9 Big Kitchen Island Styles

Posted by Travars Built Homes on December 20, 2020

Large kitchen islands are a great place for gatherings: Food. Hobbies. Homeschool. Projects. Here are 9 photos of popular NC 2021 home design trends to help choose your next kitchen island.

Our Standards

Home Building FAQs

Reasons to Build with TBH

Kitchen Island Design Tip #1: Placement

This Chef’s Kitchen designed by Chatham County new home builder Travars Built Homes is designed to provide as much working space as possible, with a massive kitchen island, cabinetry and countertops.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #2: Size

Island kitchen floor plans separate countertop space from the rest of the kitchen, to increase its potential to be used for a variety of purposes.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen | Mebane NC New Homes

Kitchen Island Design Tip #3: Design

This kitchen island was designed to be noticed, with a look all its own as the focal point of the room. The ability to create the look you’d like is a great benefit of working with a creative team in design build custom homes.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #4: Style

Your sink choice can make a big difference in the appeal of your kitchen island. Apron sinks (also known as Farmhouse sinks) are especially popular in 2021 new home design trends.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #5: Lighting

The pendants you choose for your lighting are especially important over the island. They serve as a punctuation of your architectural style and highlight everything in your design build new home.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #6: Seating

Tuck under seating is the choice made most often for big kitchen islands in 2021 home design trends. The ability to place bar stools out of the way when not in use provides a feeling of functionality and great use of space.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #7: Purpose

This formal kitchen island exudes elegance in design build custom homes, with a furniture look that draws the living area further into the kitchen – an inviting look of luxury that increases importance.

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | White Kitchen

Kitchen Island Design Tip #8: Color

This kitchen island blends beautifully into extended gathering areas with its muted tones that create a sense of comfortable informality. It’s one of the most requested styles in island kitchen floor plans.

Chatham County New Homes | Kitchen Open to Living Room

Kitchen Island Design Tip #9: Surface

The surface material you choose for your kitchen island can be just about anything in a design build custom home. Granite. Quartz. Marble. Tile. Wood. Recycled glass. Cement. There are a lot of possibilities to explore in 2021 home design trends.

Get started here:

Can a custom builder make my floor plan bigger? 5 Ways to add square footage.

Posted by Travars Built Homes on April 12, 2019

Yes, a design build custom home builder can add square footage to your floor plan. Below are 5 of the most cost effective ways that Travars Built Homes can add space to your floor plan.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Guest living and multi-gen suites

Adding a small apartment such as a multigenerational, mother-in-law or other extended guest living arrangement to your home usually means adding semi-separated living space. Special adaptations such as adding a private entrance to the exterior are also common. Additional square footage is often necessary to be able to fit in all of the extra requirements.

This kind of modification to a floor plan typically involves rearranging the existing layout, such as changing two bedrooms and a bath on the main floor into one bedroom, bath, and living room – possibly with a kitchenette.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Expanding the kitchen or master bath

This is one of the areas where it’s important to work with the custom builder to create the space you need, as you will be looking at pushing out specific walls to increase a small portion of the home. Sometimes the result you’re looking for can be accomplished within existing square footage. We will show you some options as we talk through your needs.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Basements and bonus rooms

Basements and bonus rooms are common areas to start with when factoring in the need for additional living space. Most one story floor plans – and plans with a two story great room – are good candidates for adding square footage to the second floor.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Adding a sun room, screen porch or covered porches

Indoor/outdoor space is often expanded to increase the ability to utilize more of the property as living area, both in heated square footage as well as exposed areas.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Expanding the garage

Adding a third car garage, carriage garage, or turning a front facing garage to a side load are popular requests for custom homes. Aside from the ability to park more vehicles inside, this is also a great way to have space for hobbies or storage.

As with all modifications to custom floor plans, it’s important to know what can be changed, and how it can impact your curb appeal, roof line, and the build of your new home. When recommending changes to your floor plan, Travars Built Homes will take into consideration the details of your floor plan, homesite, and potential restrictions such as local regulations and community covenants.

3 Ways to Get a Better Bathroom for Your Guests

Posted by Travars Built Homes on January 24, 2019

Here are 3 different floor plan layout approaches for your guest suite bathroom from design build custom home builder Travars Built Homes:

Approach #1 The bathroom is attached to the guest bedroom and hallway.

Approach #2 The bathroom is between two bedrooms (also know as a “Jack and Jill” bath)

Approach #3 The bathroom is only accessible through the bedroom – this allows for complete privacy.

Design Build Custom Home Process

Build On Your Lot North Carolina

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #1: Bath Shared with Common Areas

One of the most common layouts for a guest suite maximizes usability while minimizing cost by including a full bath with access from both the guest bedroom and main areas.

The layout has a second door from the guest bedroom directly into the bath so guests have full privacy but homeowners are spared the expense of an additional private bath.

See more of this modern farmhouse, the Norwich here:

Modern Farmhouse Floor Plan | Pittsboro New Home Builder

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #2: Jack and Jill Bath

This floor plan illustrates a “Jack and Jill” bathroom, where two bedrooms share a bathroom. With this layout, a guest would share a bathroom with someone in another bedroom, but would have the ability to close off that bathroom.

Jack and Jill Floor Plan | Pittsboro New Home Builder

This floor plan, the Blackstone also has a powder room on the main floor, so the designation of this layout would be that the Jack and Jill bathroom would typically be limited to use by people in those two bedrooms, with semi-private usage.

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #3: Full, Private Bath

In this floor plan, there is already a full bath beside the mudroom and guest bedroom. With a small expansion to the exterior wall of the bathroom, we can change the functionality of the space.

Take a look at the redline modifications. By expanding the bathroom slightly, it can be accessed en-suite, providing total privacy for the guest suite:

The redline modification at the foyer illustrates how to add a separate powder room on the main floor.

Get in touch with the team at Travars Built Homes for more floor plans and details about building a new home in Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro, or another area in central North Carolina.

Tag: Design-Build Custom Homes

Large kitchen islands are a great place for gatherings: Food. Hobbies. Homeschool. Projects. Here are 9 photos of popular NC 2021 home design trends to help choose your next kitchen island.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #1: Placement

This Chef’s Kitchen designed by Chatham County new home builder Travars Built Homes is designed to provide as much working space as possible, with a massive kitchen island, cabinetry and countertops.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #2: Size

Island kitchen floor plans separate countertop space from the rest of the kitchen, to increase its potential to be used for a variety of purposes.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #3: Design

This kitchen island was designed to be noticed, with a look all its own as the focal point of the room. The ability to create the look you’d like is a great benefit of working with a creative team in design build custom homes.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #4: Style

Your sink choice can make a big difference in the appeal of your kitchen island. Apron sinks (also known as Farmhouse sinks) are especially popular in 2021 new home design trends.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #5: Lighting

The pendants you choose for your lighting are especially important over the island. They serve as a punctuation of your architectural style and highlight everything in your design build new home.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #6: Seating

Tuck under seating is the choice made most often for big kitchen islands in 2021 home design trends. The ability to place bar stools out of the way when not in use provides a feeling of functionality and great use of space.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #7: Purpose

This formal kitchen island exudes elegance in design build custom homes, with a furniture look that draws the living area further into the kitchen – an inviting look of luxury that increases importance.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #8: Color

This kitchen island blends beautifully into extended gathering areas with its muted tones that create a sense of comfortable informality. It’s one of the most requested styles in island kitchen floor plans.

Kitchen Island Design Tip #9: Surface

The surface material you choose for your kitchen island can be just about anything in a design build custom home. Granite. Quartz. Marble. Tile. Wood. Recycled glass. Cement. There are a lot of possibilities to explore in 2021 home design trends.

Get started here:

Yes, a design build custom home builder can add square footage to your floor plan. Below are 5 of the most cost effective ways that Travars Built Homes can add space to your floor plan.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Guest living and multi-gen suites

This kind of modification to a floor plan typically involves rearranging the existing layout, such as changing two bedrooms and a bath on the main floor into one bedroom, bath, and living room – possibly with a kitchenette.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Expanding the kitchen or master bath

How to make a floor plan bigger: Basements and bonus rooms

Basements and bonus rooms are common areas to start with when factoring in the need for additional living space. Most one story floor plans – and plans with a two story great room – are good candidates for adding square footage to the second floor.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Adding a sun room, screen porch or covered porches

Indoor/outdoor space is often expanded to increase the ability to utilize more of the property as living area, both in heated square footage as well as exposed areas.

How to make a floor plan bigger: Expanding the garage

Adding a third car garage, carriage garage, or turning a front facing garage to a side load are popular requests for custom homes. Aside from the ability to park more vehicles inside, this is also a great way to have space for hobbies or storage.

Here are 3 different floor plan layout approaches for your guest suite bathroom from design build custom home builder Travars Built Homes:

Approach #1 The bathroom is attached to the guest bedroom and hallway.

Approach #2 The bathroom is between two bedrooms (also know as a “Jack and Jill” bath)

Approach #3 The bathroom is only accessible through the bedroom – this allows for complete privacy.

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #1: Bath Shared with Common Areas

One of the most common layouts for a guest suite maximizes usability while minimizing cost by including a full bath with access from both the guest bedroom and main areas.

The layout has a second door from the guest bedroom directly into the bath so guests have full privacy but homeowners are spared the expense of an additional private bath.

See more of this modern farmhouse, the Norwich here:

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #2: Jack and Jill Bath

This floor plan illustrates a “Jack and Jill” bathroom, where two bedrooms share a bathroom. With this layout, a guest would share a bathroom with someone in another bedroom, but would have the ability to close off that bathroom.

This floor plan, the Blackstone also has a powder room on the main floor, so the designation of this layout would be that the Jack and Jill bathroom would typically be limited to use by people in those two bedrooms, with semi-private usage.

Guest Suite Bathroom Idea #3: Full, Private Bath

In this floor plan, there is already a full bath beside the mudroom and guest bedroom. With a small expansion to the exterior wall of the bathroom, we can change the functionality of the space.

Take a look at the redline modifications. By expanding the bathroom slightly, it can be accessed en-suite, providing total privacy for the guest suite:

The redline modification at the foyer illustrates how to add a separate powder room on the main floor.

Get in touch with the team at Travars Built Homes for more floor plans and details about building a new home in Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro, or another area in central North Carolina.