Redesign without the Remodel: Programming Outdoor Space

Although the bread and butter of our residential work is working with homeowners who are building or remodeling, our design expertise applies just as much to arranging furniture as it does to laying out floor plans.  In September and October, each Monday design.banter will feature "Redesign without the Remodel", with tips on how to "remodel" your home using furniture and items you may already own. Your home can have a brand new feel without ever lifting a hammer (well, except to hang a picture), since the vast majority of us are not currently remodeling our homes or building a new one. It also goes without staying that the greenest design is adapting your current home to your changing needs.  Need some personalized advice? We are always available for consulting on an hourly basis. 

Speaking as someone who doesn't have a yard (and would love the extra space), most yards I see are underutilized. Most people have this expanse of space behind their house that can be used much of the year. By programming outdoor space, we add to the amount of square footage of living area we can enjoy.

The most obvious and ideal solution is to create a glassed-in porch on an existing slab or under an existing roof (bonus is it's on the south side of the house, in an area like ours). Many activities can spill over to this room. A great solution is to use a sun porch as a combination play room/reading nook/guest room. Yes, guest room. Most of the year, Seattle weather is ideal for sleeping, and the coldest of nights can be aided by an inexpensive space heater. A day bed is ideal for reading or homework during the day and guests at night. 

A day bed can function as a guest bed and reading couch. Next to a dining or card table, it also serves as seating for little ones. Hillsdale House Redding Day Bed and Trundle. 

One way to spend more time outside is to install a hot tub. Hot tubs can be intimidating because of the maintenance cost, but in climates like ours, this can be worth it, especially considering that they can be used all year long. A hot tub can be a great social draw and a way to get to know neighbors. 

A great outdoor space can be enhanced by a hot tub. Prodigy by the Olympic Hot Tub Company. Read about their commitment to Energy Efficiency.Greg Kossow, a carpenter based in Port Townsend, WA, recently published an article in Mother Earth News on How to Build a Hot Tub for less than $1,000.

If you don't have an existing space to make into a glassed in porch, enclose a space as much as possible to hold in heat, protect from weather, contain noise, and maximize privacy (be sure to comply with any relevant setbacks for your yard, if it's something permanent). Line the space with a grill, outdoor seating, outdoor furniture, and container plants. Place an outdoor fireplace in the middle. Also, a very simple and inexpensive touch is to add small white Christmas lights. There is something about those little white lights that dress up and define a space, and make any time you spend in your outdoor space feel special. Chili pepper lights also work for a more festive setup.

Create an outdoor room without an addition: start with a simple shelving unit like the Ikea Expedit. Fill in the shelves with ornamental plants and herbs in pots, baskets of garden supplies and outdoor toys, and large candles.(OK, I know I seem like a paid spokesperson for the Expedit since I feature it so much in the blog. It's just a very versatile and simple solution that I find works for many situations)

In my opinion, the biggest waste of space in our suburban neighborhoods is the front yard. Most of us don't spend much time there, except when we are working on it. You can get more out of your outdoor square footage by maximizing the outdoor room potential and programmed space in your backyard, and moving the garden to the front yard. Many think that vegetable gardens are not attractive, but they can be easily lined with a rockery, railroad ties, ornamental plants, or containers. If your front yard is small, pots or a rockery will keep passing dogs away from your edibles. 

 A cute hutch like this one from JCP Home (Lindale Buffet and Hutch) would be just as comfortable on a porch as a home for garden supplies.

If you have an outdoor covered porch, why not take advantage of the space for extra storage? You don't have to look like a hillbilly to do this. Choose attractive cabinets or wardrobes. Look for well built used furniture on Craigslist or used furniture stores. A buffet, credenza, hutch, or china cabinet can be painted bright colors and used to store gardening supplies, camping or other outdoor equipment, sporting goods, or as an outdoor wine cellar. Place ornamental plants on any surfaces and surround the furniture with container plants, so it looks at home in the outdoors.

Programming outdoor space has the added bonus of taking away the inefficient lawn, eliminating the need for watering, mowing and weed control. 

Next week: creating a home office in a small space. 

Flashback Friday: The Importance of a Feasibility Study

When purchasing property to develop or build on, it's important to know the legal parameters of the property. This also applies to adding on to an existing structure. Some of these are not readily available without a deeper look into the city or county code. This is also known as a code or zoning review. We regularly provide these services at the beginning of each project. Some things to look for when considering a property:

• Setback Lines: how far back from the property line can you build on the front, rear and sides?
• Are there limits on impervious surface? What controls are required for the amount of impervious surface you would like to add?
• Height limits: how high can you build, and how is the height determined? Are there any incentives that allow for extra height (for example, a steeper roof pitch)?
• Is your property located in any overlay zones that may affect your development, like a Historic zone?
  
• Are you in a zone that will require more extensive review or more restrictive setbacks, such as an environmentally critical zone or shoreline? Is there a wetland on your property, or a bald eagle's nest nearby?
  
• Can you include a guest house or accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on your property? With the call for greater density and more options for smaller and affordable housing, cities are continually updating their codes to keep pace with the public sentiment. An ADU or guest area can provide flexibility and income generation through rental, if the jurisdiction allows.
  
• Are there restrictions on the size or style of building? For example, some home owners associations require minimum areas (to maintain values in a neighborhood), certain materials, or layout restrictions (such as whether or not the garage door can face the street).

Don't make assumptions about what you can do on a property based on what you see on neighboring properties. Zoning restrictions change over time and new development may be subject to more restrictive regulations than existing development, even though they are in the same zone or even next door to each other. Considering these factors along with considering the price and location of a property will eliminate unwelcome surprises down the line. 

Visit our website for more information on feasibility services. 

D+A Gallery on Seattle Homes & Lifestyles Website

Check out our new gallery on the Seattle Homes and Lifestyles Website! 

Redesign without the Remodel: Adding Kid's Bedrooms

Although the bread and butter of our residential work is working with homeowners who are building or remodeling, our design expertise applies just as much to arranging furniture as it does to laying out floor plans.  In September and October, each Monday design.banter will feature "Redesign without the Remodel", with tips on how to "remodel" your home using furniture and items you may already own. Your home can have a brand new feel without ever lifting a hammer (well, except to hang a picture), since the vast majority of us are not currently remodeling our homes or building a new one. It also goes without staying that the greenest design is adapting your current home to your changing needs. Need some personalized advice? We are always available for consulting on an hourly basis.

Until I was nine years old, we lived in a small cape cod that was originally two bedrooms with an attic. My parents converted the second bedroom on the first floor to a dining room, and converted the attic into two bedrooms. This meant that the stairs led directly to my little brother's room, and I had to walk through his room to get to my bedroom. Also, I shared a bedroom all through college. Thus began my bias of thinking, do all kids need their own rooms, especially considering that the grown-ups share a bedroom? I know, I know, it's easy for me to say this now, I am not a teenage girl or someone who all they wanted growing up was a room of their own. But when considering the cost of buying a new home or adding on just for sleeping space, the parent's budget may just have to override a kid's desire for their own room...or should I say, their own drywall box. There are many ways to ensure that kids have privacy, even if they have to share sleeping space.

 Bunk bed with storage under (Ginger Twin Full bunk bed) from Platformbeds.com

One solution is to turn with largest bedroom into the sleeping space. If you have 3 bedrooms and 4 young kids, you can fit two bunk beds into one bedroom. The other bedroom can house wardrobes for extra storage and clothing, desk for computers and serve as the play area. As the kids get older, the rooms can then be divided by age. Curtains and sliding doors can be added to bunk beds to allow for privacy. Loft beds can house a mini room underneath, with a chair and bookshelf, also made private by curtains or sliding doors (and headphones). 

 A loft bed like the Ikea Tromso provides space for a desk, chair, bookshelf and or dresser below. The space can be made private by adding a heavy curtain or closing out the bottom with painted plywood and sliding doors. 

 

Coaster Contemporary Black Finish Metal Full Size Loft Bed & Workstation 

 Lea Kids The Getaway Complete Loft Bed

Kids still need their private space. Consider creating some outdoor sanctuaries if your house is feeling cramped. A tree house is of course a classic example for younger kids. Cluster a few chairs under a canopy or in a gazebo, away from but facing the house, to give kids a place to read, talk on the phone or work on a lap top. Texture the yard with gardens, rockeries, or an outdoor water feature to provide noise buffers and privacy. Add an outdoor fireplace and instantly create another space that can be used most of the year.

 An outdoor fireplace can define an outdoor room or space and give you another room without adding square footage to your house. Coleman 5071-700 Ambient Firelight Propane Fireplace and Table.

Rooms can also be divided with sliding doors, available from Raydoor or the Sliding Door Company. This route is pricier, but still less expensive than adding a room or relocating.

What else do you need in a bedroom? An example of a bed-sized bedroom from Raydoor.

Create a bedroom or media area in the corner of a too-large living area, like this example from the Sliding Door Company. 

With a little creativity, you can avoid a relocation or a remodel for those few years when you need extra bedrooms, particularly when all the kids are living at home. This season of life may only be a small percentage of the time you spend in your home, and then you are left with empty bedrooms that are likely to end up being musty, rarely used guest rooms that you are paying to heat, cool, and furnish. Making a smaller house with less bedrooms work has financial rewards now and in the future.


Next week: more ideas for programming outdoor space.