| When someone imagines homes in the North | | | | extra sleeping quarters. Shutters, if functional, |
| American countryside, many house designs come | | | | offer the house extra protection from the |
| to mind. It may be a farmhouse among vast, | | | | elements, and enhance their rural charm. |
| cultivated fields, a small cabin hugging the forest, a | | | | Clearly, the use of numerous architectural |
| simple small-town cottage, or even a stunning | | | | elements can combine to create a beautiful |
| mansion reminiscent of the American South. Each | | | | country home. For some, however, the charm of |
| of these home styles promotes a relaxing, rural | | | | their country home will lie in its simplicity, and such |
| lifestyle that perhaps country home plans can | | | | features need not be extravagant. For example, a |
| best convey. | | | | house built in the countryside may need only to |
| What characteristics give these home designs | | | | serve as a getaway for weekend outings. Thus, a |
| their charm? For many country house plans, large | | | | small, cabin-like structure of simple design can |
| shaded front porches add a particularly rural | | | | function well, and still provide the rustic charm of |
| ambiance. These porches often have enough | | | | a country house. House plans such these are |
| room for gathering comfortably in the cool | | | | often designed to complement the beauty of |
| evening air with family or friends-a feature that is | | | | their natural surroundings, and thus an understated |
| especially important in warm climates, or in homes | | | | house design can do very well. |
| without air conditioning. Country home porches | | | | Those who wish to build with country home plans |
| often wrap around a portion of the house and | | | | will find they are not lacking options when it |
| sometimes even the entire house-a testament to | | | | comes to size, layout and amenities. These |
| their significance for the country lifestyle. Other | | | | designs range in size from simple starter homes |
| common characteristics of country home plans | | | | to a sprawling luxury designs that are loaded with |
| include gabled roofs, dormer windows, and bold | | | | plenty of extras. Perhaps this diversity and their |
| shutters. A gabled roof along with dormer | | | | warm, inviting nature is what ranks country house |
| windows looks pleasant and adds functional space | | | | plans consistently among North America's most |
| to the attic, whether to be used for storage or | | | | popular home styles. |