Slender brick columns support a dramatic gabled porch that adds to the visual appeal of the Tamarisk, a large contemporary-country home designed for construction on a good sized parcel of land. Almost all the rooms in this plan are large. Vaulted ceilings in the entry, guest suite, living room, office and family kitchen add to the sense of spaciousness.
One of the home's most interesting features is the family theater, designed to maximize the pleasures of surround sound. Built-in shelves and cabinets provide housing for a big-screen television, electronic stereo equipment, albums, disks, videotapes and the like. These shelves are accessible from the rear, through the utility room.A sunny skylit family kitchen is at the heart of the home. Its brick or tile hearth spans the entire left wall. The wood box has an exterior door and supplies the fireplace in the office as well. Conveniences in the kitchen include a freezer, pantry, garden window, appliance center and an island with vegetable sink.
The sumptuous master suite is far more than a bedroom. A bayed sitting area expands the rear wall while skylights brighten the portion of the room farthest from the windows. Another skylight, along with a small window, illuminates the deep walk-in closet.
Luxuries in the master bathroom include a spa, an oversized shower and a separately enclosed second vanity. Sliding glass doors open onto a wide deck, and pocket doors offer direct access to the skylit office. A security system is next to the door that leads to the rest of the house. Storage and linen closets make efficient use of space in the hallway.
The small guest suite could double as a second office if both husband and wife do some of their work at home.
Secondary bedrooms are at the opposite end of the house. An odd-angled bathroom with twin lavs serves the bedrooms and garage. Utilities are across the hall in another odd-shaped room. The exterior door comes in handy when shoes are muddy from working in the garden.
For a study kit of the Tamarisk (333-190), send $9 to Landmark Designs, P.O. Box 2307-DN84, Eugene, OR 97402 (be sure to specify plan name and number). For a collection of plan books featuring Landmark's most popular home plans, send $20 to Landmark.