and a key ingredient to any well-designed house plan. It is the place where we create great dishes and gather for food and conversation. When it comes time designing your new kitchen, be sure to satisfy your craving for style while balancing functionality, by making sure you have enough space for food preparation, storage, cooking and cleanup.

A great addition to any kitchen design is to incorporate a kitchen island so you can have extra space for food preparation and cleanup and more time for socializing. It is especially useful for entertaining, snacking, light lunches and breakfast, if you have enough room to add seating.

All of the house plans in Direct from the Designers green collection feature the latest in kitchen design ideas, from green flooring products to high-efficiency appliances, gorgeous countertops, water-efficient faucets and decorative millwork.

If you don’t already have a free subscription to Dream Green, please click here.

Sign up for Dream Green, a free newsletter from Direct from the Designers, a free weekly newsletter, showcasing the latest in green home building products and inspiring design ideas.

Sizzling outdoor grilling tips from Designers Direct House Plans is  just in time for Labor Day cookouts!

While summer may be coming to an end, there is still plenty of good grilling time left in the calendar. So whether you enjoy preparing traditional cookout food like hot dogs and hamburgers or like to be more creative with flavorful fish dishes or gourmet kabobs, you’ll need the right outdoor grilling tools and some sizzling cooking tips to create great dishes. The editors at Designers Direct House Plans have put together some of their best grilling tips so you can create some sizzling dishes in a great outdoor kitchen.

Designers Direct House Plans offers a wide range of homes with gourmet outdoor kitchens, like the Chateau Cove House Plan.

1 CREATE YOUR SPACE

One of the key ingredients to most outdoor living spaces is the cooking area, since food and drink draw people together. Your outdoor cooking area can be as simple as a grilling station or the ultimate gourmet kitchen with a grill, sink, refrigerator, ice maker, even a beer tap and dishwasher. The only limitation is your imagination, and of course your budget. The most important piece of any outdoor living space is the grill, so be sure to decide wisely. There are so many things to consider like whether you want a built-in or freestanding grill? What size do you need (they range from 32” to 54”)? What features would you like – side burners, rotisseries, sear stations or infrared burners? Do you want to cook with gas, charcoal or wood? Or how about a high-end hybrid that can cook with all three?

This gorgeous house plan features a great outdoor living space that includes a kitchen, dining room and living area with fireplace.

2 COOKING ESSENTIALS

Make sure you invest in some high quality cooking utensils and some grilling cookware like cast iron pans and woks. There’s nothing worse than cheap spatulas, forks and tongs that bend and rust. Beyond the basic three BBQ tools, you can find plenty of sets that feature all kinds of cooking gadgets. Many you’ll never figure out what they are for or use…so while it sounds exciting to purchase an 18-piece grill set, you might find more enjoyment by spending that same money on three stainless steel, high-quality cooking tools.

3 PREPARE YOUR FOOD AHEAD OF TIME

Some of us aren’t as patient as others when it comes to cooking, but if you could plan ahead just 24 hours to marinate your next dinner, you and your guests will certainly savor the tender beef, flavorful shrimp and chicken. It’s really quite easy and quick to put together a savory Italian marinade with extra virgin olive oil, traditional spices and of course fresh garlic. For the not so natural cook – there’s a bounty of marinades available in the supermarket where all you need to do is shake, pour and cover. Of course…you can’t take full credit for the great taste when you buy premade, bottled marinades.

4 DON’T GET SAUCEY TIL THE END

The quickest way to ruin a good barbeque is to drench your meats in a thick sauce that is high in sugar because before you meat is thoroughly cooked the outside will be completely burnt. Add simple spices to your meats and then when there’s about 5 minutes left brush your chicken or beef with your favorite sauce and cook on low heat. A trick to cooking mouthwatering ribs is to cook them first in the oven and then finish them off by grilling them to capture that amazing smoky taste.

5 TURN UP THE HEAT

Nothing tastes better than a perfectly tender, seared juicy rib eye or strip steak. The trick to creating a perfectly seared steak is to coat both sides of the steak with salt, pepper, crushed garlic and olive oil (of course any other seasonings you like). You can also marinate the steaks a few hours before you plan on grilling. To really capture the flavor, you should wait to grill until the steaks are room temperature. Place the steaks over direct heat and sear for two minutes per side. If you don’t like rare meat then leave the steak on indirect heat for a few more minutes. Remember they will continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes even after you have removed them from the heat, so don’t overcook.

If you are craving a new kitchen, you will want to check out Designers Direct House Plans collection of Fabulous Kitchens.

Designers Direct House Plans celebrates its success as one of the leading online house plan providers for consumers and builders with a new, eco-friendly weekly newsletter called Dream Green. Dream Green is an informative weekly newsletter that offers practical advice and guidance, spotlights the latest green products and building technologies and provides in-depth articles on the latest trends and news related to building a green home.

Designers Direct House Plans continues to add new, innovative, energy-efficient designs to their existing collection of best-selling house plans, which are available in a wide range of architectural styles and sizes to make finding the perfect house plan an easy and enjoyable process.

Since it’s inception, they have added new innovative collections like ENERGY STAR® approved house plans, green house plans, fabulous kitchen designs, outdoor living spaces, a 3D collection and much more.

“In one short year, Designers Direct House Plan has become a top online house plan provider, where consumers and builders continue to come to find their dream house plans despite a global recession with the housing industry being the hardest hit,” said Christine Sears, Managing Director of Designers Direct House Plans. “I attribute our quick growth to having the best quality, energy-efficient house plans available online packaged in an engaging, progressive, easy to use website.”

Consumers can visit Designers Direct House Plans Green Living section, featuring the latest interior and exterior home building products and home design articles to build their new home. They’ll find everything from product slideshows, inspiring home product ideas and design tips, top green home products and money saving coupons.

Sign Up now so you do not miss a single issue of  Dream Green, a FREE informative weekly newsletter to help guide and inspire consumers to build a green home. Every week you will also get a sneak peak at their newest, most stylish energy-efficient house plans.

Premiere Issue of Dream Green, a FREE e-newsletter from Designers Direct House Plans

Since building a home will most likely be one of the biggest projects of your lifetime, it is important that you select the right house plan for your needs, lifestyle and budget. Remember that you’re not just purchasing a home plan for today, but for a growing and exciting future.

A key element to finding the right house plan is to look for floor plans that offer lots of flexibility. For example, where a bedroom can easily be converted into a home office, nursery or den. You many not think you need it now, but plans that offer optional bonus spaces and basement floor plans are a great asset down the road when you find yourself needing more space for your growing family.

Searching for the perfect house plan can be made easy by browsing through Designers Direct House Plans collection of innovative designs featuring a wide range of architectural styles and unique collections like 3-D, Exclusive and ENERGY STAR house plans.

As you get ready to search for the perfect home plan, you need to evaluate your needs, lifestyle and finances by asking yourself some important questions:

What is your marital status? This will help determine what size home you will need, the amount of flexibility you need from your floor plan and the location of its bedrooms.

Are you an avid cook? Do you enjoy entertaining? If the answer is yes then you’ll want to make sure that you have a large, functional kitchen space. Most new kitchen designs feature designated work zones for preparation, cooking and cleaning. An open floor plan where the kitchen, dining room and great room share the same space makes it easy to socialize, especially if they lead to an outdoor living space.

Will you need extra space for overnight guests? If you have out-of-state family and friends you should consider a house plan with a guest suite or bonus room that can easily be converted in a bedroom.

This Classic Country House Plan features a flexible layout for a small footprint. An expansive front porch opens into a dramatic living area with loft above. Each bedroom has a private bathroom suite, plus there’s plenty of extra storage space in the two-car garage.

Do you have a realistic home building budget? Being realistic about the amount of money you actually can afford to invest in building your new home is key to you enjoying your home. Even if you can afford a larger home now, keep in mind all the expenses that go into operating and maintaining a home this size, especially if your financial situation changes down the road. A well-designed house plan will allow for future expansions and include bonus spaces and basement options so you can easily add more space to your home.

It’s definitely a great idea to purchase a cost estimator (you can get a pretty comprehensive cost-to-build report for around $30) before you buy a house plan to make sure you not only can afford to build your home, but all the yearly utilities, taxes and maintenance bills that go along with owning a home.

Will you need a home office? Whether you work at home or not, you’ll appreciate having a dedicated office in your home so you can keep all your personal finances and projects together.

How important is it to have a master suite? Your bedroom should be the place you go to escape and relax after a long day. It should have all the features you need to pamper yourself like large windows, a sitting area, master bath with spa shower and/or hot tub and huge walk-in closets. While looking at house plans decide whether you want the master suite on the first or second floor or left or right wing of your home.

Do you want an outdoor living space? You can easily extend your home’s living space by incorporating an outdoor living space like a patio, porch, deck, outdoor kitchen and/or living room, sunroom and pool area.

It’s not only natural, but expected that when you find the “perfect” house plan, you’ll want to make some changes to truly personalize your home. Most modifications can be made by your builder directly on the blueprint (called redlining) to minimize costs. For more extensive changes, you’ll want to have the designer or architect make the modifications for you. Look for house plan companies that offer free modification quotes to make sure you can afford to build your home. If not, you’ll know what type of house plan you should be looking at that fits your needs and budget.

ENJOY searching for your dream house plan!