Sunday, August 27, 2006

Another elevation

All renerings ©Jasonoah Design Build Jasonoah.com


This is a view of the interior of the south-facing wall of the second floor - the living floor. (To orient yourself, click here.) This view highlights one of my favorite design elements of the house: that unbroken horizontal that originates in the kitchen with the countertop, passes unbroken into the dining area and then in the living area drops down to become the built-in bench. This horizontal theme is mirrored by the strip of windows above the countertop-bench line, and then above that by the 36' long beam (called the rafter plate - see this diagram). It will also be repeated elsewhere in the house, for example, the reclaimed barn siding (which will be used for wall surfaces in places) will be replaced horizontally as opposed to its original vertical orientation. It's subtle, but the effect will be harmonizing and unifying (we hope!)

Kitchen details

All renerings ©Jasonoah Design Build Jasonoah.com


This top image shows a floor plan of the kitchen with all the cabinets spec'ed out. We have chosen IKEA cabs for two reasons: they fit our budget and they fit our inclinations toward contemporary design. If you have been keeping up with the evolution of the plans you will see the work island that has replaced the partition wall in the earliest iteration (see this earlier post).

The second image shows an elevation of the kitchen. What I like about this view is the sense of height. There is NO ceiling on our kitchen! Just a soaring view up to the rafters - 18' up!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Sunlight through trees: our future home




On a number of occasions this summer I have driven over to the site and tried to imagine what it would be like to LIVE there. Slowly "beating the bounds" (as the Brits say) I came to appreciate the beauty of this small patch of earth that we will soon call home. There are some very tall, stately trees on the property: strong oaks, broad-shouldered maples, and numerous small trees vying for sun. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and scattered vines and underbrush. I know for a fact that there has never been a house built on these grounds: true virgin wilderness! Towards the top of the site I caught a glimpse of the view that we will one day enjoy. With a little judicious clearing this will be even more prominent, especially from the second floor.

We have been in the planning stages for so long that sometimes I just can't quite believe that we will really be building a home here. I am craving some action! It is nearing the time to put dreams and plans aside and begin the execution. There is still hope that we will be able to break ground in October - and with luck have the frame raised and closed in by the time the snow falls. Come this time next year, I hope to be enjoying that view from inside our barn home!