For this week's installment of PrairieMod Monday, I thought I'd reveal a little bit behind the first set of plans I've been drawing up for little red house's "PrairieMod-ification."
As you can see from the photo above, one of the most striking features of the little red house is its north facing window wall. I was especially drawn to the triangular shape made by the windows along the top. Inside the house, the tented ceiling with exposed beams is also a striking feature that is directly tied to the shape of the roof and the window wall (all of these elements are tied together both thematically and structurally.)
So, with these ideas percolating, I thought it would be good to focus on the "great room" area of the house as the place to start. I began to draw up a plan that accomplished the following points in keeping with the 10 PrairieMod Principles:
• Increased storage space
• Lots of shelves for the PrairieMod Library
• Integral lighting
• Maximize living space
• Utilize natural materials and color schemes
• Unify the different spaces aesthetically
• Save time, resources and money wherever possible
With all these requirements, here is the initial plan I drew up for the first four walls that comprise the living room/dining room portion of the "great room." (follow this link to see photos of the space as it is now.)
East wall of living room with fireplace. We haven't decided on how to treat the face of the fireplace yet, so I left it blank for now--maybe some Heath ceramic tiles?
South wall of living room. Lots of built-in shelfs for books! There's also a space open for a flat screen TV. I wanted to reflect the same grid pattern of trim from the window wall on the opposite side of the room to carry that triangle motif through the different spaces. Triangles will also appear in the shelf supports and potentially the hearth of the fireplace (above). I also thought mirrors might be cool in place of where the glass exists on the opposite wall to give the room a larger feel--but we'll see if that's practical.
North wall of living room. I took out one of the 4 entry doors to the house and replaced it with a window, helping to complete the effect of the window wall. I also placed a built-in sofa with end tables on either side as well. Placing a built-in sofa here increases the size of the living room's usable space by an extra 4 feet or so, adds much needed extra seating and also provides storage under the long seat.
North wall of the dining room. The dining room is the space directly West of the living room and its window triangle completes the other half of the glass triangle seen in the drawing above. Here, a built-in buffet provides much needed extra kitchen storage behind sliding doors (also notice the cut triangle finger pulls that mimic the window triangle motif). Mirrors above the buffet will again potentially make the space appear larger than what it actually is.
These drawings are my way of trying to tie all the spaces together with a principled, unified plan that also helps answer the needs of the individuals living with it daily. I fully expect to have to tweak and modify aspects of it as we get into the implementation of the plan (things on paper don't always translate into the real world.) Let me know what you think--any feedback would be much appreciated. Until next week!
Photos and drawings copyright PrairieMod
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