PHRASE “ GO BIG OR GO HOME ”
IS OVERRATED . “ LESS IS MORE ,” HOWEVER , RINGS
TRUE TO MERIDIAN CUSTOM HOMES , WHOSE
LATEST CLIENTS CHERISH THEIR SINGLE-LEVEL
MODEL IN WRENTHAM , MASSACHUSETTS .
From young families to those looking to downsize or consolidate their living space , the single-level home concept has been growing in popularity among all age groups .
According to Meridian co-owner Alex Mitchell , ranch-style homes have become a third or more of Meridian ’ s business . Homebuyers are moving toward the direction of an open , friendly floor plan where the spaces blend from one room to another .
“ This floor plan has been popular since day one . People have always appreciated it , but there ' s been a greater demand for it today among all age groups ,” says Mitchell .
Featuring ten-foot-tall ceilings — with an added cathedral ceiling in the living room , making it substantially larger in cubic feet — four bedrooms , three-and-a-half bathrooms and an improved basement , this particular one-level oasis has it all . The home contains an enclosed three-season deck , master bedroom with a walk-in closet , a large tile shower in the master bathroom and a fireplace just below the TV in the living room — everything the homeowners need is accessible without the use of stairs .
The kitchen , which includes a large marble island next to the breakfast nook , is just a few inches away from the living room , front entry foyer and the dining area . On either side of the house are the sleeping quarters and work offices for both homeowners .
“ It ' s a very free-flowing , open space ,” Mitchell says . “ We ask buyers about the kind of house they want , and one of the initial questions is where they want the bedrooms . Sometimes they don ' t even know if they want it on the first floor until they walk through one of our models and it has a bedroom on the first floor .”
The homeowners moved to Wrentham , Massachusetts , from Newport Beach , California , in 2021 . Exhausted from traveling up to six times a year to visit their adult children raising their own families on the East Coast , they decided to settle down in New England near their loved ones .
The one-story floor plan was one of the reasons the clients decided on the home . “ It was really important to have the master suite , half bath and small bedroom / office on one side of the house and the other two bedrooms , bathroom and laundry room on the other side ,” say the homeowners . “ It creates privacy and noise separation , which we have now experienced to be beneficial . It ’ s a priority as we both age . And it ’ s for medical issues , too . The fact that New England is adapting to singlelevel homes is indicative of an aging population .”
One of the bedrooms was converted into an office , where the wife works from home . This multifunctional space also acts as an exercise
42 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY ’ S NEST | 2024