| Featured Article |
 |
For this issue, we've selected a fabulous house plan. You can find the plan at www.eplans.com Look for plan #HWEPL12295 or click on the picture of the house to take you directly to the site! |
 |
| The KITCHEN |
|
|
Today's house plan has a great kitchen that at first blush looks unspectacular and a little disappointing. It's always a good idea to carefully study the kitchen in a house plan to see what it really does.
In this case, on the plan we thought at first there was no place for upper cabinets, which most of us agree are pretty essential. When we viewed the photos online and saw how they had installed cabinets as a vertical slice through the window wall, we were almost ecstatic. The proverbial two birds with one stone - great storage and great natural light all at once.
This is what's known as a "galley" kitchen, so named from ship's galleys, long, narrow and extremely efficient. The layout of this kitchen is very functional while allowing guests and family members to be part of the action - either sitting at the island, in the "nook", or in the adjacent great room - without being IN the action. The island offers both prep, cooking and cleanup while the window wall behind offers spacious countertop area for preparing those gourmet meals or lining up the frozen pizzas to go in the oven for the kids' parties.
Having a butler's pantry with wet bar right next to the kitchen is genius - and a welcome throwback to the days when the residents didn't cook or serve, but rather the "help" did. We love the pantry, especially it's little bit of extra cantilever in that long cantilevered wall. With the galley kitchen, it's heavenly to have the storage space close, rather than cluttering up the galley.
The only thing we don't like in this kitchen is the raised frosted glass countertop - it just doesn't trip our trigger and it might be handier just to have the whole countertop for the cook's use and for the ease of the guests at the other side - in my crystal ball, I see a lot of spilled milk (or red wine!) if you keep the raised bit.
See our "Ten Kitchen Design Rules" for more on kitchens.
|
| ALWAYS UP TO SOMETHING! |
|
|
Chris Fye recently attended the Association of Licensed Architects Annual Conference and Product Show in Oakbrook Terrace. While there he attended seminars on "Building Green in a Blue Society", "Key Changes to the 2009 International Building Code", "Sustainable Fenestration Design" and the "LEED Green Building Rating System".
Chris Fye and Tom Sorg participated in the WoodWorks Solutions Seminar held at the University of Illinois in Chicago
Pat Leitzen Fye attended the Housing Roundtable discussion sponsored by IL Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity to learn more about available programs and funding for single and multi-family housing through the USDA Rural Development and the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Chris Fye presented a lecture to the Stephenson County Genealogical Society entitled "Evolution of Buildings", an interesting and revealing look at several blocks of downtown Freeport from the mid-19th Century to the present.
| |
|
 |
While our weather of late hasn't felt much like fall or winter, the truth is it's time for hunkering down for the cold months ahead, and with the holidays approaching, time for gathering in the kitchen to prepare the feasts, bake the cookies, share a cup of tea and memories, drink a toast to a year that's winding down. With that in mind, we're focusing this issue of Design Matters on the kitchen. Thanksgiving is just 'round the corner, with Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years trailing close behind. This is the time of year that we tend to gather, to reconnect, and to bask in the glow of family and friends and gratitude. It's also when we notice even more how well our kitchens work - or don't! So, take note of our kitchen comments, and our "Ten Kitchen Design Rules". How does your kitchen stack up?! And, November is American Diabetes Month - take a look at the American Diabetes Association website for some great tips on getting through the holidays, as well as some yummy Thanksgiving recipes like this one:
|
Featured Article
Design Matters
House Plan Critique
November 2009
HOUSE CRITIQUE
To use the common vernacular, OMG! What a house we've chosen for you to see this week. This one comes from www.eplans.com for plan number HWEPL12295.
Completely opposite of last month's house plan critique, this house is large (4,600 sf!), expansive, certainly not "green" in the sense of its size and potential for energy usage (which of course can be considerably improved by utilizing the right mechanicals, windows, insulation, etc.). But, frankly, the house is so fabulous, we just had to share it with you.
As a family home, it functions beautifully with three full-size bedrooms and two baths on the exposed lower level plus a great family room with all the family-friendly accoutrements nearby, a media wall, a snack bar and great laundry room.
The main floor is stunning - beginning with the perfect view from the front door through the home and to the expansive views outdoors - perfect for your lake property, mountain side retreat, or large rural acreage, but be sure to orient the back of the house to the south for optimum solar gain. The design features are so numerous. Five - count 'em - five, clerestories* that bring in fabulous daylight throughout the first floor. Add to this all the windows, and you'll hardly need to turn on lights in the daytime! While we're generally not fans of "plant shelves", in this plan they serve a very practical and unique purpose - to reflect the light, making the rooms even more light-filled. The closets in this house meet the needs of even the most acquisitive, and the floor plan itself is special. Laid out on a perfect cross axis, it provides for excellent circulation while keeping that circulation completely out of the way of "living". As Chris says "No one's tripping over anybody in this house!".
This is a house made for entertaining - from the beautiful formal dining room to the wide open "let's all get together and cook" kitchen, (see our separate kitchen comments in next article) - supplemented by the butler's pantry/wet bar sandwiched between the dining room and kitchen - to the luscious great room with stone fireplace, and on to the lavish deck complete with outdoor kitchen/grill and another fireplace. Even the entry makes for gracious entertaining with its roomy feel, and artistic touches - the glass floor, the window out to the water feature, and the spacious powder room.
In the master suite, we in the office differed in our opinions. A couple of us really like the open feel - the master bath being separated from the bedroom only by a screen wall against which is the only location for the bed. Others thought it untenable from both a privacy standpoint and for noise and moisture separation. Getting past that (clearly a matter of taste - a full wall could easily be installed), the master suite is fabulous - set off from the rest of the house, lots of closets, your own private laundry, fabulous open shower and spa bath. Topped off by a private deck, this master suite makes the perfect, romantic getaway for a busy couple.
The den makes for a perfect "away room" for adult television viewing or reading, or for a home office or small guest room. Another plus about this house - take away the steps down to the great room and you'll have a "visitable" home - one in which a wheelchair-bound friend or family member can maneuver with ease. Even better - if you wanted less home, you could opt not to build out the lower level as drawn, but use only the first floor - with just a few changes in the floor plan, you could accommodate another full-size bedroom, while keeping the open feel and the entertainment possibilities. Finishing the lower level at a later date is a possibility, or just have a standard basement instead. |
|
Ten Kitchen Design Rules
1. Working Triangle: Ideally, a triangle shape that encompasses the work zone of preparation, cooking, and cleaning - sink, stovetop/oven, refrigerator connected by countertop work space. A minimum of 2' on each side of sink and cooktop and a minimum of 2' adjacent to the refrigerator. The surfaces need to be smooth, uncluttered, . . . . keep small appliances and other items to a minimum to allow for unfettered food prep and serving.
2. Traffic flow: Keep "pedestrian" traffic out of work areas; ensure a minimum of 42" between islands and countertop/cabinetry. However, too much space between working areas is almost as bad as a cramped space. Think about your real cooking style to determine the best possible solution. If the kitchen connects to another room, make sure there's circulation space that doesn't pass through the work area. Consider as well the connections between kitchen and other rooms - develop site lines that enable the cook to stay connected with the life of the house.
3. Lighting: Ample daylighting (natural light) provided by windows, skylights and borrowed light, coupled with sufficient ambient lighting and appropriately placed task lighting. Different types of lighting are necessary in different portions of the kitchen in levels adjusted according to needs; work light, dining light, daylight, mood light.
4. Storage: Can't get enough! Below counter and above counter storage in sufficient quantities so that necessary items are in close proximity. Additional pantry storage is ideal for those items needed less frequently, including canned and dried food items, appliances and equipment used less often. Glassware & china should be at eye level with pots and pans hung in visible and accessible racks or shelved below - roll-out drawers and trays are ideal. Think also about sufficient storage for plastics, for herbs and spices (to be located near the cooking area, but sheltered from light and temperature changes), and recycling needs.
5. Gathering: For informal meals and "hanging out", consider breakfast nooks, raised counter/bar area or space for table and chairs. Today's kitchens often incorporate as well a desk with space for computer, mail shorting, kids homework;
6. Flooring: Comfortable under foot, low maintenance and durable! Hard surfaces like ceramic tile means everything that hits the floor shatters. Consider laminates, wood, vinyl tile or some of the new "green" products like bamboo, cork, and rubber.
7. Appliances: Trophy kitchens are all well and good, but think about your particular lifestyle. Gourmet cook? Go for the commercial style range. Otherwise consider cooktops built into islands or counter, with wall oven(s) nearby. Look to energy efficiency (Energy Star ratings), ease of maintenance and appropriate ducting to exhaust steam, heat and odors from the kitchen. Minimize small appliances by considering what you really use and need on the countertop. Other occasionally used appliances can be stored in the pantry or below countertop cabinetry.
8. Materials: As with flooring, consider maintenance first - ceramic tile can be tough to maintain as well as being tough on the feet and back; stainless steel and glass are beautiful but show fingerprints and require diligence to keep clean. For countertops, consider laminate, solid surface, granite and concrete. Sinks come in many varieties and styles today; again consider your lifestyle before choosing between stainless, solid surface, or "farmhouse" porcelain.
9. Cabinetry: In wood or composite materials, should match or complement the style of the home; create interest. Cabinet heights and depths should vary based on function and location; adding in furniture elements (such as moldings, legs, end panels) brings style and warmth to a kitchen.
10. Power: think about what you do in your kitchen and where you do it and quite likely you'll need electricity located there. Ample outlets, GFI's, switches, ceiling fans, and some people will also want to consider computer and communications cabling.
| |
Last Call
OK, so your kitchen isn't what you'd like it to be. Unless you've built or remodeled your home recently, chances are pretty good your kitchen needs an extreme makeover. Make sure the re-design works for your lifestyle by calling the good folks at christopher fye + associates. We can help you make your kitchen sparkle with efficiency and life! 815.233.2215 or email us at info@fyearch.com.
Christopher Fye and Associates
|
|
|
