There's much to be said for creative architecture, impeccable millwork, scrumptious building materials, and all-around stellar craftsmanship. But those things are hard to appreciate when they are eclipsed by piles of paperwork, fields of free-range electronic devices, and bulk toilet paper purchases with nowhere to hide. It's these kinds of conundrums that make homeowners crazy—the dirty little (or big) secrets you don't see in model homes.

“People have lots of stuff, and they need places to store it,” says Nagle. “This is particularly the case with multi-generational households where a parent is likely to move from another home with all of his or her treasures. We found people living in new homes and still paying $250 to $340 a month for off-site storage. Translate that into a house payment, and it makes a lot of sense to buy a bigger house.”

The Reality House takes storage to the extreme, offering a bonanza of places to stash those pesky necessities of our daily existence. A second-floor bonus room above the garage with 640 square feet of raw space can be configured to serve any number of functions, from playroom to guest room to storage repository. Meanwhile, the heavy-duty utility room at ground level, decked out with floor-to-ceiling Timberlake cabinetry, recasts the old laundry room concept as a multipurpose facility with a pet shower and a back door leading to a pet yard out back. In the event that dog-phobic visitors come calling, the utility room is even outfitted with a Masonite Dutch door so Fido can be “stored” but still see out into the hallway.

Nooks, crannies, and built-in cubbies abound in every room of the house. “There are tons of little spaces we captured to make the most efficient use of the plan,” says LRK's Haley. “These are areas that make the plan work without you realizing that it's working.”

FINE DETAILS

GREAT MIGRATION Kitchen amenities appear in no fewer than six rooms throughout the home. A breakfast nook off the second-floor master suite allows late-night snackers or early-morning caffeine addicts to get their fix without disrupting the rest of the house.

LEAVE A MESSAGE Built-in shelving by the back porch entry carves out space for personal reminders, keys, and cell phones.

TAILOR MADE Ample shelving in the roomy master closet accommodates even the biggest clothes horses. The L-shaped space is intuitive by design: She gets the long side, and he gets, well, the short end. Although the main laundry is in the utility room downstairs, this closet houses an extra washer and dryer for convenience.

STEPPING OUT A reclaimed vestibule under the stairs, next to the porte cochere entry, provides a resting place for coats, purses, hats, mittens, backpacks, and shoes.

WASH UPClothes-care products from Whirlpool Corp. handle all laundry needs. The master suite has its own front-loading, 24-inch washer and dryer (above, right); a portable fabric freshener to relax wrinkles and remove odors; and an ImPress ironing station that tucks out of the way. The pool bath is outfitted with a DryAire drying cabinet to accommodate wet garments (above, left). The laundry has its own collection of mainstays that include a SinkSpa jetted sink (middle) and an Ensemble fabric-care washer and dryer (top). The units have Whisper Quiet Plus Sound Insulation, stainless steel interiors, and multiple options to get clothes as good as new. www.insideadvantage.com.

HAVEN ABOVEThe ceiling in the bonus room above the garage gets the royal treatment from Armstrong's WoodHaven ceiling planks in warm knotty pine. Durable and impact-resistant, the prefinished panels are also resistant to humidity and moisture, which make them suited for kitchens and baths in addition to high traffic areas. Each piece comes as a 6-inch-by-48-inch or 5-inch-by-78-inch tongue-and-groove plank that is easy to install. www.armstrong.com.

WELL ORGANIZEDClothes appreciate good storage space too, which is why the house is outfitted with the Big O-Box closet system from Schulte Corp. The closets consist of freedomRail shelving standards that accept shelves, two-drawer and three-drawer units, and a shoe cubby. Big O-Box units offer space for stacking and storing items and flexibility for storage in other areas of the home, such as pantries and home offices. The system comes in cherry, maple, and white with nickel finishes. www.schultestorage.com.

DUST BUSTERFace it, even a perfect house needs to be vacuumed. A traditional upright is adequate, but a central vacuum system is a better option for removing dirt. The Reality House is outfitted with the Serenity Plus central vacuum system from Beam. A central vacuum contributes to a healthier indoor air environment by completely removing dirt and allergens from the living area without stirring up dust. www.beamvac.com.

POWER TRIPIn Florida's active hurricane climate, it's folly not to have backup power. The Reality House has it—a 30-kilowatt generator from Kohler Power Systems. Designed for residential use, the new product includes enhanced sound enclosures so the neighbors won't complain about noise, as well as advanced digital controls featuring a compact controller to support today's sophisticated home electronics. The unit is powered by a General Motors 1.6 liter overhead four-cylinder engine. www.kohlersmartpower.com.

STORAGE SPACEThe garage can be an unruly place—unless there is adequate storage to keep things neat and tidy. Gladiator Garage-Works by Whirlpool Corp. is here to help. The anchor of the system is the 48-inch-long GearTrack Channel, from which wall cabinets, shoe racks, shelves, and hooks can be hung. Other pieces include a tall cabinet, a workbench with power strip, a refrigerator, and chemical-resistant roll flooring. www.gladiatorgw.com.

DOORS OF OPPORTUNITYThe house uses garage doors from Overhead Door Corp.'s Renaissance Collection. With an embossed grain texture, the custom doors look like wood but are made of steel. Polyurethane insulation provides an energy-efficient 12.76 R-value, while optional decorative hardware and window treatments allow personalization. The door is available in 18 designs. www.overheaddoor.com.

UP LIFTThe LiftMaster Estate Series by The Chamberlain Group powers all three garage doors. The unit uses a belt-drive ¾-horsepower motor that is fast, ultra-quiet, and smooth, which should please those using the bonus room above the garage. Additionally, a motion-detecting control panel turns on lights automatically, and a PosiLock feature keeps the door locked once it is shut. For added security, rolling code technology on the door opener ensures that a code is never repeated. www.chamberlain.com.

FAMILY FUNThe 2006 Dodge Durango is a family vehicle with an optimally designed cabin offering seating for up to eight passengers and storage space for everything else. The SUV has an optional 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with a Multi-Displacement System that boosts fuel economy while offering 335 horsepower. Other features include a power liftgate, factory-installed remote start, SIRIUS satellite radio, navigation system, and DVD video entertainment system. www.dodge.com.