Build Our 2023 Idea House: Dogwood Acres

Designed for entertaining and built to last a lifetime.

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Published on August 18, 2023

Our 2023 Idea House, designed by Bill Holloway and Luke Sippel of Lake and Land Studio, is a reimagined family farmhouse inspired by its natural surroundings. Built to look like a home that has evolved over time, Dogwood Acres (SL-2098), has 5,620 square feet of heated and cooled spaces, and an additional 3,256 square feet of covered outdoor spaces. This includes a welcoming front porch, retractable screen porch with a fireplace and dining area off the great room next to a covered outdoor kitchen, plus a lower patio and lounge set up and outdoor shower on the basement level for true indoor-outdoor living.

Intentionally designed for the future and with sustainability in mind, the casual and comfortable architecture prioritizes livability with interior spaces that have a natural continuation to the exterior. From immediately walking through the front door, you see straight across the great room through a wall of sliding floor-to-ceiling windows that pull your eye outside. On the main floor, the common areas take on an open floor plan layout that offers everything you need on a daily basis for living and entertaining.

2023 Idea House dining room — Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason.

The Main Floor

The expansive great room is divided into a lounging and dining area with the kitchen anchoring the other end of the space. While the great room has 19-foot vaulted ceilings with skylight windows to filter in natural light, the kitchen transitions to 11-foot shiplapped ceilings with exposed beams to help it still feel cozy. Adjacent to the generous kitchen which is complete with two sinks and plenty of built-in cabinetry for storage, is an intimate breakfast nook that pulls double-duty. From coffee station to wet bar, the space can easily meet the needs of any time of day.

Tucked behind the kitchen is a walk-in pantry, powder room, and an elevated, storage-filled mudroom. It also has a covered side entry for direct access to the three-car garage. There's also a hardworking laundry room fit for an under counter washer and dryer to leave ample countertop work space and a multi-function room with a full bath ideal for a home gym, yoga studio, office, or even bonus guest room.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the main floor, the secluded primary suite is separated from the great room by a pass-through study with ceiling-high windows. The bedroom opens up to a private balcony; plus an expansive walk-in closet and roomy bathroom. Upstairs are two vaulted-ceiling bedrooms that feel gracious and comfortable, each with their own full bath and closet.

billiards room Idea House 2023 — Laurey Glenn

The Basement

As a departure from the sun-drenched main floor, downstairs feels extra cozy with a singular wall of sliding doors that still bring in enough natural light. The spacious indoor-outdoor lounging and gathering area is complete with a fireplace, wet bar, and powder room; plus, a secondary multi-purpose room. For accessibility, stacked closet spaces create the opportunity for an optional elevator.

Outside, the Dogwood Acres house plan also includes the a greenhouse-like garden shed, Mary's Folly (SL-2011), and a separate pool house meets bonus entertaining space, Party Barn (SL-2099).