By James Alexander Homes
The Journal
Dear friend,
Usually when building a custom home, you would have one owner or couple who you cater all the design decisions to. When we designed and built The Alpine Retreat Project, however, this was not the case. This project was done as a collaboration with two families as their shared vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina. They also planned to use the home as a short-term rental property when they were not using it themselves.
This presented us with a unique design perspective. How would we accommodate two families’ needs as well as consider short-term rental needs?
1) The first design element that we started with in the beginning was to create multiple master suites that were both unique in their own rite, but provided equal space for each couple. Our goal was to have the suites be different but complementary.
We placed two suites on opposite ends of the home, with the family room, kitchen, and dining space in the middle of the main level. Each bedroom and bathroom of the suite has the same square footage and layout. We originally designed both bedrooms to have a vaulted ceiling, but because the loft bathroom was above one of the rooms, only one of the bedrooms could be vaulted.
Creating multiple master suites was a win-win for both the two families owning the home and also for the short term rental desirability. Having a home large enough for multiple families to stay in means that multiple couples will need accommodations. Only one grand master suite for this home would not be as ideal.
In the first master suite, we added a shiplap accent wall, wood ceiling beams, and framed out a custom built in on the opposite wall with shiplap accents and accent lantern lights. See our post about the backstory of this built in here.
In the bathroom, the double vanity is a beautiful cool grey color with black fixtures.
Here is the first master suite finished:
In the second master suite, the gorgeous vaulted ceiling was lined with stained ceiling board, and we added a reclaimed wood mantle faux fireplace on the wall opposite the bed. The mantle was sourced from an old barn in Virginia and adds some character and charm to this brand new build!
In the bathroom, the double vanity is the same wood tone cabinet color used in the kitchen and is paired with brass fixtures and black accents.
Here is the second master suite finished:
I love how each of these spaces turned out! Each feels unique and yet they both flow beautifully with each other and the rest of the house!
On the basement level, we even made plans for a third suite with the same footprint as the above level. This basement suite schematics included a double sink, a soaking tub & shower combination “wet room” and a walk-in closet.
The owners decided to pre-plumb the bathroom suite in the basement but only finish the bedroom at the completion of the build. Having this third suite option to finish will also be a very marketable layout design for the home from a short-term rental perspective.
2) The second design element we incorporated into this home was a designated owner’s closet for each owner. Instead of having a “his” and “hers” closet for each master suite, we created an “owners” and “renters” closet.
The “owners” closet in each suite would allow each of the families to have their own private closet for personal items that would not be accessible to renters when they stay.
The “renters” closet in each suite was designed for linen storage as well as a rod for clothes hanging space for guests.
3) A third unique design element that was considered for this home was having multiple appliances. Because this home was designed to serve multiple families at a time, we made sure to anticipate the needs of large groups.
This home has four full bathrooms and room for a fifth full bathroom in the basement, so the potential of multiple baths and showers being used simultaneously was highly likely. To accommodate this, we had two water heaters installed that work in tandem to ensure that no one will be stuck with a cold shower!
We also anticipated that this home would require a higher than normal laundry volume with multiple families (this home has enough beds to sleep 16 people). We initially did not think that there would be enough square footage space to have two sets of washer and dryers, but then we realized we could put in two stackable units! So in the same space that would usually fit one washer and dryer set, we plumbed and placed two dryer vents so that the home could have two stackable washer and dryer sets! Again, this was a win-win for both the two families who own the home and also for their short-term rental goals which require lots of laundry turn-over in a short time.
I would love to hear your ideas for designing vacation homes and short-term rental properties!
With Love,
Katie
PS If you are interested in renting this vacation home, you can do so here
Affiliate links:
Be the first to comment