Sheri Koones, bestselling author of over a dozen books on important and timely housing trends (prefab, sustainable small houses, energy efficient masterpieces), is into downsizing. Sheri's coffee table books feature well designed homes of modern and transitional architecture that are within the reach of many more consumers than the picture books of renowned architects' works homes built for as much as ten times the average cost per square foot of the typical new American home. Each of Koones' chapters contain “this is why this works” discussions that are useful and instructive to aspiring homebuilding consumers.
Downsize, Koones' latest book features two dozen houses, all under 2000 square feet, in which she describes how the homeowners chose to reduce the size of their homes (and in some cases the number of homes) and proved that ‘less is more” by collaborating with design professionals to create homes that feel larger and live larger than their size (they also heat and cool for less than larger homes, enjoy lower real estate taxes and maintenance expenses than many larger homes).
How tickled are we that a custom Warmmodern Living Lindal is included in the book about good sense and efficiency? Mighty tickled!
We collaborated with Nancy Loorem and Ron Adams on the creation of their Lindal on a strikingly beautiful and tranquil site on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Two retired public school educators and juried artists the home replaced two other homes and an out-of-home studio and is actually the first home the relative newlyweds created together. From the start, I declared the project a wonderful wedding gift to each other. Two lives joined in one home and downsizing at the same time.
Nancy and Ron’s Warmmodern Living Lindal contains 1400 square feet of living space plus a 400 square foot studio where they each create their art. Visitors always guess that the house is much larger, and this is largely due to a ninety foot sight line inside the house, and floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall transparency of the interior to the natural environment beyond. Not even a deck rail or heavy window frame impedes the long view of the Sound.
Many factors contribute to the deceptive sense of scale. The horizon is visible as a continuous band as one moves from space to space throughout the home, and the direction of the Lindal system’s laminated roof beams guide the eye to the exterior as they pierce the exterior walls and form the exterior roof overhangs. The warm and natural duotone color palette of the honey-colored cedar trim, cabinet fronts and beams contribute to the sense of openness and spaciousness of the open floor plan as does the additional interior volume provided by the gently sloping roof.
Finally, outdoor extensions to interior spaces paved with a continuation of the 5’ grid stamped into the radiant heated interior floors form what I refer to as the “living sidewalk” that includes an outdoor dining terrace and seating area overlooking the water that doubles the size of the interior great room and dining area.
None of this is happenstance. When clients like Nancy and Ron encourage and allow a design professional to focus on the architecture and the small details (along with the function and the budget) great things happen.
Sheri’s chapter on this Warmmodern Living Lindal, like all the others in Downsize, is a fun and informative read. The book goes on sale on October 29 and can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.
Listen in as Nancy and Ron share their planning and building experience as you tour their home on the video linked below. Their mutual respect and their respect for those who shaped and built their Lindal and their appreciation of the extraordinary Lindal materials is self-evident as they describe the wonderful celebration of their building site, their evolving lifestyle, and that their vision was completed on budget.
Purchase the book, enjoy the video, and let us create a pleasurable and successful Warmmodern Living Lindal Experience with you!