The Design.

We were instantly drawn to the Schmidt Brothers who are building our home. It's a family-owned business and that element comes through in every transaction.

During our first meeting with the builder, Keith shared his love of the weather (check out his weather blogs in Tampa and Cincinnati) and his desire to have an observation deck. We were told it was actually doable!

So, during that meeting, we itemized what we needed in a floorplan:

• First-floor guest suite
• Two work spaces (Keith and I both work from home)
• Jack-and-Jill style kids' bedrooms
• Weather deck

After a few rounds of revisions, here's the plan we settled on.