When homework, snacks, and the dog all converge, the challenge in this Southridge Drive house is not a lack of rooms, but the division of daily life across two distinct levels. This 3,549-square-foot home in Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, was built in 1999 with a raised foundation and sits on a gently sloped 20-acre lot of Boomer hard bedrock and rock outcrop soils. The household’s routine is shaped by the dual kitchens and family rooms, the direct sightlines from the main kitchen’s gas range to the vaulted great room, and the way sound moves through the open plan.
Two Kitchens, Two Family Rooms: Circulation and Connection
On the main level, the kitchen is anchored by a granite island with a sink, a built-in gas range, and a breakfast area, opening directly to the great room with its cathedral ceiling, open beams, and attached deck. The lower level contains a second kitchen, a family room, a bedroom, a full bath, and access to the three-car garage and workshop. This separation is built into the house’s structure, but it can also fragment the family’s activities, schoolwork, meals, and play can end up scattered between floors.
In this house, the plan should clarify how each level serves the household. The main kitchen’s work triangle is already efficient, with the island sink and range positioned to allow a parent to watch children in the great room while cooking. Storage for bags and everyday gear can be added along the route between the garage entry and the main living area, rather than crowding the kitchen island. The existing open sightline from the stove to the great room is a key asset for supervising children and should be preserved.
Quiet and Focus Within the Open Plan
With four bedrooms and family rooms on both levels, this house offers options for both shared and private activities. One of the existing bedrooms, ideally on the main level, can be fitted as a closable space for focused schoolwork, providing a retreat from the sound and activity of the great room. The connection between the garage and the main living area should be easy to read, with storage placed beside that route to keep children’s traffic out of the cook’s working path.
Sound management is important in this vaulted, open-beam house. The main great room’s volume and open structure allow noise to travel easily between spaces. The lower-level family room can be acoustically separated from the bedroom corridor with a door, while the main level can use rugs, curtains, and upholstered seating to soften sound. The central, multi-zone heating and cooling, along with ceiling fans, reinforce the house’s division into usable zones. Each level can function as its own family hub, rather than relying on a single undifferentiated open space.
The house’s finishes, wood, slate, tile, and carpet, offer opportunities for continuity and distinction. I would extend a calm, continuous wood tone through the main circulation routes, while keeping durable tile or slate in service areas, matching the existing materials. This approach helps relate the two levels without erasing the distinction between the garage-side family zone and the brighter main living room, where large black-trimmed windows and the wraparound deck connect the interior to the valley and mountain views.
Deck, Roof, and the Ranch Setting
The exterior of this house is defined by its dark metal gable roof, white painted siding, black window trim, and wraparound deck with black metal railing. The raised foundation leaves under-deck supports exposed, and the house sits above open pasture, mature oaks, and cross-fenced ranch land. The concrete driveway ascends to a gated entry, and the approach to the front door could be clarified with more formal walkways and additional exterior lighting.
The ground beneath this house is mapped as Boomer hard bedrock and rock outcrop complex, with well-drained soils and up to 30% clay content. The FEMA flood map places the site in zone X, with minimal flood risk, but the area does see high sun exposure and a 19% wildfire risk over 30 years. The exposed under-deck framing can be softened with lattice or native plantings, and ground cover should be added around the house base to reduce bare soil exposure and blend the structure into its ranch setting. Shading elements can be introduced over the deck to make outdoor living more comfortable, but these changes must respect the Lake Wildwood Association’s exterior standards.
Lake Wildwood Association Rules and Approval
Any exterior modification, including deck shade structures, new plantings, or changes to the metal roof, requires prior approval from the Lake Wildwood Association Environmental Management Office. The Association’s “Redbook” (Rules and Regulations) and “Bluebook” (Restrictive Covenants and By-Laws) set the standards for exterior materials, colors, and placement of structures. See the Association’s guidance here and here. Before making changes to the roof, siding, or landscaping, the household should confirm the parcel’s requirements and approval process with the EMO.
My plan for this Southridge Drive home is to let the children move between levels without making the kitchen a corridor, give the cook a clear view of the shared room, and let the family find both company and quiet, while keeping the house’s connection to its views and its unique site. If you live in a two-level home with a similar split and want to explore a plan for your family, I invite you to get in touch.