It wasn't typical for the flat countryside outside Tallahassee, Fla. This property had elevation. It also had flowing water and was thick with trees.

When Greg Preble saw this land, he visualized a pond and a home that looked out over the water. To site both features, Preble studied aerial photos and considered zoning. He found a place for the pond—and a place for the home.

And The Ponderosa was born. "I wanted a place we could get to easily," Preble says.

Greg Preble took time placing The Ponderosa onto his land.	A broad porch creates an outside extension of the inside living space.

Preble wanted to limit his impact on the land. He grouped the home, barn and pasture on a few acres and left trees on the rest. Wanting to bring the property's main feature—wood from trees—into his home, Preble built a rustic structure leaning heavily on wood. "I think it turned out nice," he says.

Not taking time to site the home and write a land development plan is a missed opportunity, at best.

"The home needs to reflect its surroundings," says Jeremiah Eck, of Jeremiah Eck Architects Inc. in Boston, Mass., and author of the new book "The Face of Home" (The Taunton Press).

Eck urges homeowners to put as much planning into the outside of their homes as they put toward decorating the inside. "Trust your instinct. You know when something is comfortable to the eye," he says.

With that, we asked Eck to look at photos we sent him of The Ponderosa. We were looking for observations about the homesite. He offered these thoughts.

Hillside. This home sits on top of a hill. It could also have been pushed down off the top just a bit. That makes the home look more a part of the setting.

View. The view of the pond from the home is appealing, but adding vegetation on the hill may also enhance the scenery. Trees give a home scale and "frame the view," and natural vegetation can replace some grass.

Fencing. Plantings along the fenceline would help soften its impact on the property.

Porches. The wraparound porch is a wonderful feature. Adding detail to the columns—replacing single columns with groupings of thinner posts—adds interest to the front of the home.

E X T R A: Principles of Good Home Design


STEP 9: DESIGNING THE FARMHOUSE >>

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