You've heard a great deal about my project in Bridgehampton; it's been a year in development. Finally, the first stage of construction has started — we are repurposing a free-standing rustic garage into a guest house. I am busy making sure that all of the elements come together seamlessly. Still refining the design for a closet that doubles as a staircase leading up to a new loft.
In my previous post I wrote about a master bath renovation as work in progress. Since then, we have settled on a layout and are in the process of selecting bathroom fixtures and tile. It’s a good opportunity to test the plan while focusing on nitty-gritty. The agreed-upon layout features a brand new shower and a tub in their existing locations. It seems most practical given the issue of the drastically sloping ceiling. There just isn’t enough headroom at the bay window for a shower.
Recently, potential Alla DIY Ally clients reached out to me, wondering if I would be able to give them a hand with a master bath and dressing area remodel project. They are considering a complete makeover of an outdated space and are open to new possibilities. Having emailed pictures of a sunken tub and narrow shower stall, they complained that the layout of the room is quite inefficient, not to mention leaking glass roof and windows.
I am in the process of deciding what kind of an entrance/driveway gate is appropriate for a client’s property. Should it be an electric sliding gate or a bi-parting swing gate? The height is pre-determined by the local code and it cannot exceed 48”, which means that this gate will not function as a privacy or security barrier, but as a clear demarcation between public and private domains.
Problems eventually morph into blessings in disguise. My ignorance of Pyramid Height Law and subsequent compliance with it led to a better-organized plan. I am grateful to the Building Department inspector who put me on the spot. Thanks to him, I literally turned the project around and it's much cleaner now.
A pre-school I worked on is finally under construction. There are lots of small details to address in the framing stage. Thankfully, I don’t need to worry about anything when it comes to plumbing — my favorite plumber Vadim Larkin is on the job. He just installed a Geberit in-wall concealed tank for a wall-hung toilet.
A project you designed, when built, may present itself in ways that were ultimately unpredictable. Picturing a space with a degree of certainty is an acquired skill, and a scaled model is an invaluable tool for training your eye. It just makes it much easier to imagine what a room will feel like, to anticipate the spatial experience within it.
Having just come across a post advocating putting wheels or casters on furniture, I am thinking out loud. Enhancing versatility with casters is a terrific concept. Unless the piece in question is intended to be a certain height, like a desk, and it would be ergonomically awkward to raise it. Clearly, it’s always better to build in wheels right from the start, not as an afterthought.
A generic statement, such as: “In this bright white modern space, the architect used clean lines, a minimalist palette, and simple shapes to create…” can succinctly describe my intentions for a tiny bathroom and adjoining kitchenette I am in the process of planning. Although it sounds formulaic, it’s anything but. Trends come and go; the object is to design with the site-specific requirements in mind.
I’ve written extensively about a collaboration with a wonderful client while designing an in-home child-care facility. We successfully got the project approved by the City of Santa Monica. You can read about our process here, here, and here. Finally, it’s under construction; the client is selecting/purchasing windows for a built-in window seat at the moment.