When you are first planning a house or just one room, it is a good idea, now that we have these tools, to keep a diary of ideas you have taken a particular shine to. Some will be possible, Some will not. But even if they are out of your reach financially or beyond your skill level, you will eventually develop a style and preserve some ideas that you will kick yourself for forgetting when you see it again after you have committed yourself to a design. In my present design, I will not have a basement. Under stairs space could easily be wasted. In this case I have been dreaming of a reading nook under the stairs. The problem is that there will be minimal lighting.
So, perhaps this will be a better choice. On the other hand, we are talking about central New Hampshire here, and heating with wood which tends to have chilly corners and recesses. It might be tempting fate to have a blind recess with a big window in it and frigid winter temperatures at night.
I suspect that I will have few visitors, but when I do, this type of nook might be wonderful for overflow sleeping accommodations.
I love the staircase in the photo before this, but it is a bit colonial for this space. High end turned spindles will be very pricey. The Craftsman style above might be just the thing. It is easy to do with a scroll saw and a drill, and would look great in white paint. I suggest that you look at the interior of Henry Higgins' mother's house in "My Fair Lady" or to rent a copy of the "French Lieutenant's Woman" for a glimpse of the room at the end of the movie in all white to give you an idea of the look that I usually favor. Don't get me wrong. I love color and wood, but in a house in the far north where lighting may be minimal as this will be a bit "Off Grid", can leave a space very dark. Amber yellow. gold, orange and brown can really take the light out of a space. White or very light colors just seem logical to reflect light. Don't let your HYPER MALE neighbors deter you. You must be practical first. The tendency to fill houses with wood tones is not very bright...if you will forgive the pun.
I just redid a dark and dark painted guest room for a friend, in fern green with white woodwork, white shutters and white curtains. It transformed a dark room into a light and elegant space.
This is not far from the size of the rooms in my planned house. I love a library. I have donated my entire, rather eclectic, book collection to a local library. I suppose it is time to rebuild my collection. My reading has shifted from non fiction to classic literature, local history and classic novels that I am ready to re-read or read for the first time. Having this space would be wonderful, but remember that book shelves greatly diminish space available. A foot off all walls in a room is a lot of space. That is 46 square feet in a 12 by 12 room.
Another library with fewer bookcases and a more open look would help the space to feel larger. (But oh, how I love all that woodwork in the previous photo.) Notice the small windows. This might be a solution for my desire to have wall space and light. Outside, you can make false shutters to make it look like there are full sized windows to balance the design of the building. You could just set a rectangular frame in the siding and paint them a slightly different color. Cream on white would do it. Gray on white would mimic glass.
Again, space gets sucked up with window seats and book cases, but would it not be wonderful? Curl up with Robert Louis Stevenson on a cold, snowy but bright winter day, a snifter of Calvados or a cup of tea and a cat or a puppy on your lap! No cats you fool, your furniture will be destroyed!!! Perhaps I could add another two feet to the dimensions of the house?!
I would paint the hot air register though.
You cannot have outdoor declawed cats in the far north as the first passing coyote would have a meal of a cat with no defenses.
As far as the kitchen is concerned, I found a rather wonderful photo of a kitchen in France. the entire room is beyond my means (no matter how I moon over the picture) but the left hand wall has a series of cupboards that I love. I have seen video of this same room with those cabinets face on. Unfortunately this photo just acts as a reminder of cabinet trim that I like...also the colors.
Here is a close up view. I love the pendants at the top and the bracket supports under the upper cabinets, making it look a bit like a Welsh cupboard, or in this case a French one.
Here is a different version. They were eventually painted an historic yellow.
No comments:
Post a Comment