I'm currently in the process of building the Maple Forest cottage. We just went under roof. We saw the house in Susan's book and scrapped a house we had over a year in designing. No regrets.
Is anyone else built or is building the same house. Maybe we can share some ideas
I just finished the framing and the outsdie siding. The build went well I have a few comments on the design:
Original plans call for a fair amount of plumbing fixtures on the outside walls. I changed the orientation of the batrooms and fixtures so that all plumbing are on inside walls. Also, the master bathroom tub is over an unheated porch roof, extra care for plumbing and insulation is required.
I eliminated the small bathroom dormer. It was a nightmare trying to frame it along with the roof pitch over the breezeway.
I changed the single french door to the deck from the kitchen to a double door.
I installed the chimney inside the house.
Had the foundation follow the house wall around the front entrance.
I used Bonneville metal clad windows.
Supported the front porch with a true mortise and tenon timber frame out of hemlock cut from the site.
Created one large bonus room above the garages. I'm able to walk into the room from the breezway since the garages are lower than the main level due to the fact that the house is built on a sloping lot.
Other than that I followed the plans. I look forward to working on the interior this winter.
I am going to be having the Maple Foest Cottage built as soon as my current home sells. Would love to speak with people that have built this or in the process of building to exchange ideas. Please email me at dfarmer4@hotmail.com
Jeff, Did you hire an architect to make all of your changes? It sounds like you put a lot of thought into them... I LOVE the idea of a bonus area over the garage- similar to MF 2 or 3, can't remember which. Do you have any photos of your work so far?
We first saw this house in NSB book and liked it as well. You can purchase a video from www.hometime.com (house plans) on building the maple forest cottage home. Found it very helpful.
My husband and I are in the process of building the Maple Forest Cottage. We're about 99.9% done! I have a journal, showing our progress. If anyone is interested, you can view my journal at http://journals.aol.com/jcjandk/TheBurkesMapleForest/
Feel free to e-mail me at jcjandk@aol.com (please put Maple Forest Cottage in the subject part of the e-mail, so I know it's not junk mail!) if you have any comments or questions! I LOVE THIS HOUSE!!
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cindy,
Posts: 1 | Location: NJ | Registered: 02 October 2006
We are also planning on building the Maple Forest Cottage home in NC. I have looked at both the Burkes site and another site with over a hundred pics, both very informative. I would like to know some general costs for construction. We are in the initial planning stages and I would like to crunch some numbers. Thank you all for your willingness to help. ps.. for those who have built it already... how does the living room and dining room flow? It seems odd to have the living room off the kitchen and the dining room so far away... thanks.
Posts: 1 | Location: NC | Registered: 03 November 2006
We are getting ready for drywall. I expect the total construction costs to come in around $900K +-. We are doing some nice finishes and extra stone pillars on the mahogony deck. We're using all natural cedar siding and shakes.
I didn't hire an architect, I just modified the plans and consulted with the framer. I do have some photos on-line at doe.ncia.net/~j_schall
I'll be posting more photos as I get to it.
Just finished the radiant heat throughout the house and turned the boiler on last week. I'll be working on the inside this winter finishing the baths and drywall. I hope to be in the house sometime next fall.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jeff,
I didn't hire an architect, I just modified the plans and consulted with the framer. I do have some photos on-line at 64.72.8.225/~jeff
I'll be posting more photos as I get to it.
Just finished the radiant heat throughout the house and turned the boiler on last week. I'll be working on the inside this winter finishing the baths and drywall. I hope to be in the house sometime next fall.
I didn't hire an architect, I just modified the plans and consulted with the framer. I do have some photos on-line at 64.72.8.225/~jeff
I'll be posting more photos as I get to it.
Just finished the radiant heat throughout the house and turned the boiler on last week. I'll be working on the inside this winter finishing the baths and drywall. I hope to be in the house sometime next fall.
Jeff, We are starting the process to build the Maple Forest House in Colorado and have a few questions. Would you be open to one-on-one communication with us? Let us know and we can get in touch. Thanks. Heather
Hello everyone, We completed our version of the Maple Forest Cottage about a year and a half ago in Colorado. We saw the Hometime show featuring it in the mid-90s, and loved it so much we kept it in mind all these years. My husband did the contracting. We ended up making some interior revisions to the original plan due to personal preference, and are very happy with the outcome! Some of the changes we made are -- making the kitchen an L shape and making the island larger and more of an arc shape. We also added a small walk-in pantry in place of the original coffee bar area. We added a mudroom where the breezeway was and moved the laundry room upstairs. We added a covered porch off of the living room as well. We loved the original exterior, so we stayed true to that, with the exception of the covered porch, which blends in wonderfully with that side of the house and provides a cover over the walkout basement below. We had a great time building the house and are enjoying it so much. We get many compliments on it as it is very unique compared to the newer stucco homes being built in our area. It's fun to discover others who have built or are in the process of building this plan! We'd be happy to share with anyone who wants more information. ~Holly
We'd be happy to email you some pictures if you'd like. We can't figure out how to post the pictures here, and we don't have our own website. Just let us know your email address. Thanks, Holly
Hi Holly, We are over on the Western Slope in Colorado and just starting the process of building the original Maple Forest home. We have been eyeing this floor plan for many years as well! Where in Colorado are you? We too, love the outside but will probably make a few changes on the inside as well. My email address is bhaustin@msn.com and we would love to also see your photos. We are looking at building the mirror image....does anyone know where to purchase these floor plans so that the numbers read correctly and not in reverse? Thanks in advance! Heather
Holly, We are very interested in building the Maple Forest Cottage. We are interested in an estimated cost? If you don't mind, we too would stay true to the outside and I like your change with the pantry. Did you do the built in bench and table in the nook area. Have you posted pictures? THanks for any info you could provide Bob
Originally posted by carmakat: We are also planning on building the Maple Forest Cottage home in NC. I have looked at both the Burkes site and another site with over a hundred pics, both very informative. I would like to know some general costs for construction. We are in the initial planning stages and I would like to crunch some numbers. Thank you all for your willingness to help. ps.. for those who have built it already... how does the living room and dining room flow? It seems odd to have the living room off the kitchen and the dining room so far away... thanks.
