irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
I was able to tour the model homes today and I took pictures. I shrunk down to 400x300 so as not to bog down the download speed and they may not have the best lighting.
Pricing starts at $771,700.
If you're looking for Plan 2:
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=irvinere&thread=426
Plan 3:
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=irvinere&thread=429
First, the floorplan for Plan 1, compliments of Scott Gunther (aka IrvineRealtor):
The model for Plan 1 is reverse of the above floor plan. We'll start this off with...
First Floor
Exterior (not so great picture):
Your typical Irvine stucco box. Nothing really spectacular and I didn't really talk to the sales people so I'm not sure what the other elevations look like.
The porch area is covered which I think is nice and some builders over look because when it's raining (how rare that is nowadays), it's good that your visitors are somewhat protected.
The very tall door opens to an entry foyer with the powder down a small hall to the left (or right). I prefer houses that have these type of areas as you don't open up directly into any living space. As you proceed to the back of the house past the stairs, you get to the...
Great Room:
It's not really that great... about the size of many family rooms. But how it's layed out in relation to the dining area (not room) and kitchen, it really looks big.
Kitchen:
Now I have to tell you, when you look at the square footage of these homes and wonder why they only have 3 bedrooms and no separate living spaces, you can see where all the space went to. These kitchens are enormous and if you look at the floor plan, it takes up almost half the downstairs living area.
Near the back off the kitchen is the...
Pantry/Desk area:
The wife really loves this area. The desk is multi purpose as you can use it for an area to put mail, put the grocery bags while you pile them into the pantry and many other uses. More homes should have this kind of area.
And double door entries off the dining area lead to...
The infamous California Room:
(from inside through sliding French-style doors)
So yes, it's basically a covered patio but it is a nice area considering it's fully covered (unlike a pergola or those wood slap patios many people are used to) and you can put in lighting and other items that are protected from the elements. If you open up the sliding doors it's a nice extension while you are entertaining guests. But the backyard area is tiny, the home is almost backed up to the wall so what you see in your Cali room and that small area outside of the great room is all you get.
Going back to the foyer...
Stairs/Powder:
(sorry, not very good picture of the powder)
(storage closet below stairs)
I like having the stairs off the foyer and the powder is far from the rest of the living area (BK-style). There is also a storage space under the stairs (3rd picture) which I like as it makes use of an area that would usually just be walled over.
The stairs is a nice open area with windows so that it doesn't feel closed in.
Second Floor
When you go up the stairs, directly to the left (or right) is a huge...
Master Bedroom:
If you can see from the picture (and the floorplan), this master is wider (or longer) than typical masters and this allows for a small sitting area just as you enter that bedroom. In lieu of a separate master retreat, I like these type of extended master bedrooms. There is a huge window facing the back of your home and if you happen to back a nice area, that would be great, but most of these will be backing your neighbors and considering how close the houses are to each other, make sure you have the windows covered or you might get to know your neighbor better than you want.
Master Bathroom:
This area is sizeable and the shower is huge. My only complaint here is the shower isn't enclosed on 3 sides by solid walls like it may look on the floorplan. The side facing the sinks, is actually part of the glass enclosure so while it is separate from the tub, it's not as private as I would like. This is more a personal preference. The master closet picture isn't very good but it shows that the standard material is wood multi-level shelves and hangar poles. I prefer this over the metal wire systems that other builders use as the solid shelves have more utility in my opinion. I still don't think it's big enough for a couple and I prefer separate master closets.
Going out from the master, you pass the...
Laundry Room:
They must have focus grouped my wife for this laundry room. It's awesome, machines on ones side, folding area and sink on the other, cabinets and a huge-antic storage area. Some people may think this is wasted space but for anyone who does laundry almost daily for the family... this place is heaven.
Upstairs Bathroom:
This is the best layout for a shared bathroom, dual sinks and a door to separate the shower/tub and toilet from the sinks. With kids, it's good to be able to have one take a shower without disallowing the other from using a sink.
Bedroom 2:
Bedroom 3:
It's hard to see from these pictures but these rooms are actually quite big, especially Bedroom 3. I think these rooms are actually bigger than the ones in Plan 3 and possible even Plan 2.
I apologize if the pictures aren't very good but combined with the floorplan, it gives you an idea of what these home look like (especially if you can't see them yourself like some guy from Chicago).
Seeing them in person though will definitely make you appreciate these designs ignoring the price. The builder is TRI Pointe and I think they did a good job in addressing the needs of the typical family that would be looking at these models (except for the lack of a 3-car garage). I think these are aimed more at families with 2 or 3 kids (who do not drive) but the prices are too high in my opinion.
I'll post the Plan 2 and Plan 3 threads when I have time.
Pricing starts at $771,700.
If you're looking for Plan 2:
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=irvinere&thread=426
Plan 3:
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=irvinere&thread=429
First, the floorplan for Plan 1, compliments of Scott Gunther (aka IrvineRealtor):
The model for Plan 1 is reverse of the above floor plan. We'll start this off with...
First Floor
Exterior (not so great picture):
Your typical Irvine stucco box. Nothing really spectacular and I didn't really talk to the sales people so I'm not sure what the other elevations look like.
The porch area is covered which I think is nice and some builders over look because when it's raining (how rare that is nowadays), it's good that your visitors are somewhat protected.
The very tall door opens to an entry foyer with the powder down a small hall to the left (or right). I prefer houses that have these type of areas as you don't open up directly into any living space. As you proceed to the back of the house past the stairs, you get to the...
Great Room:
It's not really that great... about the size of many family rooms. But how it's layed out in relation to the dining area (not room) and kitchen, it really looks big.
Kitchen:
Now I have to tell you, when you look at the square footage of these homes and wonder why they only have 3 bedrooms and no separate living spaces, you can see where all the space went to. These kitchens are enormous and if you look at the floor plan, it takes up almost half the downstairs living area.
Near the back off the kitchen is the...
Pantry/Desk area:
The wife really loves this area. The desk is multi purpose as you can use it for an area to put mail, put the grocery bags while you pile them into the pantry and many other uses. More homes should have this kind of area.
And double door entries off the dining area lead to...
The infamous California Room:
(from inside through sliding French-style doors)
So yes, it's basically a covered patio but it is a nice area considering it's fully covered (unlike a pergola or those wood slap patios many people are used to) and you can put in lighting and other items that are protected from the elements. If you open up the sliding doors it's a nice extension while you are entertaining guests. But the backyard area is tiny, the home is almost backed up to the wall so what you see in your Cali room and that small area outside of the great room is all you get.
Going back to the foyer...
Stairs/Powder:
(sorry, not very good picture of the powder)
(storage closet below stairs)
I like having the stairs off the foyer and the powder is far from the rest of the living area (BK-style). There is also a storage space under the stairs (3rd picture) which I like as it makes use of an area that would usually just be walled over.
The stairs is a nice open area with windows so that it doesn't feel closed in.
Second Floor
When you go up the stairs, directly to the left (or right) is a huge...
Master Bedroom:
If you can see from the picture (and the floorplan), this master is wider (or longer) than typical masters and this allows for a small sitting area just as you enter that bedroom. In lieu of a separate master retreat, I like these type of extended master bedrooms. There is a huge window facing the back of your home and if you happen to back a nice area, that would be great, but most of these will be backing your neighbors and considering how close the houses are to each other, make sure you have the windows covered or you might get to know your neighbor better than you want.
Master Bathroom:
This area is sizeable and the shower is huge. My only complaint here is the shower isn't enclosed on 3 sides by solid walls like it may look on the floorplan. The side facing the sinks, is actually part of the glass enclosure so while it is separate from the tub, it's not as private as I would like. This is more a personal preference. The master closet picture isn't very good but it shows that the standard material is wood multi-level shelves and hangar poles. I prefer this over the metal wire systems that other builders use as the solid shelves have more utility in my opinion. I still don't think it's big enough for a couple and I prefer separate master closets.
Going out from the master, you pass the...
Laundry Room:
They must have focus grouped my wife for this laundry room. It's awesome, machines on ones side, folding area and sink on the other, cabinets and a huge-antic storage area. Some people may think this is wasted space but for anyone who does laundry almost daily for the family... this place is heaven.
Upstairs Bathroom:
This is the best layout for a shared bathroom, dual sinks and a door to separate the shower/tub and toilet from the sinks. With kids, it's good to be able to have one take a shower without disallowing the other from using a sink.
Bedroom 2:
Bedroom 3:
It's hard to see from these pictures but these rooms are actually quite big, especially Bedroom 3. I think these rooms are actually bigger than the ones in Plan 3 and possible even Plan 2.
I apologize if the pictures aren't very good but combined with the floorplan, it gives you an idea of what these home look like (especially if you can't see them yourself like some guy from Chicago).
Seeing them in person though will definitely make you appreciate these designs ignoring the price. The builder is TRI Pointe and I think they did a good job in addressing the needs of the typical family that would be looking at these models (except for the lack of a 3-car garage). I think these are aimed more at families with 2 or 3 kids (who do not drive) but the prices are too high in my opinion.
I'll post the Plan 2 and Plan 3 threads when I have time.
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