A Front Porch with Acid-Stained Concrete Floor

I love to sit on my front porch at the end of the day or on the weekend with a book and a cup of coffee.  Almost always my neighbors stop to chat.  Sometimes it’s just for a minute and sometimes it morphs into dinner or drinks on the porch.  And then other neighbors stop by… and I catch up on what’s going on without leaving the shade and comfy chairs of my front porch.

Adding a front porch or other outdoor garden room is one of the most dramatic and cost-effective changes you can make to your home.  Here are 2 porches I’ve done in the past few years where my clients report benefits much like I’ve observed with my own porch. 

Cigars on the Concrete Front Porch

The Porch is Close to the Ground without Intervening Railings Which Further Connects to the Neighborhood

The husband, Dan, was initially reluctant to add a porch.  Now he wonders “why didn’t we build it sooner?  We never used our front yard. It was just a way to get into the house. Our porch has given us a place we sit, meet neighbors, and enjoy our street”.  Their Porch has two sitting area – one very open to the neighborhood (above) and one more secluded and private (below).  When they want to interact with the neighbors they sit on the side that’s more open to the street.  The acid-stained concrete porch is very close to the ground so there are no railings to separate them from the yard and the street. 

Shrubbery and a Higher Elevation Separates This Side From the Street

The other side, above, is more sheltered by landscaping and — while railing is still not needed — the porch is higher off the ground providing more separation from the street.  Arlene laughs about sending Dan and his friends to the porch to smoke cigars after dinner.  The ceiling fans on both sides keep both the cigar smoke and the mosquitoes away.  The central wood bench hides the gas and electric services and Arlene reports that she often sits on the bench to go through the mail while their cat lounges on the sun-heated stone insert.

A Side Porch That Acts As a Front Porch

A More Traditional House Needs a More Traditional Porch

A Ground-Level Porch Grounds the House to the Neighborhood

The remodel of the home, above, won an award from the local historic preservation group for reconnecting the home to the neighborhood.  The house is situated on a corner and the front entry was steep (see before picture, below).  We added the porch to the right side of the house.  Now friends and family always enter from the more level alternate street side.  Again, note that the porch is low to the ground – without railings – which welcomes the neighbors to say hello and stop and visit.  The porch also helps balance the addition built on the left side of the house.  Many neighbors commented on how much better balanced the house now feels. 

Before - Without Porch & Before Remodel

So what’s the value of a front porch?

New Rooms To Live In: An expansive, shady front porch offers a delightful retreat. Add ceiling fans, comfortable chairs and tables and you’ve just added alot more square footage to your home! Not to mention, a special place to unwind and watch the rest of the world whirl by.

Neighborhood Integration:  You’ll meet and talk with neighbors you’ve only nodded to before.  Your kid’s friends will prefer your place to others for playing on the porch.  Nothing beats a covered front porch for entertaining! It’s a wonderful place to socialize, catch up on the latest news or just relax and enjoy the company.

Curb Appeal: The front entry sets the stage for your home.  First impressions make a huge difference in how your family, friends and neighbors view your home.  A dramatic transformation happens when a “flat-faced” home receives a new, covered front porch.

Added Value: Enhanced curb appeal can translate into a higher selling price and faster sale for your home down the road.

Protection from the Elements: A front entry with no covering exposes your guests and home to damaging sun and rain. A porch or portico provides great protection for your front door, hardware, trim, lighting—and even, foyer. And your guests will truly appreciate it on rainy or hot, sunny day. It can even help lower your summer energy bills.

So now back to my porch (below).  It is in desperate need of repair – like the cobbler’s children going barefoot.  But the general disrepair doesn’t in any way detract from my use of the porch as an extension of my living room and an extension of my studio.  One side is for enjoying informal interactions with my neighbors.  I think of the other side as part of my studio with a work table where I do dirty work I don’t want in inside.  Both sides are wonderful places to watch the world go by. 

My Front Porch

 And here’s one of my favorite Porches:

One of My Favorite Porches

To read more about these front porches:
http://www.braitmandesign.com/design-solutions/curbappeal-2week-makeover/
http://www.braitmandesign.com/home-remodeling/a-sense-of-place/
http://www.braitmandesign.com/home-remodeling/remodeling-within-the-existing-footprint-case-study/

The New Hall Bath

My client’s home in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington DC is a 1970’s “modern” home with a vaulted living room ceiling and great views.  But it basically hasn’t been updated since it was built.  The bathrooms were 1970’s generic with cultured marble countertop and shower surrounds that were typical of the period.  This bath measuring 5 ft by 8 ft is slightly larger than the generic 5’ x 7’ boxes found in earlier homes allowing for a slightly larger vanity.  But the vanity was largely useless for storage.

The wife uses it as her main bathroom – leaving the Master Bath – for the husband.  But she was frustrated at the lack on storage and the aging fixtures. 

What Makes The Remodeled Bath Work Better:  I’ve listed, below, the features we added to make the same space work much, much better.

Bath tub to Shower:  Few adults take baths on a regular basis.  For daily use, a 30 x 60 shower – replacing the standard tub – is a much more useful option when space is limited.  Multiple shelves plus a soap dish keep the shower organized and shampoo and body wash at hand. 

Extended Countertop:  We extended the new Crema Marfil Marble countertop over the toilet.  This is often called a banjo countertop because of its shape.  It makes the bath both feel and function larger. 

Custom Vanity for Extra Storage:  For a few hundred dollars more, we custom specified the vanity for lots of additional storage.  The central door leaves space to access the plumbing and for cleaning supplies.  The side drawers are shallow and great for make-up items.  The bottom drawers are more than large enough to store extra towels.

35 Cubic Feet of Additional Storage – Recessed into the Adjacent Room:  The adjacent room wasn’t used much especially in the front corner adjacent to the bath.  So we stole some space from that room and recessed a 24” Deep, 30” wide Full height cabinet into the adjacent room.  Drawers on bottom act as dresser space and shelving above is more than adequate for additional clothes or for linens or other storage.  We placed a GFI outlet in the cabinet perfect for keeping the hairdryer and electric toothbrush recharger close at hand but out of sight. 

Lot’s of Energy-Efficient Light:  The sconces installed on a wall of mirrors feature warm-white fluorescent bulbs with instant-on and non-buzzing electronic ballasts.  At 18 watts each, they are the equivalent of 75 watt incandescent bulbs.  The light bounces off the mirror magnifying the brightness.  A medicine cabinet is recessed into the wall with its mirrored door flush with the surrounding wall mirrors.  A small stainless steel disk over the magnetic push latch provides unobtrusive instruction about how to open the door. 

A 2nd Medicine Cabinet:  We mounted a 2nd medicine cabinet on the adjacent wall.  By adjusting both doors, you can view your back to check your hair or clothing.  It, of course, also provides conveniently located storage for makeup and toiletries.

Luxury of Some Spa Features at a Small Price and with Water Efficiency in Mind:  We located a rain shower head on the ceiling.  It’s designed to provide a drenching light rain at reduced water flow.  A multi-function hand-held on a bar is mounted where you might normally find the main shower head.  It can be lowered  and set to massage your back while also using the overhead fixtures.  Both fixtures can be operated at the same time or separately and both temperature and flow can be set independently. 

Heater:  Rather than go to the expense of in-floor heat, we opted for an exhaust fan/heater/light combination.

Few Grout Lines:  We used 12” x 24” oversized tile for a clean look and fewer grout lines.  This client wanted a monochromatic, serene feel.  I might have used a darker grout in other circumstances to highlight the vertical feel of the tiles and to add a little definition.

Tactile Enjoyment:  We replace the hollow-core doors and brass doorknobs with a single recessed panel solid wood door that reflects the cabinetry and has a nice feel of solidity with greater sound-proofing.  We used stainless steel lever handles by Omnia.

We borrrowed 35 Cubic Feet of Storage From an Adjacent Room

Spa-Like Features Without the Expense

A Wall of Mirrors Adds Depth & Light - The Medicine Cabinet is Mounted Flush with the Mirrors

We Added Tactile Pleasures Like a Solid Wood Door & Stainless Door Levers

BEFORE The Remodel

Notice How the Grayed-Green Walls Show Off Art & The Exposed Ceiling Detail

A neighbor and friend in Takoma Park, MD was planning to paint the interior of her home.  It’s a wonderful craftsman – small but with lots of nice details. I had always thought the house was a bit washed out with a light, monochromatic color palette.  I asked if she was open to something new.  Here’s the result and her own words about the change:
 

AFTER - The small home feels larger with more detail

Off-White Walls Lack Depth & Interest

 
“My house is a tiny Craftsman bungalow with small rooms.  It’s filled with an eclectic collection of art, antiques, and other stuff I’ve inherited, collected, or made myself.  There’s no theme, period, or color scheme.  With this much variety in little spaces, I thought I needed a uniform, neutral background like khaki and white.

“The house feels bigger now.  The darker walls recede.  When I walk through the house, there are subtle changes in the wall colors and light, so it feels like a journey in several stages.  That captures my senses and makes the walk seem longer.

“I’ve always loved the beam and board ceiling in the living room, but it never really showed up like it should.  Now it reflects light, shadow, and paint colors as the light changes.  I find myself slouching in my easy chair, looking up, and enjoying the show.

“I especially enjoy the contrast between the tiny kitchen and the largest room, the living room.  The kitchen ceiling, painted dark gray green, feels lower than it really is, and makes it seem cozy.  Then when I walk into the living room, the white beam and board ceiling seems much higher and bigger than it actually is.  Welcome to Versailles! 

“My collection of art and things looks good against the gray green walls.  I wasn’t surprised that the reds really sing, but I was delighted at how good the greens and blues look.  “
 

Notice How the Contrast of Trim and Room Transitions Enhance the Experience

Add Depth & Dimension with Wall Color

Artwork is Enhance with Wall Color

Wall Color Enhances Artwork

I follow certain rules when I develop a palette for a home.  The transition areas (foyer and hallways) are the deepest most intense color within the palette.  The wall color gets lighter as you move through the home toward the rooms with the most daylight.  All wood trim is painted the same color for continuity – usually an off-white that coordinates with the paint.  In this case, with a palette of greyed-greens, the white has hint of yellow for a soft crème to contrast with the walls and the wood blinds.  I prefer quite complex colors – ones where it’s hard to say what’s in it.  These colors provide the greatest variability on the wall reflecting different hues depending on the light source and value.  Shadows and highlights are shown to great effect.  I also prefer matte finish because imperfections in the wall surface are less visible and they absorb the most light and therefore reflect the best color.

A back porch Welcomes Clients and the Neighborhood

I live down the street from a 4-Square built around 1915.  It’s at a prominent intersection and is zoned commercial.  A string of non-descript businesses have leased space there.  The house wasn’t a blight on the neighborhood but it didn’t add anything either.  Then “The Still Point”  a well-respected holistic spa took up residence.  First they built-out their interior; then they moved on the exterior.  In the course of approximately 2-weeks the outside of the building when from non-descript to warm and welcoming.  Thoughtful paint, lighting, furniture and decoration turned a cold, inward-looking structure into a nicely scaled building that beckons the neighborhood into its doors.

AFTER - Main Neighborhood View

BEFORE - Main Neighborhood View - Courtesy of Google Earth

The, above,  After and Before pictures are the view from the main intersection.  A new, wide stairway from the back porch welcomes visitors.  As seen in the introductory image, outdoor drapes help create an intimate space while ceiling fans, furniture and potted palms help make the space intimate.  

A Closer View of the Back Stairs

AFTER - View of the Front of the House

BEFORE - Front of House

The front porch (see After and Before, above) received a slightly more formal but equally inviting make-over.  The line of semi-flush light fixtures – while providing more light than is strictly necessary – creates an extremely attractive rhythm.  The door, made prominent with black contrasting paint, is no longer over-emphasized. 

Notice that they also cleaned up the various phone and cable lines coming into the house so that they no longer distract from the front porch. 

Carpeted Front Steps

Porch steps were carpeted in a deep forest outdoor carpeting to avoid the slipperiness of painted wood.  A water feature near the front door, providing a welcoming auditory break from the street.
 

Welcoming Front Porch

The mocha and crème color scheme brings out the subtle colors of the roof and highlights the architecture much better than did the former white, dark grey and red scheme.  The more subtle palette also contrasts nicely with the black powder-coated furniture and lighting fixtures.  Our eye likes contrast and texture and the new palette caters to these preferences.

Other than the back steps to the porch, there were no structural changes, but now the building is a part of and beckons to the neighborhood rather than standing apart.

Use Barndoor Hardware to Hide A Pocket Home Office - Courtesy of Sunset Magazine

A home office is almost a requirement today.  As with all design projects, start with objectives and needs.  Too often, homeowners jump to thinking through available space.  When you start with the solution instead of defining the goal, you can miss important opportunities.  Write down the answers to the following questions: 

1. Is this your primary work space or secondary?
2. How often will you use your office (all day, a few hours a day, a few hours a week?)
3. Will you have clients visit?
4. Do you need visual or acoustic privacy from other members of your household?
5. What equipment do you need?
6. How much storage do you need and does all it need to be proximate? 

Then answer some questions about your work habits:

1. Do you need everything at your fingertips?
2. Do you want to be able to hide everything away either so you can put work out of your mind or to hide it from visitors?
3. Do you need distraction or need to block it?
4. Do you need a certain aesthetic environment to work?
5. What do you need to feel connected to … (the family, the garden, your colleagues …)?  
6. Do you need to multi-task while working?  And if so, what other tasks do you handle at the same time – maybe child care or cooking?

The answers to both sets of questions will help you figure out where in your home you should locate your home office.  Don’t rule anything out.  Thinking through your objectives can also help you see you way clear to realizing that space you originally thought was unavailable can be made available. 

For example, if you need to meet with clients, you’ll absolutely need to find space near an outside door so your clients don’t need to traipse through your messy kitchen.  If your “formal” living room is never used, consider using it for your office.  You can separate it from your living space with French doors – either etched or clear – that say this is private.  Putting storage on the walls adjacent to your living space will also provide an acoustic barrier to make meetings with clients private – or to just separate yourself from the family activities.  And when you need connection, open the French doors to invite the family inside.
 

Convert Your Living Room For a Client-Focused Home Office

As another example, if you need to multi-task but also need to create “out of sight / out of mind”, you’ll need a location centrally located but that can be easily closed off – like creating or converting a closet space.  In the image at the top of the article, a project by Greene Partners,  the homeowner uses barndoor hardware to create a large door that will completely conceal the workspace – and the clutter – when not in use.  In another example, below, an office is built-into a modern cabinetry right off the living room.  It’s completely hidden when not in use. 

Built-in Pocket Home Office - courtesy of BHG

 These are but 3 examples of using space in unusual ways to create an effective home-office.   Are you having trouble figuring out how to make a home office work?  Contact me with your problem and I’ll try to help find a solution.  It might become the topic of another article.  Like the recent one on creating privacy for a home office with an arched doorway.

A conventional water heater typically uses natural gas or propane to heat a tank of water that’s anywhere from 40 to 80 gallons in size. The drawback of this design is that the water heater is constantly keeping that water hot (so its ready when you need it).  In addition, once the tank has been depleted, there’s no hot water until the water in the tank is re-heated.  So the 3rd shower of the morning might be a cold one.

Today you have a few choices:

Tankless Hot Water Heater:  A tankless heater can be electric or gas but only gas heaters have the capacity to serve an entire house.  With this type of hot water heating, you only heat water when you need it — saving the cost of storing and heating hot water when not in use.  The estimate of cost savings vary widely depending on the efficiency of your existing hot water heater and whether it’s insulated.  If you have an efficient, insulated tank, the savings might be as little as $100/ year making a long payback period.  Consumer Reports looked at the issue and concluded that the energy savings doesn’t pay for the increased cost over the life of the system.  Some families find that costs actually go up because they take longer showers. 

There are other problems with Tankless heaters.  First, it’s not “instant hot” – hot water won’t get to your faucet any faster unless the distance to the faucet is lessened.  will still take .  Second, you can’t trickle hot water – Tankless heaters require a minimum flow rate to provide hot water.  Third, they heat the water up by a number of degrees – the colder the water going into the tankless heater; the colder is the water coming out.  So you if you live in an area with big differences in seasons, you might be frustrated with a sense that the hot water is erratic.

Tankless heaters, though, can be a great back-up for a house that usually has only 2 occupants but might have 6 or more occupants for summer months. 

Tankless with Small Tank:  Many of the problems with a tankless system can be solved by adding a small tank (maybe 8-10 gallons) on the output end of your tankless system.  Make sure the tank is very efficient and well insulated and many of the problems of the Tankless system can be eliminated.  This does not change the payback period. 

Hybrid Tank:  Many companies that make Hot Water Heaters now offer what’s known as a Hybrid Hot Water Heater.  They’re essentially standard electric water heaters but with a small heat pump unit on top that utilizes room air to heat the water as much as possible. They do have elements to cover high-demand periods, but offer a number of settings to meet demand and/or minimize energy consumption.  Most of what I’ve read suggest that the monthly savings is much greater than with a Tankless system.  They fit into the same space and with the same connections as a standard hot water heater making installation relatively easy with most homes.   For an all electric house, this choice seems to be a good one. 

Solar Hot Water Heater:  Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. Other areas with high number of sun-days like Arizona and Florida also have a high proportion of solar hot water heaters. 

solar hot water collector next to photovoltaic array

Solar hot water systems have two parts:  a rooftop collectors (shown above) and a storage tank with built in heat exchanger. The solar collector is usually made up of copper tubes and a copper plate that is covered with a highly selective absorber coating; this assembly is enclosed in a well-insulated aluminum frame and covered with low-iron tempered glass glazing. A propylene glycol solution within the copper tubes is heated in the collectors and circulated through a heat exchanger located in the bottom of the solar storage tank. The household water contained within the storage tank is heated by the solution circulated through the heat exchanger. The propylene glycol solution is gradually heated by the sun’s energy which is transferred to the solution in the collectors. Reliable automatic controls operate a circulation pump and provide optimal solar water heater system operation.

The solar collectors have to be installed on a roof with at least at 15% pitch.  The ideal orientation for the solar collectors is due south. The collectors can be rotated from south, up to 45° east or west with minimal loss in solar heat gain.  Solar water heaters are always installed with an auxiliary heat source, or in addition to your regular electric or gas water heater. That means that even on cloudy days they will still have hot water. To maximize their savings, homeowners should attempt to use the most hot water in the late morning and early afternoon when the solar system is operating at its peak.

Payback for a solar hot water heater may be up to 10 years without any tax incentives. 
Instant Hot Water:  While you’re talking with your plumber about replacing your hot water heater, also talk with him about what system is right for your home to provide faster hot water at the faucet.  In many homes, you have to run the water for 30 seconds before you get water hot enough to take a shower or wash your hands.  You can install systems either a loop in your plumbing system that circulates hot water back to the hot water heater.  If this isn’t possible, another alternative is a recirculating pump.  These products employ a temperature actuated by-pass valve that connects the cold and hot water supply lines at the fixture that is farthest away from the water heater. The bypass valve uses the cold water line as the return loop back to the water heater.  This change can save lots of water that would otherwise go down the drain while you wait for hot water. 
First Things First
And of course just like other energy savings measures, you can save lots of water and energy by taking simple steps before you place your hot water heater: 
– Turn the thermostat down. Many water heaters are set to between 140 and 180°F (60 and 82°C). See how low you can go. Try 125°F (52°C) for starters. A hot tub is 106°F (41°C). How much hotter do you need?
– Wrap the water heater with insulation. Insulated water heater “blankets” are usually available where water heaters are sold. (Be careful with natural gas or propane fired water tanks. They use an open flame to heat the water. You need to provide a space for air at the bottom of the tank, and at the top where the flue exits the tank. Safety comes before efficiency!)
– Fix those drips. They may not look like much, but they are a constant and persistent drain on your water heating load, and they waste water too.
– Use flow restrictors and faucet aerators to reduce your hot water consumption.
– Find other ways to use less hot water. Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes.
– Insulate your hot water pipes.

This "Devil Man" has guarded my gardens for the past 12 years as it did my Mother's for almost 30 years

1.  Think Style & Maintenance before Digging or Buying Plants
Sun versus Shade; Formal versus Casual; Modern vs. Traditional; Symmetrical vs. Balanced, Summer vs. Spring, Alfresco Dining vs. View From the Window,
High Maintenance or Self-Caring, Dogs & Children vs. Delicate Plantings, Food Production vs. Views. 

These are not all mutually exclusive but just like any home remodeling project –  you need to start with your goals, lifestyle, and aesthetics.  Your answers will dramatically change what you plant and where you plant.   For example, the classic boxwood will rarely look as comfortable in a casual garden than a formal one.  And self-seeding annuals and perennials will make a cottage garden dramatically easier but will be the bane of a gardener who wants order.  Pressure-treated lumber works well in a casual garden as does irregular flagstone but concrete, painted wood and regular flagstone are more suited to a very modern garden. 

The Decking, Fence, Walls & Stone River were installed Before Plantings

2.  Think Structure before Plants
Structure refers walks, decks, patios, pergolas and other built items often referred to as “hardscape”.  It also refers to plants and the planting structure.  

Three examples:  First, think about planting on a hill.  Somewhat counter intuitively, your yard will feel more balanced if the plants get taller as they move up the hill.  Recognizing this requires you to select the plants you’re going to use before buying or planting any of them.  

Second, also counter intuitively, breaking up a small (or large) garden into separate (but visually integrated) areas will make it feel larger.  In all gardens, the area will feel larger and more balanced if you think structurally about foreground, mid-ground and background.  Start with this structure before you start planting.  For example, I installed a low (36”) fence inset from the sidewalk on my very small front yard in order to make it feel larger.  If I had decided to do this after I planted, I would need to remove and reinstall plants. 

Third, installing patios and other “hardscape” disturbs roots.  Ideally, you want to plan and build all your structures before starting you planting – or leave at least 8-10 feet so that you won’t need to disturb your roots while building. 

And of course, plants grow.  You need to think about the mature size of plants when planting shrubs and trees.  While they’re growing you can fill in with annuals or self-seeding or spreading perennials.  For example, in the border garden depicted in the images 2-4 below, I purposefully planted several rapidly spreading perennials (a mum, a euphorbia, and a Caryopteris) to help take over the large swaths of former lawn while the shrubs and other perennials could establish themselves.  I’m now starting to pull out (and either move or give away) the excess as other plants come in.  With this strategy, the area looks good and I have less weeding to do in the garden’s early years.  

Plants Grow over and around Fencing & Walkways; Notice Also Different Leaf Types

3.  Think Foliage before Flowers
Flowers on trees, shrubs and perennials last only weeks while foliage is visible and prominent all year – or for 7-9 months depending on your zone.   Between foliage color, texture and form, you can create dramatic vignettes without any flowers at all.  When you think foliage, you can also more easily create a year-round garden rather than one that looks terrific only 1- 3 months of the year.  Also consider what works in your climate and sun exposure.  There are lots of plants that wilt or mildew in Washington DC’s hot humid summers.  Similarly, there are plants that do well in Washington’s shade but will burn-up or become diseasedin the sun.  For example, Euonymous is a wonderful plant for the Shade but will become overrun by scale in the sun.  On the other hand, many plants will look scraggly or fail to bloom without enough sun.  Unless you want a lot of work, think about what works in your climate and sun exposure.  

Variations in Foliage Form and Color Can Substitute for Flowers

Notice How the Rocks and Fence Also Add to the Drama of the Vignette

Foliage Variation is Just as Important and Dramatic in the Sun

 
4.  Now Decorate Your Garden!
A decorated garden can fit within any style.  Rocks, Found-Objects, and Sculpture are wonderful foils for plants.  And they make your garden truly one-of-a-kind.  And you can re-decorate your garden just as you do your home.  Enjoy! 

Rejects From My Glass Studio Help Decorate the Garden As Faux Fungus Forms

Bath Tub Ducks Migrated to the Rocks Around the Pond

Stained Glass in the Garden

Abstract Art - Notice the Layers of Foliage Interest

Photo Taken by chris5aw — see her photo stream on Flickr 

Color, Structure, Foliage and Art is Equally Vital in the Modern Garden

Photo Taken by Aimee Quiggle, See Her Photo Stream on Flickr

Garden Room with Tree Canopy Ceiling & Landscaped Walls

1.  Walls & Ceiling:   

  If you only remember one thing, remember that outdoor rooms need walls and ceilings just like indoor rooms.  We crave a sense of intimacy and protection when we sit and relax or when we dine.  The walls and ceiling don’t have to feel constraining – sometimes we only need a hint – like the combination pergola/bench in the image, below, combined with a privacy fence and plants or plants alone.  [Read more about this outdoor room by Braitman Design]   

A ceiling can be as simple as an umbrella (image below) or the canopy of a tree and the suggestion of a ceiling from a pergola (like the image above). [Read more about this outdoor room by Braitman Design]   

Garden Rooms Needs Walls & Ceilings

Garden Rooms Need Privacy

 
2.  Privacy:  Garden Rooms feel best when they feel private.  Privacy can be fairly complete like the garden below where stucco and concrete wall fully block views by neighbors.  Or they can be slightly more porous, like the garden room above and to the left, where shrubbery largely blocks views and the open fence defines the border. 
    

Private Patio Photographed by Erica Marshall

3.  Extension of the House:  Have you ever noticed how often exposed decks off the 2nd floor are largely unused.  It’s often because they feel separated from the house and they usually violate rules 1 and 2, above.  Through use of more refined materials and by creating walls, ceilings and privacy a deck or patio should feel like an extension of the home – a garden room beyond the living room or family room.   

Stone Terrace acts as Extension of House

The metal balusters in the railing above, feel much more transparent than wood.  The porcelain flooring feels more like indoors.  Shrubs (not visible in this picture) will mature within abut 3 years to provide greater sense of privacy.  In the short-term, annuals hanging from baskets in the summer will help solidify the walls during the months when the owners want to be outdoors.    

Glass doors should invite you out to the garden room beyond.  The two images below show how glass doors off two different rooms beckon the family onto a private patio at the front of the house.    

Glass Doors Beckon You to Garden Room Beyond

Doors Off Adjacent Sun Room Also Open Onto Patio

4.  Outdoor Kitchen:  An outdoor kitchen can be as simple as a conveniently located grill or can be extensive with built-in sinks and refrigerators and grilling centers (like the patio, below.    

Outdoor Kitchen by Artistry in Concrete

5.  Shady Spots and Sunny Spots:   

 
If your deck or patio faces south or west, remember to include ways to shade a sitting or eating area.  In the image, above, an arbor shades the dining area from harsh western afternoon sun
   

6.  Add a Water Feature or Fire Pit:  

Water — especially running water — can transport you away from your urban or suburban spot to someplace far away.  It can drown out the noise of cars and neighbors.  Similarly, the crackle of a fire can also bring your heart to distant vacations.   

Fire Pit Beside PatioA Patio Retreat with Pond

http://www.flickr.com/photos/montanaraven/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In the backyard retreat, above, notice how planted a berm behind the pool provides privacy from the neighbors while also providing the height needed for a small water fall.  The table placed close to the pond provides a sense of separation.

7.  Lighting.  Be creative about lighting your backyard getaway.  Lighting could be as simple as porch lights (below).  

Porch Lights Are Inviting

Or you could use elaborate and creative fixtures to create a festive, inviting nighttime tableau (below).   

Inventive Patio Lighting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/secret_canadian/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

For More Ideas:
http://www.remodelingcenter.com/decks/platform-deck-design-ideas/
http://www.remodelingcenter.com/decks/deck-solutions/create-a-backyard-getaway/

Three Ceiling Fans Help Deter Mosquitoes

The pergola, above, was built by Artisan Specialties in Columbia, South Carolina, but it’s quite similar to ones I’ve designed for a clients.  The powerful ceiling fans, close together, will provide good coverage to provide cooling breezes and to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects at bay. 

What conditions do you need for a fan to work?  You need a very strong stream of air — if you don’t like air blowing on you, this solution isn’t for you.  I like the design, above, because you’re getting wind from all sides of the table.  The fans need to have strong motors and large blades.  You also need fairly open conditions.  Ceiling fans won’t work as well on a front porch that’s surrounded by shrubbery or covered by vines.  The plants provide a place for the insects to hide and protect themselves from the breeze and have only a short flight to get to your skin — especially your feet and legs.  In this setting, an oscillating fan or box fan blowing across the sitting area — at about 30-36″ off the floor — will provide better protection.

I was intrigued to also see the stand-mounted “ceiling” fan that fits in most umbrella holes by Backyard America. 

Stand-Mounted Fan

I can also recommend the OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern.  I’ve found the product effective when I use 2 to 4 lamps — that fully bracket a sitting area on a porch, deck or patio.  I was convinced the first time when 3 of us were enjoying my patio without getting bitten.  One minute all was calm, then the repellant had burned off and all 3 of us started getting bitten.  As soon as the candles and pads were replaced, calm returned. 

Mosquitos love me and I get huge welts with every bite and I live just outside buggy Washington, DC.  So I’ll keep looking for ideas that work.  If you have any to share, please contact me.

A sofa anchors a Dining Area

I’m busy designing the remodel for my current modest bungalow.  In order to save space, I’m thinking of a built-in eating nook.  While most built-in eating nooks are kitchen nooks — secondary to the dining room — in my case the eating nook will be the sole dining area.   So my question is what characteristics make a built-in work as the main dining area?  Let me address this first and then we’ll look at several examples.

Cozy/Enclosed/Defined:  I think for a built-in dining area to work it needs a quality of separation and protection.  It can’t simply be a dining table pushed to the wall.  Many of the image, below, are dining areas in actual alcoves.  In the example, above,  the entire room is an alcove comprised of floor to ceiling windows.  I won’t be able to do that, but I will be able to use walls, full and partial, to create a sense of separation.

Views:  Dining alcoves that work well need good views — preferably of both the garden and long views within the house — but at a minimum having long views within the house. 

Comfortable:  Especially for dining, you want to be able to eat and lounge in comfort.  The seats and backs are usually cushioned.  The backs need to be straight enough for dining but also slighting reclining for lounging.  Each individual needs to be able to get in and out easily — without scooting many places to an inside seating position.  If using a sofa it needs to be fairly shallow for a sofa and the seat needs to be high enough for eating at a table.  Increasingly, you can buy upholstered banquette seating designed for dining rooms. 

Materials:  The materials need to be appropriate to the rest of the house.  You can’t simply sit a kitchen nook and have it feel appropriate as the sole dining area.  The materials and design can be traditional or modern, formal or informal — but it needs to fit in. 

Here are some additional examples

A formal banquette Adjoining a Living Area

The two examples above are from houzz.com.  In my opinion, the 2nd dining area will really only work well for 4 diners — a 5th or 6th will have to slide too far into the booth. 

The 5 examples, above, are from KitchenBathIdeas

The above 2 examples are from decorepad.com