Saturday, April 28, 2012

Three reasons why our Rome is "Kind of a Big Deal."

Just so folks know, the title of our blog isn't meant to brag. My wife and I are huge "Anchorman" fans, and we like to quote the movie a lot.


Besides, Lauren, just like Veronica Corningstone, is from Asheville, NC. We could talk about that movie all day, but that's not why you are reading this blog. Why is our Rome "Kind of a Big Deal"? There are three things that makes our Rome a little different than most (but not all):

1. The porch. Ryan has just started adding porches to the Rome floor plan recently (no one else in our neighborhood has one yet), and we just happened to spot one with a porch at another nearby Ryan community. (this is a good example of why it is always a good idea to visit as many nearby Ryan communities as you can, because you may learn things you wouldn't know otherwise). What does a Rome with a porch look like? We saw one in a nearby neighborhood. Check this out:


To quote Ron Burgundy "Don't act like you're not impressed!!!" :)

2. The guest bedroom downstairs. This is another option that Ryan has added, at least in our local market, in the last six months or so. When we first started considering Ryan Homes, this was not considered to be available, but we found out two months ago that it is now available. This option is not for everyone - it removes the dining room and living room to create the bedroom and full bath downstairs. But it was the right move for us, because my parents and Lauren's parents both live more than two hours away, and we also wanted the flexibility of a downstairs bedroom for the future (we're going to be here for a long time, and we wanted to have an extra bedroom in case life circumstances change). There is also one other major benefit for us. The pantry nearly doubles in size (it is a walk-in pantry that we think measures at least seven feet wide). That will be a great benefit for us. Again, this option isn't for everyone, but it made the most sense for us. As Veronica says "When in Rome..." (and it is really appropriate in this case...)

3. The bonus room modification. This change is something Lauren and I did on our own. When we first considered buying with Ryan, we wanted to build a Verona. However, our development only had 50-foot lots available, and Veronas, being a wider house, needed more room. We loved the closed bonus room (we aren't big fans of lofts with three younger kids) that the Verona offered. But with that home not available, we wanted to replicate that in a Rome. How are we going to do it?

- We are converting Bedroom No.4 (based on the Ryan floorplan on their website) into the bonus room.
- To add space to that room, we are removing the sitting area and second closet from the master bedroom. This squares off the master bedroom so that the southern wall (the wall with the bedroom entry door) is continuous all the way to the east side of the house.
- We've added a closet at the wall adjacent to the master bedroom (where the sitting area would have started), to add storage space to the bonus room and a better sound buffer to the master. Including the closet, the room goes back 25 feet from the front of the house to the adjacent wall to the master bedroom.
- The bonus room does have a bit of a bump-out, from where the laundry room is (that's a structural requirement that Ryan would not/could not move). The bump-out is five feet long, and comes out a little more than two feet. That makes furniture placement a bit of a challenge, but the room will now be big enough for the Rock Band concerts that our family loves. (although, unlike Ron, I am not an expert at the jazz flute).

What do you think of our modifications and changes? Let us know.

11 comments:

  1. The porch looms amazing! As you said, it isn't for everyone. I kind of like the idea of a guest bedroom downstairs, and your parents and in-laws will appreciate it. Sounds like you have a great house coming.

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    1. Thanks Charlie! We are pretty excited. Our Rome will definitely be a little different than most, but we are very happy with it. Congratulations on your new Ryan home as well.

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  2. Congratulations on your new home and welcome to the blogging community! I love the front porch! Looking forward to way hong your progress - It sounds like you and your wife gave serious consideration to all of your options/upgrades. We spent several months researching and anning too - it paid off!! Good luck!!

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    1. Thanks JBY. We really did a lot of research before we bought our home, but we think it is paying off. Can't wait to see yours finished too.

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  3. Congratulations on building your new home. Love the front porch and I love the elevation you chose. Your customizations to the floor plan sound perfect for you. We are building the Verona and one of the many things that drew us to the plan is the bonus room with the closet. We had a house with a loft overlooking a 2 story great room and I'm so glad we don't own that now. It makes me too nervous with the railing and what will go over it. I also like that we can just shut the door on the kids' playroom! I look forward to watching your progress :)

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    1. Thanks Rachel! We loved the bonus room in the Verona too, because like you said, you can shut the door on the playroom. We are really excited about the porch - we think that really adds a lot to the house. Good luck with your Verona - I like the color choices you made with yours.

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  4. I Love, Love, Love the ROME! The ROME is our new HOME too! I love the porch! I do not believe that option is available to us. What is the elevation? I love the the fact that you can customize the Rome and the ideas some families have come up with are amazing. We saw the first Rome home in our neighborhood and the family chose to turn the loft and fourth bedroom into a second master bedroom on suite with a huge closet to the left where part of the loft was located. They left bedroom 3 as is and they created another bedroom in the basement where the largest storage room is located and included a large window. Another Rome designer, chose to turn the living room into a study with french doors in two locations. One set is upon entry into the foyer and the second set is between the entry way from the living room and dining room. They also chose to opt out the mudroom closet, kept the casing and are building a mudroom tree insert. In the meantime, my husband and I have customized the Rome as well and I am tickled pink about the design. I will share later on our blog. Love your design ideas. Happy Building!!

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    1. Hi Rick - congrats on your new Rome! We are building Elevation L with stone. Those other design ideas are interesting - especially the second master suite upstairs. We are looking forward to following your progress and to learn about your design changes too.

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  5. We got the front porch on our Rome too!! Lovely choice by the way ;) It does look beautiful. My husband and I are so excited to sit out on our front porch and relax :) We got the reversed layout like in the picture. Sounds like your home is going to be beautiful!

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  6. Hi! Just found your blog and am starting at the beginning. I had to comment on this one because my husband is a big fan of Anchorman, so the "When in Rome..." comments have been flying left and right ever since we decided on that model. I'd love it if you could follow my blog and put your too cents in: romeinginrichmond.blogspot.com

    Thanks! And I hope you enjoy your new home, since I think at this point you've already closed... :D

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  7. We're trying to get the first floor bedroom option in our community but not having luck through the sales folks. Do you have a floor plan that you could post? Be really great to see what the blueprint looks like. Thanks!

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