INTELLIGENT LIGHTING AND OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING
Use lighting to set the proper mood.
Proper lighting can be one of the most effective ways to make a great room greater.
There is nothing worse than a ceiling full of recessed lights, hot spots that do little to accent the space. They are actually distractions that blind the eye (architectural photographers edit out recessed lights before publishing interior images for good reason).
A kitchen requires focused task lighting as well as soothing general lighting. A dining room requires a soft and warm pool of light over the dining table to showcase the table setting and focus conversation. A seating area should be equipped with wall and ceiling washers to showcase artwork, to create soft pools of light at seating areas and light the upper reaches of a space, causing the Lindal post and beam system to glow warmly.
The use of lighting as a key element in the creation of a greater great room. And a Lindal home offers special opportunities to light the wood-lined post and beam ceiling to make the ceiling glow and add warmth to the space, rather than looking like a far-away black hole.
Except for decorative fixtures, the source of light ideally should be invisible. It’s the light we want to see, not the fixtures, and there are special ways we accomplish that for our Lindal clients. We prepare personalized lighting layouts for every warmmodern living client as a value added service.
Transition from one area to another with interest.
While we create rooms with distinctly different zones for different activities of proper scale, and we concern ourselves with the transition from zone to another.
Do you want to see dirty dishes in the sink from your eating area? Would you prefer that your appliances not be on display in your living room? Do you want to participate in the social activity of the great room while preparing a meal? These are all points of discussion in creating a greater great room.
One key transitional area is that from meal preparation to dining or seating areas. In these cases, the kitchen island becomes a transitional element that can be exciting useful, and in keeping with the two uses it connects. An upcoming blog post will feature kitchen islands that serve as spectacular transitional elements in a great room.
Think outside the box.
Every great room should be naturally lit, and there are methods for doing that even if your view is not ideally suited for solar gain.
In many houses, the view trumps all, connecting your everyday life with something greater that will give your home a stunning and unique sense of place. We’ve proven tens of thousands of times that the transparency of a Lindal can connect you with nature like no other home.
We designed a roof-top terrace on one end of this great room as to not obstruct the magnificent view
Placing you in the view is our objective, and the great room is typically the launch pad of that experience. Lindals provide an unequalled opportunity to gaze high up into the view and create amazing horizontal panoramas through expansive walls of glass. Our objectives include completing the vertical panorama as well, allowing you to look downward to the landscape below (unless, of course, the downward view is your neighbor’s roof).
At Warmmodern living we maintain a steadfast conviction that decks — complete with railings, potted plants, a barbecue, and outdoor furniture — should not come between you and your entire view.
Living IN the view: proper siting for view, sunlight, and privacy make a great room greater
There will be no deck between this home and the view of magnificent Puget Sound...
We work with client to find methods for creating decks and other outdoor living spaces that capture their views. When we meet, we’ll show you how.
...Instead a large terrace on the side of the house has a view of its own and can be accessed from the dining room, kitchen, and front entry
At Warmmodern Living, we are committed to creating greater great rooms. The process includes exploration, and attention to detail. Our clients will tell you that the destination was well worth the journey.