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backyard

This weekend I've been thinking more about the back yard. This is the
configuration I've been working with in my mind for a few weeks now.
The red represents a high wall, the outside continuation of the living
room wall. The black wall is a low bench wall. Inside these walls
there would be a fountain or fireplace or chairs and or potted plants
or something. The area just outside the slider would be the arbor or
awning, etc. The round circle is for a small tree like a crepe myrtle
which grows well around here. The main mantra I keep telling myself is
"less grass." Besides being politically incorrect for using up water
and requiring resources, grass is not too much fun. So I'm probably
going to increase the side of the border (brown). The border is fun.
I've elevated it so we're constantly making little irrigation canals.
This is where we plant plants and I'm hoping when everything gets
bigger it will make some hiding places (Sean already has a couple). I
do want to keep some relatively wide-open area though so we can do
some simple sports things (like play frisbee). The 'less grass' thing
also informs the size of the hardscape. I'm realizing that hardscape
is actually more useful than grass. You can pogo stick on it and ride
bikes or barbecue where you can't do anything on grass really. I'm
trying to make the backyard look like a conventional backyard--patio,
grass, border--but I'm reducing the proportion of grass to its bare
minimum by expanding the other elements. You can see that I could
easily double the amount of grass in the back yard if I took out the
border and reduced the hardscape. Anyway, it's pretty simple.

Some things I haven't accounted for in this scheme. It would be nice
to have some place to put tools, but I figure I can do it on the side
of the garage or on the N side of the house which isn't used for
anything. Also, eventually the A/C compressor needs to go somewhere.
Not sure where.

custom from mosaic maximier

From mosaic maximizer

gray daltile

custom mosaic tile designs

Bench boxes from Unicahome

From unicahome

Daltile tiles

Dal tile Natural hues CERAMIC
Qh16 mushroom

PERMABRITE suide gray

CIner qh08

palette2

Crossville color blox mosaics--a1109 sidewalk chalk or sea otter A1108.

12 x 12 porcelain ($4.41).

Fwd: yet another library option

Here's my newest idea for the library... it comes from a picture I saw
in a book.

The idea is to put a 'shelf' all around the library area. I could put
books or decorative items on the shelf. Plus, it serves to visually
lower the ceiling. Plus I could put lights in there to create a
glowing feel. You can see that the path going to the MBR is a bit
clumsy so maybe there would have to be some additional wood up there
to make everything look neater. I thought this was a pretty good
idea... gives me a lower ceiling + book storage.

library platform exploration

I liked the bench/shelf/platform thing, something you could sit on, leave books on and gives you access to higher areas of the shelf.

So I played around with adding one to the library....

What I liked about this is that it provided spatial definition while keeping the space open. One thing I've been thinking about is Sean who has just decided he likes sleeping on his own. I attribute this to a couple of things. First, obviously, he's getting older (6). But also, since I got the bunk bed he's discovered that he likes sleeping in the lower bunk--it's like a cozy cave. Then I realized that opening up the library space from what we have before gives him a clear view from his room into the MBR. So he can literally stand in his room and see me. So I've been experimenting with ways to define the library space without losing the sight lines and the open feeling of the library. Obviously, I would lose the sight line if I did something like the "ticket booth" configuration I designed earlier.

At any rate, what I liked about the platform is that it provided a bench/platform/table space, but it also became a kind of stage, like those kid's stages they have at Barnes and Nobles...

Then I started thinking about adding a sleeping platform. I ended up realizing that there's not enough vertical space there. But after playing around with it a bit, I found that the sleeping platform could make a good bookshelf. So here's where I ended up....

This configuration gives me a huge shelf (the former sleeping platform) to hold my small paperback size books. I could use both sides of the shelf and the lower platform would give me easy access to the books. Of course, for the part that goes over the 'hallway' I'd be out of luck. Other people could use the shelf for decorative items and objects. The shelf could also contain a reading light or illumination for the 'stage.' I do lose some vertical bookshelf space with this configuration on the S wall, however, but really, not too much.

old plan

booth preliminary sketch

The basic ideas---

>The half window enables you to see the basketball court but cuts off
the undesirable view of the trash cans.

>Those shelves in front of the windows (they're actually supposed to
go all the way up) could be either glass or wood. The idea here is to
have a place for containers of workshop items like screws and glue and
little things in boxes. In front of the window you could put glass
things which would reflect light in interesting ways. The items on the
shelf are also supposed to be a kind of "curtain" enabling you to
control the view in and out. (see bottom reference picture)

>I put in the stud on the side of the shelves to hold them up. See I
thought about structure! It also becomes a kind of mini wall which
helps to enclose the booth. One flaw of this design is that we lose
about 2 inches of space for the stud. It's not possible to make that
just a 1" piece of wood or something is it?

>The booth seat would be storage

>There is a framed area at the top of the booth to enclose it, but
it's not a soffit for variety's sake. Also to create more of a sense
of enclosure.

>the desktop could be something like butcher block. The overhang is
to match the rest of the house.

Cove light from Satellite

Decorative floor registers (from van dyke)