At the Intersection of Art, Architecture & Design » Carving a Foyer Out of the Living Room – At the Intersection of Art, Architecture & Design

Carving a Foyer Out of the Living Room

Jackie Braitman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:56:50 +0000

I’m in the design process for 3 jobs where a small house has the front door opening directly into the living room — without access to a closet or any other means of transition from outside to inside. In each case, the client wants to create a foyer but without adding significant, if any, space. Two of these jobs are in the Takoma Park, MD Historic District where we aren’t allowed to move the front door. For the 3rd job in Silver Spring, MD, it just doesn’t make sense to move the door. In addition each of the existing homes has small rooms and the homeowners want to open the house up to long views – inside and outside the house.

Here are 4 solutions to the problem.

Solution 1: Select one side of the house to open up and create a foyer and study on the other side

Solution 1: Take Room for the non-public side

Floor Plan of Solution 1 - After

Existing Floor Plan for Solutions 1 & 2

Solution 2: Create an open “center hall” with Views Straight Through to the Back. The load-bearing center wall is replaced with a wooden beam and columns that echo the columns on the front porch.

Solutions: Create an open hallway with columns

Solution 2 - View from Front Door Thru to Back Garden/Deck

Floor Plan for Solution 2

Solution 3: For a 1950’s post-war construction home, modern built-ins and a re-faced fireplace create a functional and welcoming entry and living room. The built-ins provide views into the living room and a place to display sculpture as well as hanging space and drawers

Solution 3: Custom Build-ins

Solution 4: Add a powder room and closet to bound a new foyer.

Solution 4: Use Soffit & Flooring with New Closet & Powder Room

Solution 4: Floor Plan

Solution 4: Existing Floor Plan

When the projects are finished, I’ll be sure to add images of the remodels.

All computer renderings courtesy of Braitman Design/Build.

Another Open Plan Galley Kitchen

Jackie Braitman — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:55:10 +0000

Open Plan Galley Kitchen

This is a great galley kitchen for a small home. It’s got 2 9 ft counters with a sink on one side and a 36″ cooktop on the other. A window over the sink opens up the kitchen further. It uses down-draft ventilation for the cooktop so the view to the living room isn’t blocked with a large vent hood. The refrigerator, wall ovens and 4 ft square pantry are within easy reach. The island is 60″ deep. There’s a 24″ bookshelf on one end and a wine cooler on the other making a recessed area for stools. There’s also shallow storage under the recess for seldom used items.

36" professional gas cooktop with downdraft ventilation

The cook is always the center of attention in this galley kitchen.

Color Concepts – Another Palette

Jackie Braitman — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:56:06 +0000

Dark Transitions Make Rooms Brighter

Yesterday’s article (link) covered the major elements that make color palettes work in architecture using a home with a bold, bright color palette. This home uses the same conceptual elements with a more somber palette of grayed-greens, deep wine, and a touch of creamy yellow. This home also features two elements that weren’t as apparent in the other home: The effectivness of Darker Transitions and moving from Dark to Light as daylight increases.

In the image, above, notice how the dark wine colored transition beyond the kitchen makes the kitchen all the more brighter — highlighting the architecture and separating the kitchen from what’s beyond. Similarly, the dark transition from the family room to foyer (right hand side of the image) has the same effect. The sunny yellow/green of the kitchen is a near compliment of the wine transition — stengthing the impact of both. Similarly, the grayed-green of the family room is also a near-complement of the wine transition. We also move from darker to lighter shades as we move from the enclosed transition to the family room to the kitchen with light streaming through skylights and windows on 2 sides. This accentuates the effect of the light.

Color Elements At Work

Notice the view from the Living room through to the Family Room and to the Side Family Entrance. The main foyer (where the dog is lying) is a similar grayed-green of the family room except many shades darker. [Notice how it accentuates the artwork above the mantle.] Notice also the darker transition before you get to the family room and we’re pulled through the transition to the lighter room beyond. The transition is both lower and darker — the ceiling is also the dark wine color. Notice the same wine color on the angled wall coming into the living room from the Family Side Entrance. It leads one from the entrance through to the living room. The living room’s color is similar in intensity to the family room but with more yellow to better match the southern exposure. And finally, notice (below) how when moving from the Family’s Side Entrance through to the kitchen how another dark transition area again pulls you through to the kitchen. For reference, also see the floor plan.

Floor Plan

: Dark Transition Moving Toward Light

Click here for more information about the remodeling of this home.

Images courtesy of Braitman Design/Build.

What Makes Color Work?

Jackie Braitman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:28:44 +0000

Use of Near Complements

We looked at this home yesterday and I promised to discuss what makes the color scheme work. I’ve used several bold colors but none overwhelm.

I’ve listed, below, the main elements I use when selecting a color palette for a client.

-	Energy Level & Taking Advantage of Light Exposure
-	Views Through Rooms & Whole House Composition
-	The Strategy of Near Complements
-	The Importance of Transitions
-	Accenting Good Architecture
-	Considering Your Furniture & Artwork

Look at these additional images of the home (click on image to view larger). Each demonstrates one or more of the elements of color composition. After the images, is a fuller explanation of each element. In other articles, I’ll talk about the same elements using dramatically different color palettes.

Energy Level & Taking Advantage of Light Exposure
Some of want to be in an energizing environment and some of want our homes to be a serene refuge. This is the most critical decision in the selection of a palette. Obviously the owners of this home sought energy and vibrancy but not so much that it would overwhelm their living. While many of us have learned that greens and blues are cool colors and reds and oranges of warm colors, it’s not as easy as that — in part because the colors are additive and relative. The soft pumpkin color of the living room is calming compared to the brightness of the breakfast room. The kitchen itself is quite calming even with yellow tiles — in part because they have a hint of green and because it is calmed by the blue in the countertop. Similarly, the blue of the countertop and green of the walls helps calm the red and oranges. The wood tones — while golden — are calming not energetic.

The other important factor to consider when seeking an energy level is the outside light exposure. The southern sun is hot with primarily warm tones. It can light up a highly saturated color. Northern and eastern exposures are cool without much direct sunlight but with reflected light instead. A highly saturated color in a northern exposure — or a more northern climate will look harsh. This is one of the reasons you see such saturated colors in more tropical climates — the intensity of the sun will wash out less saturated colors.

So in this home, the brighter red and orange were only used near the patio door on the south side of the home. On the north and east side of the home, I only used less saturated tones.

The Strategy of Near Complements
The color wheel is a basic map that shows the relationships among colors. Primary colors — red, blue & yellow — are pure. They can’t be mixed with other colors. All other colors on the color wheel are created by mixing primary colors. Secondary colors are equal mixtures of the primary colors — orange, green & purple. Tertiary colors are equal mixtures of one primary and one secondary color. Rarely, do we use the primary or secondary colors in decorating — they are too saturated and not very complex. But the color wheel can be very helpful is helping us think about what colors work well together. Analogous color schemes are built from hues that sit near each on the color wheel — green, green/blue and Aqua — or tangerine, orange & gold. These are the schemes that many people use because almost by definition the colors go together. I find, though, that colors have more impact — and to me feel better — when juxtaposed with a “near” complement. The compliment to red is green — I find I like red better when it is paired with a green/yellow or a green/blue. You see this approach throughout this house. In the back entry (near the breakfast room), the blue/red of the column is a near complement to the creamy green of the wall; the indigo of the countertop is a near complement to the orange of the dropped ceiling. In the kitchen proper, the green/yellow of the tile is a near complement to the indigo of the countertop. And in the Dining Room, below, the green of the walls is a near compliment to the light violet of the vaulted ceiling.

Views Through Rooms & Whole House Composition
It is also important to consider each room in relationship to the whole house. We never see rooms in isolation — and as we move toward more open-plan homes this is even more true. You can see that I’ve paid attention to this throughout this home.

The Importance of Transitions
When I can, I like to create transitions at entryways and stairways. In the image, below, we can see how the lowered, orange ceiling creates a sense of entry into the home. The red column also marks the entryway as an important feature. In the photo of the stairway, you can see that the stairway wall is a darker and more intense color than the living room — again marking the transition as significant. Tomorrow, I’ll show you a completely different color treatment of transitions.

Accenting Good Architecture
This is the image we started with yesterday about accenting architecture — where the white of the wainscoting, the orange of the dropped ceiling, the red of the column and the green of the walls creates a composition where these elements are called into bright contrast.

Considering Your Artwork & Furniture
As a final note, I’ll mention that while I definitely consider artwork and furniture, it’s less important than some of the other concepts we’ve spoken about. If the pieces are important to you, they often reflect the same aesthetic that you create in your home. The palette for this home combines beautifully with the Mexican pottery collection of the owner. However, the source for both is the same enjoyment of color and energy — we didn’t set out to match the pottery. Others are afraid that artwork only looks good on white walls — not true. In fact, galleries use white because it will go with everything. But each individual piece usually looks better against a more intense color. In the picture, above, notice how nicely the green walls set off the black and white pictures. In the photo of the living room fireplace, notice how the light tangerine color complements the off-white of the parchment and the black of the image.

All images courtesy of Braitman Design/Build

Using Color to Accentuate Design

Jackie Braitman — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:54:05 +0000

Using Color to Create Boundaries

This home uses a bright, energetic palette without being overwhelming. Let’s look at how the use of color sets the stage and creates visual boundaries.

Color Demarking an Entry

The only place red is used is on the column dividing the kitchen from the breakfast area. The column is necessary to hide a structural support, a waste stack and ductwork. The deep red marks the transition between the working Kitchen and the sitting area of the breakfast room. While providing a transition, it doesn’t block the view of or sense of openess with the eating area. It does however create a visual boundary with the back patio door.

The ceiling over the patio door (not visiable but evident because of the light streaming in) is dropped one foot and painted a bright orange. Again, the only place the orange is used. [The large bright circles in the ceiling are suntunnels.] The orange creates a welcoming entry and, along with the drop ceiling, separates the entry area from the sitting area. The sitting area is framed with 54″ high, flat-panel wainscotting painted the same white as the rest of the trim. The wainscotting is the same height as the top of the glass tile over the counters. The walls are a creamy green. The blue of the upholstered seats mirrors the indigo concrete countertops.

In a very small space, we’ve created 3 distinct areas demarked by structure and made apparent with distinct use of color.

Read on to learn why the palette works without being overwhelming.

Photos courtesy of Braitman Design/Build

Expanding a Galley Kitchen

Jackie Braitman — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:22:03 +0000

Galley Kitchen Popped into the Dining Room

We often relocate kitchens in houses that originally had small galley kitchens in
the back of the house. For this 1914 duplex in the Tennleytown
neighborhood of Washington, DC that wasn’t possible — both for reasons
of budget and space. Instead we popped part of it into the dining
room.

A tall counter blocks the gas range from view and keeps any mess hidden.

A low counter provides a small breakfast counter. Both the dining
room and kitchen now gain light from the large windows on the back of
the house.

Floor Plan After

Floor Plan Before

The floor plan shows the simple change of opening up the wall between the dining room and kitchen and popping the kitchen into the dining room.

This pushed the kitchen into the center of the house and brought the abundant light from the large dining room windows into the kitchen.

It kept the price down by leaving the sink where it was. Prices were also kept in check by using stock materials including basic appliances, laminate countertops, and sheet flooring. Lighting was
all surface mounted including an energy efficient fluorescent fixture in the kitchen and track lighting in the dining room.

Custom Details Help Make the Plan Work

Even though we were remodeling the house on a tight budget, we used a local small custom cabinet maker. The price was close to off-the-shelf and substantially less than high-end custom. The cabinet maker was able to select book-match the birch veneer and provide special touches such as the rolling server at the end of the low counter that closes off
the kitchen from the dining room. It can be pulled out so the cook can roll dishes into the dining room.

Another View of the Popped-Out Kitchen

Even with basic appliance & finishes, the kitchen is special

A wall of full-height cabinets provides ample storage

Kitchen Before Remodeling Began

All images courtesy of Braitman Design/Build

Opening Up the Floor Plan

Jackie Braitman — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:53:02 +0000

Dining Room "After"

This remodeled Tudor revival home in Silver Spring MD features
an open floor plan that helps a very modest house “live large”.
The original floor plan was busy — with small rooms running
into each other (see “before” images below).

The walls between the kitchen and Dining Room and between the
Dining Room and Living Room were removed and the small kitchen
received a much needed expansion visually and physically.
The cook is also now part of the action instead of being hidden
away. The budget was kept relatively low by leaving
plumbing fixtures in their original locations limiting plumbing
costs.

In the Living and Dining rooms, windows were replaced with
French Doors leading to the outdoor garden rooms — dramatically
expanding the visual space and scale. The doors were sized to
fit under the existing lintels limiting the cost of structural
modifications and masonry work on the stone & brick exterior.
Now every room has daylight coming from 3 or 4 sides and you
have long views through each room into other rooms and out into
the garden. There are garden rooms on 4 sides of the house
furthering the expansive feel of the small house. The
transformation was made within the existing footprint –
allowing a modest house on a modest remodeling budget to feel
much larger.

All images courtesy of Braitman
Design/Build

“Before” Pictures

Dining Room “Before”

Kitchen “Before”
Living Room “Before”