Tuesday, May 25, 2010
What items of your design will require detailing to convey your design?
Hmmm...I don't have many custom pieces. In the master suite, I have the custom fiber optic suspended ceiling. I haven't drawn this piece as an elevation yet but thank goodness it is on the more simple side. Basically it's just a drywall (or wooden) slab with fiber optic lighting randomly installed in them. This piece will be suspended by metal piping. Other places I could possibly provide details of is the shower in the master bath because it has a little alcove in the shower for shampoo, conditioner, etc. Also there is the kitchen that I didn't necessarily customize...I got the specs from a kitchen catalogue (I forget which company). I'm sure I'll need serious help on these because I haven't done detailing in forever!!
Fiber Optic Ceiling
I saw this idea in a home movie theater in one of those Street of Dreams Tours a few years back. I thought, "Wow! That's kinda cool!" And then I thought, "why not incorporate that in a room but suspended?" I thought that maybe I'd incorporate it into the master bedroom. Instead of it looking like the night sky, maybe I could do a suspended, painted drywall ceiling w/ fiber optics or a suspended wooden ceiling w/ fiber optics in it. Mrs. Smith didn't want anything too crazy in the space and I thought this would be a great way to introduce lighting in a unique way and providing some architectural interest in the space as well.
Innovative ways of using wood flooring
In the great room, I thought about using wooden flooring in ways that you don't usually see in residential spaces. Instead of using it on the floor like normal, I thought why not use it on the ceiling or where the side of the stairway is. It's such a great conversation starter and interesting to look at. Also, it pulls nicely from the natural surroundings of the neighborhood. It's a way of bringing the outside in...something the couple wanted to inject in their space.
Fireplace inspiration
I love dragonflies and what they symbolize: life and strength. Its colors aren't bad either. The master suite has a fireplace that I decided to tile w/ glass. It embodies the colors of the dragonfly. Plus, when you look at the tile at an angle, it gives off bits of red or purple. You can't quite make it out but it picks up the red in the space so subtly. I got the tile sample from United Tile.
Also I decided to tile the fireplace from floor to ceiling to give a uniqueness to the place. It also showcases the tile in such a classy way. I wanted the clients to be wowed by the space and didn't want to provide the usual way a fireplace should look like (tiled surround w/ a mantel piece up top). This style is too traditional. The couple is a bit traditional but not so much. They wanted a more updated yet casual look and wanted to see some architectural detail in their room remodels.
Inspiration photos
I am so not a nature girl but I love the colors of nature and I tend to get my inspiration there. The colors are very beautiful and work well together. Because the Smith Residence is set in a community surrounded by greenery and pine trees, I thought why not keep everything simple w/ pops of color. The family wanted things to be simple and wanted neutrals but not necessarily white. They were fine with pops of color as long as it was in small doses. I thought it would be nice to use a palette of grays, blues and greens w/ touches of brick red. You'll see in the picture where I had got my inspiration from.
Most of the rooms pretty much stayed w/ the gray-blue, green combo but going to the master bedroom, I injected bits of red in small doses because it was a place that Mr. & Mrs. Smith could relax yet feel passionate. The master suite was a great start to introducing warmth in the whole house.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Changes or Revisions to my Design
This is a project I've already done and I'm only focusing on 4 spaces: Master Suite, Master Bath, Kitchen and Great/Family Room. I've incorporated a few revisions to work with my design and the needs of the clients. These changes are in the master bath, kitchen and a minor one in the master suite.
In the master bath, I changed it so that the double sinks are separated and not sharing the same countertop. The area where the shower is, I replaced with one of the sinks. I placed the shower somewhat across from the whirlpool tub so that it isn't next to the door, which, I find a bit awkward. Plus sometimes I feel like having your own space would be more beneficial for my clients. The husband may have a few items while the wife may have a boatload of makeup, perfume, accessories, etc. So, personal space could help ease situations like these.
In the kitchen, I added a seating area by the window and placed a stove against the wall as opposed to the island. The fridge is moved over to the next wall. I felt that this made more sense. My clients love to entertain and, not only that, they have small children. Having the stove on the island (where most people would naturally congregate) would be a safety issue...especially with children around. And the children's safety goes above all else.
The minor change I made in the master suite was taking the entry door and placing it on the opposite side. This was basically to accommodate my design because I am having pendant lamps working as night table lamps. This major change allows for better flow.
In the master bath, I changed it so that the double sinks are separated and not sharing the same countertop. The area where the shower is, I replaced with one of the sinks. I placed the shower somewhat across from the whirlpool tub so that it isn't next to the door, which, I find a bit awkward. Plus sometimes I feel like having your own space would be more beneficial for my clients. The husband may have a few items while the wife may have a boatload of makeup, perfume, accessories, etc. So, personal space could help ease situations like these.
In the kitchen, I added a seating area by the window and placed a stove against the wall as opposed to the island. The fridge is moved over to the next wall. I felt that this made more sense. My clients love to entertain and, not only that, they have small children. Having the stove on the island (where most people would naturally congregate) would be a safety issue...especially with children around. And the children's safety goes above all else.
The minor change I made in the master suite was taking the entry door and placing it on the opposite side. This was basically to accommodate my design because I am having pendant lamps working as night table lamps. This major change allows for better flow.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Summary for Exploring the Role of Home Design in Fostering Family Interaction
With the current schedules of each family member nowadays, there is a decreasing amount of time families spend together. While spaces within the home are multi-functional (especially that of family rooms), living spaces are designed with the intention that families are encouraged to interact while also providing an aesthetically pleasing space. After all, family interaction is good for the well-being as well as a person's health. Usually, these are the people you spend your time with after a long day at work or school. Traffic flows in the home are thought of as well...open floor plans are a plus as well as having a living space w/ multiple functions (i.e. incorporating a study area in the kitchen or having one room overlooking another such as the kitchen and family room being adjacent to each other). When promoting a multi-use space and considering time constraints, you are forcing families to do things in one room together.
Summary for Interpretations of Urban Child-Friendliness
This focused mainly on "green spaces." Not in the sense of sustainable products but around nature. Outdoor spaces were important to the children. Naturally, parents were concerned about safety and held this as a high priority. Both children and parents were concerned about traffic issues because they wanted to feel comfortable that the children would be able to play safely and comfortably in the neighborhood. These subjects really wanted to live in areas to be able to interact comfortably w/ friends as well as having a child-friendly neighborhood. Natural surrounding also exhibits pleasant colors and sounds compared to (most of the time) urban environments. My residential space is located in a prime Kirkland gated community set in natural surroundings. Greenery is everywhere. I'd like to believe that this is the type of neighborhood described in the article. The gates to the neighborhood promotes the feeling of safety, there's that natural-type setting everywhere you turn your head, and traffic is relatively low.
Summary for A Room for Living: Private and Public Aspects in the Experience of the Living Room
The thing that I didn't realize until later is that children were not involved in the study of this article. That was kind of a bummer but it did focus on various pairs of adults. My residential space consists of a single family with 2 young children. I decided to use this article anyway because I know that the parents will want alone time at some point and I think that this article can cater to all ages even though there were no children used in the study. Anyway, this article was all about how to use the living room. Basically people would want to utilize this space as a place of multi-use, a comfortable area where they can feel like getting away from their every day lives yet able to accommodate guests. Incorporating memories in the living space may also heighten the sense of solitude or a connection with the family. The way you can achieve this is by incorporating framed photos or displaying some decorative piece obtained on a caribbean vacation get-away, for example. It also describes that the living room is a natural space for a variety of activities so it's nice to have access to other parts of the home. Inhabitants would like to enjoy time alone without feeling lonely.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Articles on Residential Design
All articles taken from InformeDesign:
1) A Room for Living: Private & Public Aspects in the Experience of the Living Room
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=3350
2) Interpretations of Urban Child-Friendliness: A Comparative Study of (2) Neighborhoods in Helinsky & Rome
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=3245
3) Exploring the Role of Home Design in Fostering Family Interaction: The Use of Programming Methods in Research
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=1726
1) A Room for Living: Private & Public Aspects in the Experience of the Living Room
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=3350
2) Interpretations of Urban Child-Friendliness: A Comparative Study of (2) Neighborhoods in Helinsky & Rome
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=3245
3) Exploring the Role of Home Design in Fostering Family Interaction: The Use of Programming Methods in Research
www.informedesign.umn.edu/Rs_detail.aspx?rsId=1726
Monday, May 10, 2010
Concept Statement for Smith Residence
This comfortably, spacious home (2,942 sq. ft) will have dual uses - a sanctuary to call home as well as a workplace (not always, but often) for the man of the house. Mrs. Smith also works from home. She considers cooking, baking, and reading her favorite hobbies. She would like the space to feel cozy and kid-friendly so that it is a place their children will feel comfortable. The style of the home will be casual yet attractive. The interior does not necessarily need to be conventional but they would like to stay away from styles that are too serious, formal, or modern. The home should be free of anything stiff or extravagant. They would like to stay more on the simple side. The family likes to entertain often so the place must be warm and inviting but without the usage of bright or too many colors. Lots of natural light would be great to enhance the open, bright feeling.
The Smith Residence will not only work as a practical work place but a comfortable and cozy living situation for all. It will welcome all guests and make them feel at home.
The Smith Residence will not only work as a practical work place but a comfortable and cozy living situation for all. It will welcome all guests and make them feel at home.
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