Time Travel: A Journey from 1971 to 2011
2011, November 23rd
This 1970's house had some of the more unsavory feratures that characterize that era: interior rough sawn diagonal "siding," and the "cottage cheese" ceiling treatment, both of which the owners disliked. Furthermore, from a circulation, light, and view standpoint it had a fatal flaw: a large entry closet that seemed to have been mistakenly plopped down in the middle of the living area. The homeowners had a name for it: "The Obstruction." It seemed determined to thwart all movement from one side of the living area to the other. It also blocked sunlight and views, thus making the interior seem darker and more cramped than it really was.
Diagram #1: The entry closet makes circulation (illustrated in blue) tight and prevents light and views from passing between the dining area and lower half of the living room:
The "Obstruction:"
Diagram #2: with the obstruction gone, there is increased circulation , as illustrated by the blue, and new sightlines, as illustrated by the pink arrows:
Inspiration in process: once the obstruction was gone, it seemed only natural to open the upper wall that separates the kitchen from the living room:
Besides smoothing out the ceiling, removing the diagonal siding, and tearing out the obstruction Mac-Bo replaced the worn carpeting with beautiful stranded bamboo flooring and repainted the interior a warm white.
The results? Enhanced circulation, improved light and views, and very happy clients.
