Designs feature flexible floor plans

For example, the Ashstone features a unique entertainment courtyard with an optional brick fireplace and two entrances to the home: one to the foyer and another to a 165-square-foot "fabulously flexible" room.

"We tagged this as a guest room or office," said Vicki Romanski, Gladstone's general sales manager. "But our customers' ideas are very creative."

An artist found that the room's abundance of natural light made it a perfect studio. Another customer will use the space for her baby grand piano.

Upstairs, the master suite changes with a choice of layouts. One includes two walk-in closets, each more than 13 feet by 7 feet, and a spacious sitting area.

The second moves the sitting area outside of the suite, creating a loft space. Removing one of the two large walk-ins creates a sitting area within the suite, with an optional three-sided fireplace. A model showing this option is open at Eaglecrest at Grande Reserve in Yorkville.

Another new courtyard plan, the Seastone, features entrances to the foyer and a first-floor master suite. Upstairs are three spacious bedrooms and a hall bath, and an optional bonus room that can serve as a fifth bedroom, secondary family room, play room, exercise room, or art or dance studio. A Seastone model will open this fall at Moose Lake Estates in North Aurora.

Gladstone offers 11 single-family plans from 3,075 square feet to 4,012 square feet with open, flowing common areas and natural light throughout. Each plan includes four bedrooms and 21/2 baths, with options on some for a fifth bedroom and up to 41/2 baths. All include a first-floor study and spacious laundry room and offer a three-car garage. Some have a fourth car option.

Many of the homes have lookout basements and exceptional standard features, such as custom oak staircases, furniture-quality cabinets and six-panel solid-wood doors.

Fireplaces also are an included feature of each of the plans, and some come with a two-sided stone fireplace between the family and formal dining rooms.

Gladstone's all on-site construction uses quality timber, double-hung wood-frame windows.

Currently, Gladstone is building homes at Eaglecrest at Grande Reserve and Moose Lake Estates, and in Plainfield at Heritage Oaks and Windemere at Grande Park. For information visit www.gladstonehome.com.