The three-story home remains a widely popular and incredibly versatile choice for a new home on the Crystal Coast. With abundant room for large families and nearly unlimited flexibility and creative control, we’ve seen many unique floor plans take shape over the years.
If you’ve considered building a custom, three-story home, here’s what modern homeowners are building on the Crystal Coast. These floorplans offer a range of benefits, from maximizing space to enjoying stunning views that elevate daily living.
Common North Carolina Three-Story Floor Plans
The Coastal Cottage
These cozy coastal homes typically feature spacious porches and airy, open interiors designed to capture the coastline breeze. This three-story home provides living spaces on the upper floors to take advantage of ocean views. The second floor may house an open kitchen, dining, and living area, with wraparound porches or balconies. The third floor is often dedicated to bedrooms, including a master suite with a private balcony. The first floor could sport a garage or storage room for beach gear and boats, with a bonus room or guest space.
This design blends relaxed beachside living with practicality, often featuring outdoor showers, mudrooms for sandy feet, and large windows to let in natural light.
Contemporary Coastal
For those looking for a sleek, modern look, the contemporary coastal floor plan offers a minimalist aesthetic combined with a focus on maximizing the surrounding views. These homes often feature large windows, flat or low-pitched roofs, and clean lines. The three-story design allows for an open floor plan on the second floor, with a modern kitchen and living area, while the third floor is reserved for a grand master suite that encompasses the entire floor.
It’s more than just a bedroom. With a luxurious ensuite bathroom, spacious walk-in closet and space for a private seating area, this floor is about indulging in the extra space and flexibility a three-story home provides. This floor plan creates the idea of a private inner sanctuary away from guest bedrooms or social spaces.
Low Country Style
The low country floor plan is inspired by traditional Southern architecture. Designed for warm, humid climates, low country style homes often have deep porches, elevated foundations, and wide eaves to provide shade and cool air circulation. The first floor is often raised above ground level to prevent flooding, leaving space for garages or storage underneath.
The second floor typically contains the main living areas, including a spacious kitchen, dining room, and family room that open onto wide verandas. On the third floor you’ll find the bedrooms, all designed to maximize cross-breezes and natural light. Large windows and French doors are common, offering seamless indoor-outdoor living and views of the water.
Traditional Floor Plan With A Twist
Three-story homes traditionally follow a familiar layout: the second floor opens to an open kitchen, dining area, and a den, while the top floor consists of two to three bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s a logical setup, with the main living areas benefiting from the views and bedrooms tucked away for privacy.
However, some homeowners are flipping this concept, positioning the bedrooms to the second floor (a much cooler floor during the hot summer months) and reserving the top floor for a cozy living room, perhaps with a minimal kitchen or bar for entertaining. It’s a modern twist that allows for more creative use of space.
The Benefits Of A Three-Story Home
This housing style opens up many opportunities for designs that could be more limited with a one or two-story home. Introducing larger, more open concept spaces like kitchens and living quarters, or dedicated home office or gym spaces sets the stage for a fully-customized home.
An elevated living space additionally opens up the potential for grand sweeping views that would be hard to capture in single-story designs. Imagine sipping your morning coffee overlooking the beautiful coastline from a second-story den. Alternatively, placing an office or living room on the ground floor offers an opportunity for walk-out amenities like a patio or yard, further customizing your space to your lifestyle.
When you work with a trusted North Carolina home builder like Crystal Coast Construction, the opportunities are endless. Ready to unlock your dream home? Reach out to us today and learn more about our custom home building and remodeling services in North Carolina.
