Creative Spaces: Once a Toilet, Now Office and an Art Studio

Every layout choice in my house is dictated by budget. I’m a work-at-home freelance artist raising two children, and every area has arrived together using finds out of thrift shops, Craigslist and even mass garbage. I often work on large-scale art bits, and my office, which doubled as a guest area, was just too small. I had square footage.

Equipped using a strict $300 remodel budget, my husband and I reconfigured some of our chambers over a weekend, turning our converted 19- by 19-foot two-car garage in an art-making haven. This called for getting creative and making do with furniture pieces from elsewhere in the home. The entire cost of my garage remodel, including 2 gallons of paint and four dining chairs, was274.23.

Before Photo

Sarah Greenman

BEFORE: Formerly we used this space, the former garage, as a TV room and catchall for toys. The entire room felt gloomy and dim. My husband was able to call this “the area of squalor and filth.”

The former homeowner had transformed the garage, filling at the garage door, installing carpeting and lining the walls with artificial wood. Because he did it there is no insulating material, and the walls do not go all of the way to the ground in places, which makes me contend with spiders and geckos sometimes. The homeowner said it cost him about $600 to convert the garage a couple of decades ago.

Sarah Greenman

AFTER: The area is currently a welcoming studio where I will work on art bits, freelance photography and writing, and host classes and workshops.

The rug is laid directly onto a lightly sloping cement base, which makes it interesting to lining up artwork on the walls. I painted the walls Black Suede by Behr, since I love dramatic cocoon-like spaces.

Tip: Most art studios have bright white walls, which provide extra light and help to keep the focus on the art. But black is also a wonderful backdrop for artwork.

Sarah Greenman

The garage isn’t insulated, which could sometimes be a challenge from the hot Texas summers and cool winters. The corner cooler comes to the rescue. The sofa creates a comfy chairs and dialogue area for if I host customers and workshops.

The majority of the furniture is secondhand out of thrift shops, so the bits have a frayed, timeworn feel. The golden brocade barrel-back chair is torn out to the sides, but layering on a faux sheepskin and picture pillow gave it new life.

Barrel-back chair: Again & Again; white and black pillows: Kajsa Träd, Ikea; paint: Black Suede, Behr; sofa: Hovås, Ikea

Sarah Greenman

When I’m working in my studio, I always enjoy having reference books and beautiful objects close at hand to enhance my imagination. The java table, a repurposed piano bench, holds an arrangement of a potted golden pothos vine, books and art pieces.

More: How to utilize black

Sarah Greenman

A classic breakfast table sits centre stage. I use it for meetings and assignments, work and sometimes dinner once I’m working late. The metal chairs were my brand new furniture purchases.

Metal chairs: Tabouret, Overstock.com; curtains: Ikea; club chairs: Craigslist

Sarah Greenman

I made a corner workstation that includes my library with bookcases that have followed me since college. The little ottoman shops toys for my 3-year-old, who often joins me while I work. I rigged two pendant lamps on my desk utilizing plant hooks and an extra-long extension cable.

Tip: Stay organized with just two clipboards, like the ones hanging on the wall near my desk. One has my own to-do listing for the current day, and another has my to-do list for the next moment.

Gray storage block: The Container Store; pendant light shades: Cost Plus World Market; bookcases: Billy, Ikea; desk: Linnmon/Adils, Ikea; rolling document: Ikea

Sarah Greenman

All my everyday files are easily available at a mobile file channel made from a classic dish rack. I am able to transfer it to the table once I need more room.

Pen holder: West Elm; camera: Holga, Urban Outfitters

Sarah Greenman

I really don’t paint in any 1 set place, so I introduced in small portable accent tables as surface room to keep stuff handy. Thrift store vases and pottery hold brushes and tools.

Table: First Monday Trade Days in Canton

Sarah Greenman

Canvases, art supplies and an easel are always at the ready. The lampshade is a current DIY project displaying a poem, “Sonnet XVII,” by Pablo Neruda, inscribed with a Sharpie marker. I simply started in the top and replicated that the poem over and over till it reverted into the bottom of the shade.

Tip: A secondhand kitchen cart can be used to corral paint tubes, spray bottles and art materials, giving fresh life to an old item.

Easel: Stanrite 500, Lula B’s

Sarah Greenman

I moved the piano from the dining area, giving me the liberty to play at any time without waking my loved ones. The quote above it is a favorite by author Louise Bogan. I bought the faded secondhand painting at a yard sale for $5, then created the script with acrylic paint. The stool is a household.

A classic typewriter table holds my sewing machine and shares room with a cork bust I discovered in bulk garbage behind a J.Jill store.

Drawers: Alex, Ikea

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Painting and Living at a Converted 1870 Woolen Mill

“Lots of people have difficulty visualizing what something can be,” says George Shafer. He and his artist wife, Jean, looked in a dark unit filled with woodworking equipment within an old woolen mill in Almonte, Ontario, also found potential in its exposed brick walls, original beams, Mississippi River views and artist civilization.

Seeking a slower pace compared to one of the high-rise condo in downtown Ottawa, the Shafers transferred to Almonte and spent annually at one of the mill components while working closely with architect Peter Mansfield to transform their distance into a creative retreat.

in a Glance
Who lives here: George and Jean Shafer
Location: Almonte, Ontario
Size: 1,100 square feet;1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, with an art gallery area at the entrance

Esther Hershcovich

An extendable glass table defines the dining area space. George enlarged a picture he took of the mill and then wrapped it upon the brick wall to remind the few of their building’s heritage.

Esther Hershcovich

Floor-to-ceiling windows replaced previously small ones. “We wanted it completely to the floor so we’d be very able to see the water,” says George.

The Shafers then used leftover concrete in the job to create an L-shaped bench topped with reclaimed barn wood.

Esther Hershcovich

The Shafers are avid cooks and desired a kitchen that would be practical and modern. They included solid walnut wood countertops to conventional glossy Akurum cabinets from Ikea.

Before Photo

BEFORE: Woodworking gear filled the living room once the couple bought the unit.

Esther Hershcovich

AFTER: The few eliminated the Gyproc in the back wall to trim and install new windows, and were happily surprised to discover exposed brick. They asked the contractors to leave it.

Just outside the windows on the terrace is refreshing water that still comes from the first mill. There’s also a functional wheel that came in the Mississippi River.

Esther Hershcovich

The homeowners in the construction share a kayak. From their construction, the few can row up the Mississippi River to the small nearby town of Appleton.

Esther Hershcovich

A Jotul gas fireplace adds heat during frigid winters.

Esther Hershcovich

The Shafers sold almost all their furniture along with their preceding downtown Ottawa condo and had to begin from scratch. They bought an oversize couch and placed it asymmetrically within their living room area. A giant barcode decal adorns the wall socket.

Esther Hershcovich

With only one side of the condo having windows, the couple wanted to add as much natural light as possible. It was architect Mansfield’s idea to expand the bedroom walls and put in full glass panels.

Jean especially likes it when you walk in their unit, it is possible to see straight through to the Mississippi River.

Esther Hershcovich

Glass doors open to the bedroom.

Art: Jean Shafer

Before Photo

BEFORE: A door opening nonetheless stands where the bathroom now is, beneath the brick arch.

Esther Hershcovich

AFTER: A flat glass panel between the bedroom and the kitchen brings light into the room.

Closet: Pax wardrobe with Uggdal doors, Ikea

Esther Hershcovich

The Shafers moved out of a 700-square-foot condo and desired a large bathtub in their new residence. It’s now set against glistening black ceramic tiles also combines heated flooring. The couple saved money by buying all their fixtures from eBay.

They also included a strip of brightly colored LED lights within a wall-mounted dressing table from Home Depot.

Wall tiles: Delfos Grafito

Esther Hershcovich

Maple flooring runs throughout the unit. The wine cellar is built in, and a workspace runs across the side of the hallway.

Esther Hershcovich

Developer Stephen Brathwaite of Almonte Heritage Development Group, who is also a local glass artist, created the sliding barn door that divides the living room from a semiprivate art gallery located in the entryway. The door is made of hand-blown pieces of glass that change color during the night depending on the light filtering through.

Esther Hershcovich

Jean’s art studio doubles as a gallery and workspace with perspectives into the building, which houses other galleries and commercial areas. “We didn’t have an art gallery in our old location,” says George. “Jean desired a place to paint where she would leave all her things setup — the art gallery grew from that requirement, and it seemed like a natural to the distance.”

Esther Hershcovich

George and Jean Shafer, reveal here, feel completely at home right off the primary avenue in their little town.

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Bridge Building Redefines a D.C. Row House

“Serial renovators,” the label Marcia Silcox puts on her and her husband, Clark, couldn’t be more precise. The couple has lived in their Capitol Hill row house in Washington, D.C., for 3 decades and during this time have updated several times: a basement reno from the late ’80s, a kitchen remodel at the mid-’90s and a living room makeover in 2007 that comprised their assortment of Japanese art (18th- and 19th-century prints) and antique Japanese chests.

Most recently, when the couple’s two kids moved out they completed perhaps their most crowning achievement: a vibrant and contemporary rooftop deck addition over their garage, with a trendy elevated walkway that connects to an overhauled kitchen inclusion. The latter inclusion was previously a DIY breakfast room which was withdrawing in the support wall and leaking water.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Marcia Silcox, a public health consultant, and her husband, Clark, a lawyer
Location: Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Size: 2,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, house office
That is intriguing: In this area lots of the row homes have basement apartments, as the Silcox house did before they incorporated it into a single-family house.

CM Glover

The clean lines and the willingness of the couple’s rear addition contrast the standard facades seen up and down the street.

CM Glover

Living is narrow in a row house. “We have 18 feet across in the house,” says Marcia. So that the couple strives to maintain the chambers feeling open and airy, with a few key furniture pieces and a feeling of flow from 1 room to another.

Designer Barbara Franceski worked with Marcia and Clark to create their vision of blank lines with an Asian influence. The soft furniture contrasts to the line and color of the prints and the decorative accents of the tansu.

The two armchairs, Madison Occasional Chairs from Donghia (no longer in production) are upholstered in Priamo woven-texture fabric (color: Ice Blue) by Brunschwig & Fils. Each chair is entirely upholstered, including the legs.

CM Glover

Large bay windows bring light to the living room, where a shopkeeper’s tansu in the late 19th century with paper on glass sliding panels sits beneath modern Japanese calligraphy. their tansu bits were found by the couple .

Sofa: Baker couch reupholstered in Wicker Basket (color: 04) by Fabricut; pendants: Shiitake, designed by Douglas Varey to get Resolute

CM Glover

Inspirational books on Japanese art are throughout the house. When Marcia was working with Franceski to incorporate their collection with fresh, simple lines, she nicknamed their style “federal Zen.”

Marcia’s interest in Western art began with a school history course if she was 19. Clark, meanwhile, climbed up on the West Coast with powerful Asian design influences. Together they found “a patient dealer,” as they put it, to nurture their interest. “We browsed for hours at a Georgetown store, starting our collection,” says Marcia.

Naples ottomans by Mark Newman offer flexibility when the couple entertains guests.

CM Glover

Throughout the mid-1980s throughout the mid-1990s, artist Masami Teraoka worked on modern interpretations of standard ukiyo-e print content and technique. Two of his large scale wood and screen prints from his “Hawaii Snorkel Series” flank the fireplace. The Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco represents the performer.

CM Glover

To provide more flexibility into the area and create privacy in the dining room area, the couple installed shoji screens in 1993.

Shoji screens: installed by Oriental Living, Bethesda, Maryland; dining table, chairs: Henredon (circa 1990s); light fixtures: Chapeau 29, Resolute Lighting

CM Glover

Architect Richard Loosle suggested a sensible solution to get a row of prints which used to hang unevenly on the exposed brick wall: a little floating shelf. The framed artwork bits are Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshige in the “Hundred Famous Views of Edo.”

White bowls: Verona, CB2

CM Glover

As windows are scare on row homes — located on just the front and back facades — the couple added larger windows in the breakfast area to make much-needed light.

Table (Pratt), chairs: Room & Board

CM Glover

Marcia’s favorite room in the house is the kitchen. “We both love to cook and bake and entertain,” she says. “Next are the dining area, where publication bands, men’s gourmet classes, fiber-art groups and buddies frequently collect.”

Throughout the renovation the contractors had to block off the whole area past the brick wall to keep the elements out while completing their job. When the job was finished, they eliminated the temporary wall.

New maple floors in the inclusion contrasts with the present walnut cabinets. Complementary dark ash stained cabinets were added.

Millwork: Potomac Millwork

CM Glover

Marcia requested for the turquoise Le Creuset pot on the stove for her birthday, because she knew it would go well with the blue accent wall.

Blue color: Open Seas, Sherwin Williams

CM Glover

A set of shunga (erotic) prints in the early 19th century hang over the couple’s bed.

CM Glover

Marcia admits she and Clark have not spent as much effort on the sleeping areas, because they have focused most of their design efforts on the lower level. However, Marcia’s love of organic fibers and fabrics comes through at the yarns draped on the chair and a few pure hemp linen, from Hemptraders, on the mattress.

CM Glover

Loosle utilized a piece of steel for a frame to specify the new rear facade. The plan element also enables Marcia to hang a canopy to offer shade on the balcony away from her house office.

Painting the frame glowing blue described the component as separate from the steel railings. The color lets the steel blend with the skies on clear days. For those railings and stairs, Marcia specifically requested a “Frank Lloyd Wright red,” she says.

CM Glover

Prior to the renovation, if the couple wanted to carry food in the kitchen to their old wooden roof deck, they would need to walk stairs, across the courtyard and up a little spiral staircase. With the newest elevated walkway, their deck is significantly more user friendly.

The new roof deck sits over the garage. The couple utilized premium and durable materials on this renovation, such as ipe wood decking and fencing.

CM Glover

Marcia requested an irrigation system be installed to simplify watering plants. Additionally to help simplify the watering, the planters have been created with false-bottom inserts, so that they require less soil than it appears from the outside.

CM Glover

Lighting from Artemide and Flos (the blue lights are Flos) improve the ambiance of the deck, as do different icy blue acrylic and resin panels.

CM Glover

Empty nesters Marcia and Clark Silcox enjoy the tranquility of their new outdoor haven from the sound of town street. With the smart bridge design, the area is currently an extension of their kitchen.

CM Glover

The long-time homeowners are here in order to stay, appreciating both the neighborhood and convenience of their Capitol Hill area. “We know someone on virtually every block and understand all the shopkeepers. We seldom want our automobiles, taking Metro, biking and walking,” Marcia says.

Aside from the nearby restaurants and civic associations, Marcia can also be pleased to live close to what she calls “the crown jewel of town,” that the Eastern Market, with its farmer’s market, flea market and frequent live music.

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See a Forward Thinking Family Sophisticated

When two parents together with nine kids needed a home base in Austin, Texas, they decided to create their very own. They scooped up a double lot in up-and-coming East Austin and hired architect and builder Finn Sigurdsson, an undercover transplant and owner of the design-build firm ísARK Studio. Working collectively, Sigurdsson as well as the clients created a master plan full with different units that the children could potentially rent from them since their lifestyles changed along with their families grew. The plans also look to the long run, maintaining appeal for nonfamily tenants and prospective resale in your mind.

The master program is for a small development that will include two duplexes, a single-family residence and a small cabin. “With the people of Austin expanding, it is logical to create more compact home,” says project manager Taryn Hall. “Though the family tends toward more conventional style, we designed a style we like to predict urban ranch. We believe it fits in with the diverse and edgy neighborhood, and concentrated on a design for those units that might be easily leased and/or sold later on.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: One of those grown sons, his wife and four children lease 1 duplex; one of those daughters, a nursing school student, and a number of her friends rent the other.
Location: Central East Austin, Texas
Size:Unit A:1,875 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths; unit B:1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 baths; about 1,050 square feet of constructed outdoor spaces. Other units are still in the planning stages.

ísARK Studio

Saving existing trees on the lot was a priority. “We assembled the units on piers instead of a poured slab from sensitivity toward the environment,” project manager Hall states. The units adopt the trees as part of the plan, which provides them a tree house feel.

ísARK Studio

Sigurdsson’s Icelandic upbringing influenced his approach to the design. “Trees are extremely scarce in Iceland, so wood is something that’s often used sparingly,” he states.

Slats of natural cedar round a terrace and cedar overhangs deliver much-needed shade from the hot Texas sun. “I pushed for a modern element with all the raw stucco but utilized the cedar to stitch together the modern elements with the more conventional Craftsman features,” he states. “I really enjoy the warmth it brings to the duplex contrary to the cool stucco.”

ísARK Studio

Elements were prioritized by Sigurdsson. Saving the trees left a natural canopy that shades the home. Each of the windows are designed to let in the best amount of natural lighting without letting the sun overheat the rooms. The windows have dual panes and are filled with argon gas, which helps to keep the indoors cool. The siding is high heeled insulated stucco. The insulating material is spray-foam Icynene that also can help maintain the cool atmosphere.

ísARK Studio

A system that contains rain chains and French drains catches the water, which is then distributed underground to the trees and also designated garden areas. “We xeriscaped as much as you can, then directed the water we can gather to designated spots,” Hall says.

ísARK Studio

By way of example, this concrete planter receives runoff water through the underground system.

ísARK Studio

Decks and balconies provide outdoor spaces.

Siding: smooth Hardie board and batten in Boothbay Blue and Smooth Hardie board lap siding in Heathered Moss

ísARK Studio

On the terrace, the cedar slats let in the breeze along with a few sunlight while providing privacy from the shared outdoor spaces.

ísARK Studio

The residents share a central lawn planted with zoysia grass. “This grass can tolerate wide variations in temperature, sun and moisture,” Hall says.

ísARK Studio

We’ll have a peek inside unit A, where the family of six lives. An open plan makes the living spaces feel larger. “We tried to design an area that has been as flexible as you can, so it would interest a wide range of people later on for renting or resale,” Hall says.

“On the inside I did away with ornamentation and tried to keep it compact,” Sigurdsson states. “Craftsman homes traditionally have a lot of trimming; we opted to remove all the trimming, but the wood seats, shelves and Shaker-style cabinets help make the house a available and flexible palette to your future.”

Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams

ísARK Studio

“We had a great deal of voices throwing out thoughts, which was intriguing and challenging,” Hall says. For instance, the family of six desired an eat-in kitchen where they might gather for meals, therefore Sigurdsson created this high-top table/kitchen island. “This is a huge family centre point which truly functions as the heart of the house,” he states.

A clever alder footrest detail on the island offers extra storage space in the column and a favorite resting place for your cat.

Chandelier, pendants, Alexandra brushed nickel, Thomas Lighting

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

Everything in the kitchen has been customized to satisfy with the family’s requirements while retaining prospective tenants and owners in mind. “The adult son lived in Japan while operating the military for many decades, also had a great deal of china he’d brought back and wished to exhibit, so we integrated glass cupboard doors,” Hall says.

In addition they took up the cabinets to the 10-foot-high ceilings for maximum storage.

Cabinets: custom designed by ísARK Studio, constructed by Dovetail Woodworking

ísARK Studio

Windows looking out into the tree decoration give the house a tree home feel.

Tile: Anatolia glass tile, Bliss Linear Mosaic 5/8 inch, Iceland AC35-016

ísARK Studio

The owner also has a ranch in Bellville, Texas. When some trees there needed to return, Sigurdsson reclaimed the wood for shelves at the Austin units. He cut, planed and installed the bits on custom brackets. This is only one of numerous advantages of hiring an architect who’s also a builder and proficient carpenter.

ísARK Studio

In the living area, Sigurdsson mounted a long live-edge press shelf.

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

“We kept the baths small in order to maximize the living spaces and bedrooms,” Hall says. Sigurdsson designed this customized sink unit to make the most of the small space and include architectural interest. It’s a waterfall faucet.

Faucet: Pfister Kenzo

ísARK Studio

The group picked a waterfall faucet to the master bathroom as well. The countertops and sink are travertine.

The clients scored the tile, countertop and sink auction, which reduce some prices. The custom vanity is alder wood with a dark walnut stain, and also the doorway to the bathroom is a barn doorway.

ísARK Studio

The master bath comprises everything the couple wanted, including a soaking tub. A high, broad window lets in the natural light.

Here’s the first-floor plan with this unit.

And here is your second-floor plan.

Whether family members occupy the units, rent them out or wind up selling them off in the years ahead, they’re incorporating smart home alternatives and fostering a sense of community in East Austin.

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A Backyard Getaway Emerges In a Grain Shed

Emma Lyndaker always desired a hideout. So when her Ohio farmhouse came with a shed used to store grain, she convinced her husband, Art, to assist her transform the area into a cozy escape.

Art utilized a lift to transfer the building throughout their land, where it would have better views of the countryside. When it had been situated, they eliminated two inside half partitions and refinished the floors. A salvaged tin roof, fresh paint on the walls along with a good power wash gave the room new life. As it came time to decorate, Emma hunted high and low for the best classic pieces. “Half of the fun is collecting things and then putting them all together,” she says.

At a Glance
Location: Plain City, Ohio
Size: 112 square feet (8 feet by 14 feet)
That’s interesting: The classic bed was purchased for only 50 cents at an auction.

Julie Ranee Photography

A peek inside the 112-square-foot space shows Emma’s love for antiques.

Julie Ranee Photography

Emma found the drop’s cupola at a neighbor’s home, where it had been about to be picked up by salvage collectors. It now proudly sits along with her hideout.

Julie Ranee Photography

The kitchen and dining area sits on the right of this door. The two seats once belonged to Art’s parents. Others in the community have painted their porches exactly the same minty green, therefore Emma fondly calls the chipping paint color “porch green”

Julie Ranee Photography

Emma made the mosaic design of this window using sea glass she gathered during walks along the beach in Key West, Florida.

Julie Ranee Photography

Emma bought this classic Quick Meal Stove at an auction, thinking she would set it into a cabin. The stove was outfitted with electrical burners before her purchasing it, and she’d love to eventually run electricity into the shed.

Julie Ranee Photography

A vintage shelf in the corner houses some of Emma’s jadeite dish collection, together with other paintings picked up at auctions and garage sales.

Julie Ranee Photography

Emma bought the three-quarter-size classic bed for 50 cents at an auction. The dimensions, between twin and full, is typical for an antique bed.

Julie Ranee Photography

At Emma’s childhood home, this classic washstand served as a location to fill kerosene lamps. She stripped it down to the bare wood and eliminated the veneer at the top.

Emma loves taking Sunday-afternoon naps, relaxing and reading in the area. “I love being here,” she says. “It is nice and quiet to read or pray.” She also gives the area to be used by ladies from church and the neighborhood.

Julie Ranee Photography

This window, outfitted with a bit of stained glass, sits over the mattress. The blue ceiling and whitewashed walls add to the area’s calming feel.

Julie Ranee Photography

Emma makes these decorative flowers with meals from garage sales and sells them locally.

Julie Ranee Photography

The shed-turned-hideaway sits behind the main house, overlooking the Ohio countryside. The couple expects to add a pond.

telephone:have you got a converted outbuilding? Discuss it with us!

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A Manhattan Studio Opens to Flexibility

A loft-like apartment that’s 650 square feet but feels spacious, has ample mild and is efficiently created is a rarity in the dense landscape of urban sprawls. That is why you might need to pick up your jaw off the floor after seeing the architect Robert Garneau has transformed what was a rundown prewar studio into a contemporary and adaptable open space.

“Though size was certainly a struggle, this project isn’t what many typically call a micro flat. It is a compact space that has a loft-like feel, one that needs the customer to be selective in what he brings into the space,” says Garneau. The flat and all in it are extensions of the values behind the design: multifunctional, compact and semi designed.

in a Glance
Who lives here: A few in the design sector
Location: Chelsea area of New York
Size: 650 square feet
Design challenge: Finding a personal placement for the mattress that was discreet from the living area and the kitchen

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The sleeping quarters necessary to have access to solitude, not be directly near the working kitchen and have some sort of division from the living room, where the customers amuse.

Garneau’s answer was a habit Murphy bed. From the open position it provides the comfort and luxury of a queen mattress.

Murphy bed: habit, Studio Garneau

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A floor-to-ceiling sliding door creates privacy for your own sleeping nook. White on the outside and a luxurious oiled walnut finish on the inside, the wall immediately warms up the mostly white bedroom.

“We engineered the sliding wall and the neighboring inner walls to be soundproof; they are made from high-tech acoustic products, which has the additional advantage of developing a solid wall,” says Garneau.

Now you see the mattress along with the sliding wall …

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… and you don’t. The sliding wall may also close off and contain the living room area.

When tucked away, the sleeping nook may be utilized as an extension of their living room or just left vacant. The negative space provides visual relief to the adjoining living room, which makes it feel more open and reflecting more light.

Yanagi blossom stool: Hive Modern

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Garneau has great respect for the thoughtfulness of nautical design, and implemented its craftsmanship and meticulous detailing here. Each millimeter is accounted for in the unit. Rather than clunky bedside tables, markets were customized into the wall, giving the customers a place to store books and a bedside light.

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The toilet has a special area in Garneau’s heart. “Bathing in this feels a bit like you’re in a spa, together with the blue tile and double rain bath,” he says.

Water use in the bath is reduced via low-flow taps and showers and a dual-flush bathroom.

Tile: cobalt, Nemo Tile Company

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Most elements in the flat are multipurpose — even the toilet towel rack, which opens to reveal more cabinetry along with also a laundry hamper.

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Garneau created the most of each surface place by converting it into storage for books, art supplies, linens, shoes and bathroom toiletries. The contrast of blue tiles and timber cabinetry is stunning.

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“The flat shows how it is possible to extend the limits of customized design and actually utilize it to work for you. Every storage unit or furniture piece is meant to be a long-term solution; nothing here’s a quick, generic solution,” says Garneau.

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The flush cabinetry and intrusive drawer brings hide the shelving components. To the left of the picture is that the shower’s sliding glass door, barely marked by the pull’s hardware.

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The customers are by no means. Instead, they have chosen to pare down their belongings without restricting their daily rituals, which to them are still “both pleasurable and simple.”

Here we visit one-half of the closet, which conveys the entire wall; a slim cubby on the best even homes a steamer and an ironing table.

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The closet takes advantage of its depth by incorporating a shoe shelf on the doorway, a closet rod that automatically lights up once the door opens and side shelving for bags and accessories.

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As can be expected, racks have to go vertical; a hook makes the hard-to-reach blouses on leading accessible.

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Garneau was able to open the room visually while maintaining the kitchen in its first site.

Benches on brakes may be used together with the table or wrapped to a different part of the apartment to get entertaining.

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The sofas, consoles and benches are on lockable casters and comprise storage within them, making a large number of seating and table arrangements.

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“There were possessions that needed to be accommodated in the plan and stored in a logical and easily accessible way without overwhelming the distance,” says Garneau. Books and decor have their location in the home and therefore are flush against the walls; not once does a backbone or curve interrupt the visual plane.

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To fight the heat and humidity from New York summers, Garneau set up an energy-efficient ceiling fan.

Green area rug: ABC Carpet & Home

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Here an image is projected from the back of the room. A wireless speaker program on the floor can be transferred to various locations in the home.

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The floor plan shows how each space in the attic is connected. For Garneau, the apartment’s design boils down to some quality-of-life matter. “Small-space living naturally restricts our consumer trends and forces us to consider what we genuinely love or like.”

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A Hideaway for All Ages Perched Among the Trees at Maine

“I went through this place in a boat once, and I couldn’t even find it,” says architect David Matero, that sited this playhouse so nicely one of the spruce trees that it’s practically invisible by a hundred yards away. The architect made the contemporary Adirondack-style structure to be a place where his clients can play games, read, have fun sleepovers and even find a little privacy when the main home is crowded. A brand new rope bridge joins the tiny home — they call it a treehouse because of its placement among the trees — to some zip-line platform. From the stage the main home is a zip ride away.

David Matero Architecture

Interior photographs by Darren Setlow Photography; exterior photographs by David Matero

At a Glance
Who plays here:
A family from California and their buddies
Location: Harpswell, Maine
Size: 350 square feet (32.5 square meters)

The home is not literally a treehouse but is perched one of the trees so nicely that it has earned the name. “There really aren’t trees in Maine that would support a construction in this way,” Matero states. While this side matches the ground, the home sits close to the edge of a cliff. The long fall from the back of the home and how it’s nestled among the spruces give it a treehouse feel.

David Matero Architecture

“The site is really lively,” Matero states. The back of the home faces the water and can be high above the ground. A cliff outside it makes the height seem even more spectacular in the 2 balconies. One is off the main living space, and the other is off the sleeping loft.

This rope bridge joins the treehouse to the zip-line stage, which is just out of view to the right. Originally the family needed to create the treehouse atop the existing stage, but after working on a few proposals using engineers, Matero found it was not possible. Instead, relatives run across the rope bridge to the stage and zip down to the main property.

Here the home is concealed.

Every one of those western redcedar shingles was hand dipped in Australian timber oil. This gives them an appearance that aids the house blend into the woods. “I wished to give it a contemporary Adirondack-camp look,” Matero states. Pictured here is Mark Parker, caretaker of the property.

David Matero Architecture

Inside, a round window that came from another home that once stood on the property has been repurposed. The inside of the room is rough-sawn natural Douglas fir. Even though the treehouse is electrified, it doesn’t have pipes, insulation, heating or ac. It is strictly a summer hideout.

The built in window seats along the right side may double as double beds. The mahogany table folds down from the wall.

David Matero Architecture

The table is a superb place for eating snacks, playing games and doing puzzles, even while the window seats provide comfy spots to curl up with books, visit or watch out for ospreys and eagles. “The homeowners intended to utilize the treehouse themselves also. It is not just all for drama,” Matero states.

David Matero Architecture

When planning the space, the homeowners needed a sleeping loft of their own. They could use it like a fun little getaway or let guests use it.

“The homeowner was quite conscientious about mild,” Matero states. Skylights and windows open up the loft to as much light as possible.

Light fixture: Artecnica Midsummer Light by Studio Tord Boontje; bedding: Chinoiserie Pearl, DwellStudio

David Matero Architecture

The sleeping loft has its own balcony.

Here’s the view out to the water. It’s easy to understand why the home has been deemed a “treehouse” in this picture.

All windows except the window: Anderson

Architecture: David Matero Architecture
Builder: Brent Akins, Housewrights & Craftsmen

More:
5 Fantastic Homes Having a Treehouse Feel
11 Amazing Home-Away-From-Home Treehouses

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Kitchen of the Week: Historic Queen Anne Renovation

Homeowner and architect Geoffrey Gainer of True Size Architecture Resides in a Queen Anne in San Francisco’s Mission district. While renovating the kitchen, he did not like the notion of attempting to hide new appliances behind wood paneling, but he didn’t want to look a modern space that would jar with the rest of the home. See the way he solved this layout dilemma by using materials that would show gentle wear with time.

Actual-Size Architecture

Gainer took out a wall between the kitchen and dining rooms to unite the spaces. The salvaged Douglas fir shelves come in the original 120-year-old wall, making the kitchen and historical home more cohesive. All these shelves, the cork floors and also the paper-based countertops will all ding, dent and darken over time to meld with the home’s old charm.

Gainer discovered the classic chandelier and made two kitchen pendants to match. Located parts from Ohmega Salvage along with the hardware store help tie the dining and kitchen area collectively. The massive steel post in front of the island serves as a structural support beam in the ceiling and functions as a conduit for the shelf lights’ wiring.

Metalwork: Wendell Jones; sheet metal (except hood): stainless steel, Pacific Coast Stainless

Actual-Size Architecture

The open cabinets are a great way to solve the shortage of lighting in the kitchen. Since this type of historical residence, Gainer could not expand the windows or transfer them. The floating glass cabinetry allows the light to filter through the full kitchen. Gainer bought knobs at Ikea and painted and sanded them to get a luxury appearance.

“Two sinks result in a fantastic marriage. It is seriously worth the additional couple million bucks,” says Gainer. He and his wife understood that it’d be hard for both to find room in the stove too, so they found a set of two electric burners in a garage sale and put in them below the window facing the porch.

Cabinetry and shelving: habit by David Brunjes; cabinetry completing: Ciarlo Brothers

Actual-Size Architecture

The lower cabinetry has been kept open to make obtaining everyday items easy. The kitchen island is open to the dining space, but Gainer did not want his guests to observe a kitchen mess while eating, so he wired the kitchen lighting and dining lights separately. At night, when the kitchen lights are off, the distance feels completely different.

Countertop: Richlite; fridge: GE Profile; range: Viking; hood: Stack, Rangecraft

Actual-Size Architecture

The space-saving island layout is Gainer’s favorite thing about the kitchen. The top drawer is a knife rack and the third drawer has a pot-lid rack using adjustable steel rods, which he designed. The distance between the sink and the cabinet walls was just big enough for Gainer to devote a drawer for tall bottles of olive oil and other cooking essentials. The front of this sink is truly a tilt-out tray to keep items easy, and there’s a habit swing-out trash can for easy cleanup.

Actual-Size Architecture

Gainer and his wife have two young brothers, so child friendliness was important. “Keeping them at the counter is much easier than attempting to monitor the mess in the table, and they like it better there too,” he says.

Oven: Miele; wall spout: Elkay; faucets: Chicago

More: How to Remodel Your Kitchen | More Kitchens of the Week

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