A wraparound family room

When the owners approached the architects for a family room addition, they had more than a few special requests. They wanted lounging room for their family of six; a way to enjoy the fireplace and watch TV at the same time; yard of storage and shelving for  collectibles, craft material, books, and kitchenware; a desk area and –oh, yes- a place for a stained glass window made by a talented neighbor.

What the architect developed is the radiant wraparound family room shown below and on the next page. The kitchen, once an ordinary Pullman type, is now the core of the room. A wide seating platform joints the U-shaped kitchen counter under a trellis of vertical grain Douglas fir.

The trellis creates a cozy, sheltered, indoor gazebo. It also visually defines the activity areas in the open room. On one side, the family room shown below has space for a couch and game table. On the opposite side (not shown), a wall of storage cupboards extends along the far side of an eating area. The fireplace (shown on the facing pages) is one of the view remaining features of the original structure.

Comport zone seating

Wide seating platform invites you to curl up with a book or chat with the cook. To the left is a lounge area used for family activities and entertaining –it was once a breezeway. Large, clear globes on dimmer switch offer versatile lighting.

Cook’s eye view

Cook takes center stage in this trellis covered kitchen surrounded by the family room. From the work counter the cook can enjoy the fireplace, TV, and stained glass window while keeping track of family activities on three sides. Shelving that flanks the fireplace is on adjustable tracks.

This entry was posted on November 14, 2009 at November 14, 2009 and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.