The House Plan Company – Design Trend: Multigenerational House Plans and In-Law Suites

Owners are increasingly eyeing plans built with the versatility of in-law suites, duplexes and multigenerational homes in mind. From cottages and farmhouses, to craftsman and hillside homes, there are numerous designs to choose from that check the boxes of adaptability and luxury.

To passersby on the street, the Generation #44964 design featured on The House Plan Company has all the appearance of a single-story cottage. But a step beneath the covered front porch and through the entryway reveals there’s much more here than meets the eye. The entryway opens into a generously sized kitchen and dining room that extends to a living room, and out through sliding doors to a covered rear porch. Back off the entryway, a side hallway leads to the private master bedroom with a luxurious master bath.

But it’s off of the kitchen where this plan flexes its versatility. The rooms beyond are an entirely separate apartment unit, with an optional door to connect to the main home, or to be left out to maintain privacy. About half as large as the main dwelling, the apartment unit is cozy and entirely self-functional, with a living room, rear-facing windows, a kitchen with dining area, full bathroom and private bedroom that sits on the opposite side of the design from the primary master bedroom. A hallway past the apartment bedroom opens out to a separate covered porch from the main residence.

Other designs, like the Darrington #89422, use a split garage concept to provide a bit of separation between main and secondary living spaces. Through the front entry, a hallway leads straight ahead to an owners’ suite with a wraparound sitting area, master bath, dual closets and double doors that open to a rear patio. The hallway branches off from the master suite to find two additional bedrooms and a bathroom. Back off of the entryway, an opening to the left reveals a vaulted living room that passes through to an open dining room and kitchen with island, plus a walk-in utility room. An exit from the dining room opens to the rear patio, where there’s more to discover than a mere detached garage. To the right of the garage, a door opens to reveal the great room of an independent secondary unit, complete with two bedrooms and a shared bath. The great room extends into a kitchen with double doors opening back out to the rear of the patio.

Design #77084 a lodge-style craftsman spreads luxury living across two floors. A grand front facade of siding, stone and shingle and multi-level truss roofing opens to an entry hallway with a den off to the left. Farther down the hallway and past a separated dining room, the hall opens to a great room with a fireplace, and exits out through double doors to a back patio and barbecue area. A rear-facing breakfast nook separates the great room from the adjoining kitchen. On the opposite wall, an open gallery hallway leads to a doorway containing the lower-level suite, complete with a full bath and walk-in closet. This space can easily function as a second master bedroom for an older relative, or to offer a bit of privacy for an extended guest. A staircase back off the entryway climbs to an upper floor loft landing, leading ahead to the primary master entry. Step straight into the bedroom, or off to the stately master bath or walk-in closet on either side. Also off of the loft landing is a second bedroom with a walk-in closet and full bath. The opposite site of the landing opens to a hallway with a bonus room and laundry room on opposite ends, plus two additional bedrooms and a full bath.

About The House Plan Company

Drawing on the nation’s best designers and architects, The House Plan Company offers pre-designed house, garage and accessory structure plans to homeowners and builders on an easy-to-navigate website. The House Plan Company brings clients closer to its team of award-winning design professionals and architects to work cooperatively on customizing or modifying a house or garage plan to suit their needs. The House Plan Company features a vast collection of house plans, garage plans and accessory building plans in many different architectural styles and sizes.