Walk In Pantry with Built Ins | Mebane NC New Homes

Big Kitchen Pantry Storage Ideas

What’s the difference between a messy kitchen pantry, prepper pantry, and butler’s pantry?

See how built ins and personal touches make a big difference in these photos filled with kitchen pantry storage ideas. When you choose a custom floor plan with a big pantry, Travars Built Homes can create custom spaces inside, like these.

What is a “messy kitchen” pantry?

A “messy kitchen pantry” is a room that is large enough to act as a secondary kitchen space with separate sink, cabinets, built-ins, specialty storage zones, and other amenities. Here, you can store coffee and tea makers, prep party trays, and get as messy as you like. Just shut the door when guests arrive!

Prepping for meals and special occasions inside a messy kitchen pantry like these is fun and easy:

Messy Kitchen Pantry #1:

Walk In Pantry with Built Ins

Messy Kitchen Pantry #2:

Kitchen Pantry Storage Ideas

What is a “prepper pantry”?

A prepper pantry is designed to store stockpiles of food staples such as canned foods, dried foods, and other essentials. The purpose of a prepper’s pantry is to store these types of goods for weeks, months, or even years without the need to go to a store.

If you’d like to build your pantry with long-term prep in mind, talk to your custom builder, who can custom-build shelving at different heights for soup cans, pasta boxes, and Costco-sized containers, like this:

Kitchen Pantry Storage Ideas

What is a “butler’s pantry”?

Typically tucked into a floor plan between the kitchen and dining room, a butler’s pantry is a great place to prep food and drinks. Often, a butler’s pantry will include a wine rack and drink refrigerator, like this:

Kitchen Pantry Storage Ideas

More Kitchen Pantry Storage Ideas:

Kitchen Pantry Floor Plan Ideas:

Look for floor plans with big pantry spaces, like this – and ask your custom home builder what you can build inside – and around – this kind of space designed to make everything easy to find.

Owner’s suite bathroom design: How to create the space you need for your new home in NC

How to arrange the bath in your NC new home.

Bathroom Layout #1: Little Treatments – Big Statement

Pineterest and Houzz worthy results like this come from creative custom choices: Mirrors. Lighting. Sinks. Drawers. Little touches transform, with design build Travars Built Homes.

White and Black Tile Bathroom | Mebane NC New Homes

Bathroom Layout #2: Comfort and Closet

Spacious tile shower with glass. Stand alone tub with window view. Wood look tile. Nearby closet with custom shelving and natural light. What would you like to surround yourself with, in your owner’s suite bath?

Wendell North Carolina New Homes | Large Tile Shower
Freestanding white tub and large tile shower in the Owner’s Suite bath.

Bathroom Layout #3: Shared Space That Feels Private

Separate sinks, cabinets and drawers. Lantern lights. Personal sized mirrors. How much space does your floor plan have for your vanity? What look would you like?

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | White Dual Vanity

Bathroom Layout #4: Mixing Textures and Styles with Unexpected Barn Doors

Opaque glass framed with antique white can give a barn door a light, airy feel, like this. What a great way to make a doorway feel more important – and add contrast to the bold tile and contemporary choices.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | Wood Sliding Barn Doors

Bathroom Layout #5: Barely There Glass Shower Glass Across from Boldly Framed Mirror

Frameless glass (and doorless entry) on the shower provides a contemporary open feel. Spacious, elegant and ready for relaxation.

Accessible Shower Floor | On Your Lot Builder Chapel Hill NC

Bathroom Layout #6: Large Shower. Deep tub

This owner’s suite bathroom takes advantage of the ability to customize with emphasis on the importance of water. Note the blend of tiles in every part of the room. This design is all about the view – inside and out.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | White and Gray Master Bathroom

Bathroom Layout #7: Separate Vanities. Vaulted Ceilings

Creating an extension of space upward can provide a feeling of spaciousness to a smaller bathroom. Adding softer tones to the tile shower, floor and tub surround adds comfort.

Raleigh Custom Homes | Walk in Shower

Bathroom Layout #8: Tight Fit Tricks

When space is at a premium, focus on smaller areas to bring the eye. Lighting. Countertops. Floor. All with a modern farmhouse feel.

En Suite Bathroom | New Homes Chapel Hill NC

Bathroom Layout #9: Modern Old Fashioned Freestanding Tub

Freestanding tubs are one of the most popular requests for new custom homes. Ask your builder how much space you need around the tub, and where you want the faucets.

Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Farmhouse White Bathroom

Get started:

7 Fireplaces for NC new homes

Make winter days cozy with the inviting warmth and ambient glow of flickering flames in your custom home fireplace.

The type of fireplace you choose (gas or woodburning), style of surround (slate, brick, stone, marble, tile, or other material), and mantle can make your fireplace the focal point of the room — whether it’s in the great room, master bedroom and/or bath, keeping room, rec room, screen porch, or anywhere else.

Here are 7 fireplace design ideas for your North Carolina new home:

Fireplace Idea #1: Brick character

The solid character of brick is a popular choice for fireplace surrounds in NC new homes. It has a hint of outdoor living and adds color. See how it pulls together this shiplap and wood.

Brick Fireplace Built Ins | Mebane NC New Homes

Fireplace Idea #2: Stone tradition

The tradition of stone can add a feeling of comfort and strength in your fireplace surround. See how amazing it looks surrounded by lanterns, beams and natural light.

Chatham County New Homes | Beam Ceiling

Fireplace Idea #3: Soft tile

Soft tile like this NC custom home fireplace surround is designed to blend with the grey walls around it. Dark blue ship lap above, ceiling fan and lots of windows around the fireplace make this corner of the home very appealing.

Durham Custom Home Builder | Fireplace Ideas

Fireplace Idea #4: Two-sided brick

Two-sided brick for a see-through fireplace emphasizes the importance of this custom home’s central point. The towering floor to ceiling structure provides a feeling of warmth to the entire living area, across several rooms.

Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Two Sided Fireplace

Fireplace Idea #5: Slate surround

The simplicity of a slate surround goes well with today’s emphasis on clean, straight-forward designs. It adds to the black and white look you see in this NC new home, that is extremely well received.

Fireplace Idea #6: Built in bookcases and cubbies

The classic personality and functionality of cubbies and bookcases surrounding the fireplace is still a highly sought after look. Ever popular shiplap adds to the theme you see here that’s punched up by the grey tile you see in this NC custom home.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | Living Room Built Ins

Fireplace Idea #7: Wood tones

This custom NC home punctuates the light and airy feel of lots of open space, natural light, cubbies and cupboards by pulling out hardwood tones in this stone fireplace surround and flagstone hearth.

Let us know what look you like best. Find other fireplace photos you’d like to emulate in your new home build? Bring them to your custom home consultation meeting with Travars Built Homes.

Homes without a fireplace: When is it better to leave out the fireplace?

Not every floor plan offers a fireplace. Travars Built Homes can add a fireplace to your plan. Or we can build your home without one.

Cost: Perhaps you would rather use the cost for a fireplace on something else in your home, like a chef’s kitchen.

Lifestyle: You may want to use fireplace space for something else inside your home, like a wall full of cubbies or large entertainment center.

Ask your build on your lot general contractor what’s possible in your plan.

Wendell North Carolina New Homes

Talk with the NC custom home builders at Travars Built Homes about what it takes to build in more options. Get started:

11 Best bathroom layouts for your new home

Get owner’s suite bathroom ideas with practical solutions and beautiful options to make the best use of space in your custom home floor plan.

These 11 owner’s suite bath layouts for your NC new home can change everything, as you customize your floor plan and build on your lot with Travars Built Homes.

Bathroom Layout #1: Single long vanity

If your floor plan has the space for a single long vanity, a 7′ granite countertop can provide enough room for two sinks and space to spread out. A single piece of granite can be as long as 10′ without a seam.

White Modern Farmhouse Bathrooms | Mebane NC New Homes

Bathroom Layout #2: Closet through the bath

A big walk in closet with lots of shelving and rods – and easy access to the bathroom – makes plans with a closet through the bath a popular choice.

Wendell North Carolina New Homes | Freestanding Tub

Bathroom Layout #3: Tiny touches with designer appeal

When you build on your lot with NC custom home builder Travars Built Homes, you can personalize your owner’s suite bathroom with lights, mirrors, cabinetry, tile and other customization that adds a fun designer touch – without a big price tag.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse

Bathroom Layout #4: Barn doors

The owner’s suite bathroom is a great place for barn doors in a variety of styles and materials. Choices depend on the door opening and available wall space for barn doors to slide. What a great way to maximize maneuverability, without a swinging door.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | Owners Suite Bath

Bathroom Layout #5: Frameless shower

Want a way to make your owner’s suite bathroom layout look even more open? Consider a frameless shower, like this. The marble countertop here adds artistry, too.

Chatham County New Homes | First Floor Owners Suite Bath

Bathroom Layout #6: Large shower and deep tub

Looking for the luxury of a deep tub and large shower? Travars Built Homes offers a variety of custom home floor plans – and modifications – that provide extra space in the owner’s suite bathroom – to create leisurely master suite retreats that allow you to linger and relax.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | White Gray Bathroom

Bathroom Layout #7: Big shower instead of a tub

Don’t need a soaking tub? Focus on floor plans with a big shower – or ask for ways to modify the owner’s suite bathroom with a massive shower instead of a combined or separate shower and tub in NC new homes.

Bathroom Layout #8: Vaulted ceiling

A vaulted ceiling can add a feeling of spaciousness, when the roofline allows it in one story home or two story homes with the owner’s suite upstairs. Ask your build on your lot general contractor what’s possible in your plan.

Raleigh Custom Homes | First Floor Owners Suite Bath

Bathroom Layout #9: Best use of compact spaces

Custom home owner’s suite bathroom sizes are designed in a wide variety of sizes, with typical square footage between 10-12 feet x 12-15 feet. Tighter spaces call for more creative tucking with your designer – like this.

Wendell North Carolina New Homes | En Suite Master Bath

Bathroom Layout #10: Freestanding tubs

The romance of a freestanding tub has become a top requested upgrade in new homes. Touted as more open and comfortable, freestanding tubs can also require a few more inches of space.

Wendell North Carolina New Homes | Large Tile Shower

Bathroom Layout #11: Open space

Most master bathrooms allow for about 10′ of width to accommodate typical vanities, tub, shower, and maneuverability. Talk with the NC custom home builders at Travars Built Homes about what it takes to build in more options.
 

Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Farmhouse White Bathroom

Get started:

5 Home offices that work for you

What you build into your home office can be a game changer. Here are 5 home office designs from North Carolina custom homes built by Travars Built Homes.

#1 Home Office Design: Professional Office with everything built in

Take care of business with a home office designed for everything that needs to get done: Built ins. Interactive spaces. Windows and lighting. Oak hardwood flooring.

Built In Bookcase Walls | Mebane NC New Homes

#2 Home Office Design: Sunny side out

Don’t want to feel locked down while you work? Add walls of windows to your home office, to let the sunshine in and allow you to see everything happening outside! Building a custom home means you can add as many windows as you want, depending on the plan and the builder.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

#3 Home Office Design: Private bathroom

Build an en-suite home office with your own private bathroom attached, for the ultimate personal space as you work. This office also has a massive walk in closet for storing business supplies and files.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

#4 Home Office Design: Library

Wall to wall built in bookcases with furniture cabinetry like this can enable your home office to organize books, manuals, and other necessities so you can find everything at a glance. A ceiling fan enables you to further control your environment.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

#5 Home Office Design: Window Treatments

There are a huge variety of window treatments that can be applied to your home office, like what you see here. This can provide an open feeling that makes your office space feel more spacious and inviting.

North Carolina New Homes | Custom Home Builder

What is a multigenerational home?

Multigenerational homes (sometimes called multi-gen homes, homes with a mother in law suite, or apartment within a home) are designed for families to live together within one single home family dwelling that has an extended guest suite intended for long term stays.

Multigenerational homes are one of the most common reasons why homebuyers choose to build a custom home.

New Home Builder Apex NC

Multi-gen homes can spread out the cost of living so that the combined living space is more affordable than having two separate homes.

Site costs for one home are less expensive than site costs for two homes, with one clearing, one footing, one septic system, and one foundation.

The size of the footprint impacts build costs, so multi-gen homes built with living space on additional floors are typically more cost effective than homes with everyone on one level.

Some multigenerational homes have a kitchenette in the secondary living quarters, for increased independence.

Other families choose to design a larger kitchen around expanded usage, with elements such as dual ovens, a huge island or even two islands for more prep space, and special arrangements such as a microwave below the counter for easier use and aging-in-place future accessibility. Learn more about making changes to your floor plan, here.

White and Black Farmhouse Kitchen | Mebane NC New Homes

Dual master suites give equal prominence to two large bedroom suites with ensuite private bathrooms, big closets and occasionally other private amenities such as a personal sitting area or attached office or laundry room.

The location of dual master suites can vary, with the most common arrangements being one on the main floor and one on the second floor, one in the basement, or both on the main floor. Get floor plans with dual master bedrooms, here.

Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Vaulted Ceiling Master Bedroom

Because schedules and lifestyles can vary within shared living arrangements, building in special features that add to privacy is a very good reason to build a custom home, so that you have the opportunity to include features such as sound dampening between walls or from one floor to another. Solid core door options can also lessen sound travel.

A private entrance so you can come and go without interrupting the main flow of the house is another way to increase that feeling of having your own space.

Depending on the plan and your homesite, you may include an exterior door with a small stoop or porch or another door from the garage to your private hallway.


Travars Built Homes can be built in custom home neighborhoods or countryside locations within about an hour of Chapel Hill. We work closely with you to:

Consider choices for cost effective floor plans that fit your lifestyle and budget

Modify your layout to add multi-gen, accessible or other custom changes

Build your new home with high quality materials, craftsmanship and passion for home building

Offer a wide array of selections, options and upgrades