Big House on the Prairie
Carefully crafted floor plan leaves no wasted space.
This three-bedroom bungalow in the community of La Salle has a big house feel consistent with its surroundings.
Set on a lot 84 feet by 335 feet, the Huntington Homes show home falls south of the curving La Salle River in the Riverview development – just far enough from the bank of the river for privacy for the homeowners and close enough to view the flowing waters a short walk away.
North of the river, open field beckons, and to the right of the show’s property line, a rock dam backs up the river. “Water runs like the rapids over it,” says Rob Swan, an owner in Huntington Homes. “It’s very pretty.”
“The property goes right down to the river, and across the river is an undeveloped area,” adds Swan. “Looking out, you might be as well be in the middle of nowhere.” Deer and small animals are constant visitors, though.
The house itself features a carefully crafted floor plan “with no wasted space,” making the house feel much larger than its size would indicate, says Swan.
Because much of Riverview has already been built up, the company is showing the house to interest potential buyers to build in the nearby development of Kingswood South.
Kingswood, west of Riverview, is a new residential area adjacent to the Kingswood Golf & Country Club and the La Salle River, and as such, provides choice to lot buyers. There are lots that back onto the river and on to the golf course.
The house is an open plan with three bedrooms on the main floor and a partially developed lower level. Main floor ceilings are 10 feet and the selling price includes many features – including the driveway and landscaping – that make the house nearly a turnkey operation, says Swan.
The lower level has a finished media room, bath and recreation space, but the company also “roughed in” space for two more bedrooms, or for other uses, in areas that have not been completely finished.
Walls in the unfinished space are insulated and vapor-barriered but not covered with drywall. Swan is also proud of the technology. In the media room, a 105-inch screen adorns one wall, while speakers in the wall provide full surround sound. There are also speakers in the great room, dining room and master bedroom.
He demonstrates the lighting options in the media room, which consist of overhead lights and “pod” lights in sconces on the side walls, by turning down the overhead lights to demonstrate that a low level of light still remains.
“You should have some light on in a room when you are watching TV,” he says. “I’ve also got them on a dimmer switch, and you can actually increase or decrease the power.”
There is a raised wooden floor on the lower level for warmth, a computer-controlled multi-speed high-efficiency furnace that he feels will generate energy savings of $20 to $25 per month, piled foundation and steel beams positioned as the main beams.
People can see the house weekdays by appointment and weekends from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no deck because the owners in many cases prefer to design their own deck, he says.