Inspiration: Glass

Glass is an ubiquitous element in architecture. Every building, no matter what it is made of, uses glass to draw in natural light. Light brings heat, and too many windows will bring too much heat.

Windows provide a view from the interior to the exterior world. They provide connection without being a true portal. You can look, but are still separate.

In these cases, glass is used as an invisible element. It provides protection and separation from the exterior world, while bringing in light and views. From an exterior perspective, they provide breaks in the walls. This adds interest, meaning, and organization to the structure. Similar to water, glass can also change color in different lights, reflecting dark or light spots from among the uniformity of the walls.

Glass can also be used to suspend an element. It is supported, but since you can see through the support, it gives a visual effect of floating.

On a smaller scale, glass can be used directly as a design element. Backed by a painted color, there is an added depth and subtle gloss that direct paint or lacquer doesn't provide. Glass that isn't smooth and straight will reflect and refract light to form interesting patterns.

Lighting glass directly can show off the designs in it, or just provide an even glow across a large area. Glass can be used to color, partially dim or obscure, or otherwise change the nature of light that is emitted from a source.

Glass is often used in modern design as technology has improved to allow larger and more fanciful constructions. Glazing technology has also allowed more light transfer with less heat. Modern designs have quickly incorporated large, rectangular panes of glass that fit well with the simple rectilinear lines of the building. Although glass can be overused, the beauty and openness of the material make it an integral part of any home.

Images from:

• http://www.trendir.com/archives/003904.html
• http://www.contemporist.com/2010/05/06/concrete-house-by-a-cero/
• http://www.trendir.com/house-design/glass-house-architecture-in-sunny-california.html
• http://www.pediniusa.com/products/kitchen/outline/index.htm
• http://www.trendir.com/archives/000651.html

Kitchen Design

After the main layout was finished, we designed the kitchen. Kitchen design isn't required for permitting, but the lead time on the cabinets is long enough that we need to order them around the time construction starts. We are using the Pedini Magika system for all the drawers and cabinets. The kitchen design was done by Pedini Seattle.

The main layout followed what we had decided while designing the floor plan: a counter and cabinets along the back (north) wall, a long island parallel to that, and then a full side (east) wall with appliances and cabinets. We wanted the cooktop on the island, since that is where we spend the most time when we want to interact with others. That put the main sink on the back counter, with the dishwasher next to it. The side wall then had the double ovens and refrigerator.

The cooktop is offset to the west of the island so that it isn't back-to-back with the sink. That also gives a nice large prep area on the island. The wall with the ovens and fridge has a tall, skinny cabinet for things such as brooms, mops, vacuums, and aprons. It also has some open shelving for cookbooks and a larger open surface for open cookbooks, mail, or other non-food items.

We considered putting a small prep sink on the north-east corner of the island. I want a chopping station where I can rinse vegetables and cut them up without fighting with Erika for the faucet. I also want a slightly taller section of the counter for chopping so that I don't have to lean over. Raising the main island wouldn't work very well, though, and the prep sink would add extra cost. Instead, we raised the back counter by two inches and added a second faucet on the right corner of the sink. We also removed the upper cabinets in that section. This gives me a nice section of counter to use for cutting up ingredients, without cabinets getting in the way and with access to water that doesn't interfere too much with Erika. She might not be able to wash lots of dishes, but if she needs to fill pots with water, or rinse and peel potatoes, or other smaller tasks, we can easily share the sink and not interrupt each other.

The original plan showed the south-east corner of the island as a bar counter. We decided not to bother with this, because we will have a large dining table just a few feet away; we replaced it with more cabinets.

We considered adding some smaller amenities, but decided they weren't worth the cost. We looked at having a pull-out trash and recycling under the island, but decided, given the $600 additional cost, that having just a plain cabinet there would work fine. We also had a tambour (roll-up door) over the open shelving on the side wall in the original design. However, we didn't want to add a bunch of extra metal next to the stainless steel appliances or to pay the additional $700, so decided to go with open shelves.

The upstairs bathrooms also feature designs from Pedini Seattle. The layouts are very simple, with two cabinets and one set of drawers in each bathroom. We did debate on the heights for a bit. Standard kitchen counters are 36" high, while bathroom counters are usually around 30". Since we are using kitchen cabinets for the bathrooms, they are only available at around 36" high. For adults, especially tall ones, 36" is a nice height. For young children, the taller height can be a bit more difficult. We decided that we wanted consistency with the cabinets, so we are going to use Pedini for both bathrooms, and add a temporary step for when our children are young. This also allows us to adjust the height more easily as they grow.

Compared to other parts of the design process, the kitchen and bath were pretty easy. After the first round of design, we were only tweaking details. Still, getting those more or less in place feels like real progress.

Materials and Colors 2

After choosing the bathroom materials, as described earlier, we moved on to the main level.

The Hearth Room
We were less certain about the main living area. Anne encouraged us to start with the kitchen surfaces and the flooring since those are some of the largest and most visible areas in the house.

In the kitchen, we gravitated toward dark brown cabinets with a white counter top. But we had to decide what type of white counter to use. We had asked Yuval to get samples of the different varieties of white CaesarStone and settled on Quartz Reflections. It has more variety and character than plain white, including metal flakes in that give it a bit of a sparkle. Anne commented that most men fear the glitter, but it is sparse, and we both think it looks nice.

We will use the dark brown for the lower cabinets, and the cabinets around the appliances on the east wall. However, we want to pick a lighter color for the cabinets over the sink and back counter so that the room doesn't feel too dark. Pedini has a lot of colors available in a painted glass that looks really nice, so we're going to get some samples to help us pick a final color.

Choosing the floor material was harder. Wood comes in so many colors, textures, and finishes. We knew we wanted a fairly neutral colored wood; I don't like woods that are too yellow or too red. We liked darker brown woods, but, as we suspected and Anne confirmed, with the dark cabinetry, dark wood could lead to the room feeling too dark. I liked the very light colored woods, but Erika was less fond of them. Eventually, we settled on a fairly light brown, oiled wood that we liked the look and feel of. Oiled floors require a bit more yearly maintenance, will stain more easily, and will still dent; but they look more natural and less shiny, and develop character as they age (instead of just looking worn).

We chose Ecotech tiles for the entry. It is a sturdy tile, so we can use it both in the outdoor and indoor entry. The Ecogreen version nicely matches the wood floor on the main level, so the transition from inner entry to the main area would work well.

The Powder Room

We want the powder room on the main floor to generally match the theme on the main floor. However, the powder room is a small space not visible from other areas of the main floor and provides a chance to do something more interesting. Not crazy — our style, as Anne put it, is more 'understated elegance' — but using some interesting textures, lighting, and color combinations.

We were drawn to the Pental Glow tile. It has a fabric-like texture and a nice sheen. We chose a lighter gold that goes with the floor and white of the sink and toilet. We will run the tile up one of the main walls (probably behind the sink and mirror) and use light to bring out the texture of the tile. Anne suggested a grey paint for the other walls and ceiling. We were surprised, but it works. We will use black for accent, perhaps through some elements made of iron or blackened steel. It seems like a very unusual combination, but it should yield an elegant and interesting result.

And much more...

Even if we don't change our mind about these choices, there are still many choices to make. The south wall on the main floor is the biggest one. It will contain the fireplace, with a raised hearth for sitting and some kind of material wrapping it and extensive built-in cabinetry between the entry and fireplace. We need to decide on the interior color of the window frames, carpet colors upstairs, other flooring options for the upstairs landing and utility room, trim, paint colors on walls, the media room and other areas downstairs, and of course the stairs themselves, which will be a centerpiece of the house. Many of these choices will be delayed until the house is partially completed and we can stand in the rooms and look around. This will be an ongoing process; but we have made good progress.

Materials and Colors

We are working on interior design, starting with materials and colors. We started by visiting tile show rooms. On the first trip, we browsed. On the second trip, we picked out samples. There are a lot of nice tiles, but the vast majority in the showrooms are neutral: white, black, grey, and brown. A few come in red, a few in  metal, and glass comes in a wide range of colors. So when we saw a lovely blue tile, we investigated further. The people at the Statements showroom referred us to their commercial/builder showroom. We got a nice selection of blue tiles, mostly from the Italian company FAP.

Next we reviewed our finds with Yuval and saw the samples he had picked out for us. We didn't make a lot of decisions, but we identified several more samples we wanted to get to prepare for the second meeting. Then we brought in Anne Viggiano, the color designer Yuval works with. This meeting was really good, and we came out with some specific material choices for different rooms. Yuval took some nice pictures of the material combinations for reference, which we have below.

The Bathrooms
Erika and I had a vision for the bathroom. Our favorite counter material was Deep Ocean CaesarStone, and we thought it would pair well with lacquer white cabinets. We wanted to continue the blue theme from the Amour Mer tile by FAP, although we weren't sure where. We paired that with a grey floor tile and some naturally-shaped flat stones for the shower floor.

Anne and Yuval helped us tie everything together. Anne suggested using the same stones we liked for the shower floor for the backsplash to give it a more organic, rounded-ragged edge. The stones pair nicely with the rough-edge maple Yuval suggested for the bathroom bench. Ecotech tiles provide the grey we wanted for the floor as well as some natural texture that would be less slippery when wet.

We decided to use the Amour Mer tiles in the shower so that they would tie into the blue of the counters without competing. The shower will be mostly glossy white tiles with some vertical strips of the blue.

These materials will provide a nice balance between the clean, modern counters, cabinets, and shower walls and the natural stone and wood in the floor, backsplash, and bench.

After discussing all this, we moved on to the main level, where we had only a vague idea of what we wanted...

Inspiration: Water

Water, always changing, has a beauty and energy that fixed elements rarely duplicate. When the sky is bright and clear, it will match. Under clouds it looks dim and grey. At night, it can disappear. Gazing through clear water gives a strong sense of depth.














Lit at night, water takes on the color of its container and the light. It distributes the light and color, creating a plane of light in the dark. The difference between day and night can be dramatic.








Still water reflects the surroundings like an imperfect mirror. In the dim evening light, it may be difficult to tell which image is reflection and which is reality.

Still water can look like a sheet of glass. A pathway that crosses water focuses your care and attention on the water and the process of entering.









Flowing water provides an ever-changing appearance. It is a natural, shifting piece that catches the eye and ear with pleasant noise.









Pictures from:
The Vivienda 19 House by A-cero
Concrete House by A-cero
Water Features by H2O Designs

Appliances

The kitchen takes more design than most rooms, and you can't finalize a kitchen design without choosing the appliances. Accordingly, we recently spent a weekend (and then some) choosing appliances.

The easy choices

Our builder recommended Bosch where applicable. We did not have strong preferences on the dishwasher, refrigerator, washer, and dryer, so we chose low- to mid-range Bosch items. Yuval recommended Waste King garbage disposals, and so we chose a reasonable unit from their selection.

This brings us to the oven and cooktop. We spend more time interacting with these appliances, and that leads to more detailed requirements.

Ovens

We wanted double wall-mount ovens. A speed oven seemed like a perfect fit for the second oven. It would eliminate the need for a separate microwave and be smaller, faster, and more efficient. There was just one problem: Bosch does not sell a speed oven in the US.

Miele makes a popular, high quality speed oven. However, a speed oven and matching full-size oven from Miele is about $2000 more than a Bosch double wall oven plus separate microwave. With a $10,000 appliance budget, this is a big deal.

Fortunately, Yuval pointed out that the high-end Bosch microwave is actually a combination oven. The difference is that the Miele speed oven is an oven first, microwave second, and can use both kinds of cooking methods together. The Bosch combination microwave is a microwave first, oven second, and can only use the cooking methods individually. We combined this with a full-size oven to accomplish our main goals: no separate microwave and a smaller secondary oven. This came in about $2400 cheaper than the Miele combination.

Cooktop

We chose a 36" gas cooktop. We considered induction, but it is more expensive and the unit we saw had confusing controls. Gas is also what we are used to. A 36" cooktop will give us five or six burners, one or two more than the standard four.

We considered three different cooktops:

• The Bertazzoni Professional cooktop looks the nicest, but we were less fond of the mechanism for lighting the burner, and the simmer does not seem as good.
• The DCS cooktop has a nice simmer using a separate ring on all burners and a wonderful lighting mechanism. It costs slightly less than the Bertazzoni.
• The BlueStar drop-in cooktop costs the most and has an industrial look some may dislike. It has a nice lighting mechanism, good simmer on all burners (and one simmer-specific burner), more powerful burners (two at 22,000 BTU), and a knob layout arranged to match the burner layout. The burners use an open burner design which should provide more even heating.

Given its advantages, we decided to spend the extra for the BlueStar cooktop. The stove is our most used piece of equipment, so the splurge is worth the cost.


Because our stove is going on the island, we needed an island mount hood. It needed to be at least 42" (6" wider than the cooktop) and be powerful enough to match the stove. We chose a 48" Kuppersbusch hood with 725 CFM of air exchange. That is more power than we need, but it is a good price and fits our needs. If it is more powerful than needed, we can use it on the lower (and quieter) fan speeds.

Totaling it up

The total cost for all of the appliances came out to about $10,000. It's only a bit over the initial budget we had set. With those settled on, we can freeze one part of the budget and finalize the kitchen design.

Pictures

We finally got around to setting up a gallery for photos of our house. We've got just a few for now — some pictures of the land before construction starts.

Back in September when we purchased the land, much of it was a big pile of dirt from the excavation of the neighboring houses.

By February, the dirt had been mostly cleared away as the neighboring foundations were completed and backfilled. This picture shows the main area that our house will be built. It is taken from the east edge, roughly in the driveway. The black fence marks the start of the critical slope where we can't build; that will be near the edge of the usable section of our backyard; we actually own the land for about the same distance again down the hill.

This is the buildable area, shown from near the edge of the backyard (before the hill starts sloping and becomes wild). The pile of lumber is roughly where our driveway will be.

This picture gives an idea of how long our lot is, and how much it slopes. I'm taking this picture at the south-west corner of our property; Erika (one of the black blobs in the middle) is near where the previous picture was taken. All the area between us is part of our land, but will be left mostly wild. The dirt trail will eventually be cleaned up by the city; hopefully they'll add in some stairs.

This picture is near the south-east corner of our property, where the street connects. Erika is down near the north-west corner of our backyard (on the right by the tree).

There are a few more pictures of the site. You can view all the site pictures, or view all the galleries for our house, which will be updated as we add some more pictures.