Chez Nous
Our home is designed to both work and relax in. We really live in our home and not just use it to store our stuff.
Our work space is upstairs. My husband and I have separate office/studio space. My husband is an IT professional and has spent most of the last decade telecommuting so private work space is essential. We respect one-another's privacy and territory. Furthermore, the work space is off-limits to anyone other than ourselves.
Downstairs, the living space is divided into three major areas. At the front of the house is the semi-public front great room (LR/DR), next is the semi-private back great room (Kit/FR) and the Bed/Bath is set off to one side. (Really, only the Bed/Bath has any measure of privacy on the first floor because you can look from the front door clear through to the back!)
We like the open and flowing space and have kept the palette neutral with mainly dark furniture (black or wood) and light walls, floors and window coverings.. This neutral backdrop serves several functions: It provides a good backdrop for artwork; a high-contrast environment is easier for my husband to see; it's more relaxing for me because I am a synesthete. (This will probably come up again in my writing for this class.)
We learned a lot from building and living in our previous house. The movement from the more public to the more private spaces of our home better reflects the pattern of our daily activity. There are two major problems with this design, however. We don't have as much storage space as we did at the previous house (an open plan demands plenty of storage space!) and the furniture and appliances that we purchased for the other house have never quite fit the current one. It makes for daily aggravation (We cannot open the refrigerator door all the way, for example, because the plumber installed the kitchen sink too close to the fridge. And our FR sofa doesn't really fit the space available for it but, as we spend every evening on that sofa, we are not inclined to replace it until it dies a natural death!)
As I started this assignment I thought that my current domestic space was more of a reaction to some of the living situations that I encountered after I left my parents' home rather than being rooted in my upbringing. But I must admit that my lifelong need for privacy and my strong (strong!) territoriality laid the foundation for what I expected/needed/tolerated. I have lived in circumstances that tested my limits - both while single and since my marriage - and have tried to create a more appropriate and supportive living space for my husband and I.
Our work space is upstairs. My husband and I have separate office/studio space. My husband is an IT professional and has spent most of the last decade telecommuting so private work space is essential. We respect one-another's privacy and territory. Furthermore, the work space is off-limits to anyone other than ourselves.
Downstairs, the living space is divided into three major areas. At the front of the house is the semi-public front great room (LR/DR), next is the semi-private back great room (Kit/FR) and the Bed/Bath is set off to one side. (Really, only the Bed/Bath has any measure of privacy on the first floor because you can look from the front door clear through to the back!)
We like the open and flowing space and have kept the palette neutral with mainly dark furniture (black or wood) and light walls, floors and window coverings.. This neutral backdrop serves several functions: It provides a good backdrop for artwork; a high-contrast environment is easier for my husband to see; it's more relaxing for me because I am a synesthete. (This will probably come up again in my writing for this class.)
We learned a lot from building and living in our previous house. The movement from the more public to the more private spaces of our home better reflects the pattern of our daily activity. There are two major problems with this design, however. We don't have as much storage space as we did at the previous house (an open plan demands plenty of storage space!) and the furniture and appliances that we purchased for the other house have never quite fit the current one. It makes for daily aggravation (We cannot open the refrigerator door all the way, for example, because the plumber installed the kitchen sink too close to the fridge. And our FR sofa doesn't really fit the space available for it but, as we spend every evening on that sofa, we are not inclined to replace it until it dies a natural death!)
As I started this assignment I thought that my current domestic space was more of a reaction to some of the living situations that I encountered after I left my parents' home rather than being rooted in my upbringing. But I must admit that my lifelong need for privacy and my strong (strong!) territoriality laid the foundation for what I expected/needed/tolerated. I have lived in circumstances that tested my limits - both while single and since my marriage - and have tried to create a more appropriate and supportive living space for my husband and I.
posted by cafegirl | 4:06 PM
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