As handsome as any house can be, this contemporary home offers everything a good house should. Plus more. Inside, the whole living area wraps around a beautiful indoor garden. Sometimes loaded with color and always with the lushness of greenery, the garden can be enjoyed by every member of the family every day of the year. This fresh approach would work well in any type of house-and in this contemporary setting, it's downright excellent.
The street side gets its long, low look via the roof line which extends to include the carport-and the low brick wall which marks the walk to the front entry. While the house itself is a simple rectangle, the addition of the carport screen wall under the continuous roof makes the over-all shape interesting.
The front entry seems especially impressive at dusk, when welcoming light contrasts with the winter landscape.
The exposed structural beams and their support posts are spaced each ten feet. This system holds up the entire roof; no walls carry any of the load.
The floor plan shows how the living room, kitchen, and family room are separated only by the central placement of the garden. The entrances bracket the garden, so that all routes in and out share the view of the plantings. The long, hall-like bath has twin lavatories flanking the tub-shower; this arrangement eliminates all jam-ups.
Storage areas are unusually large in bedrooms and exceptionally frequent in the rest of the house. Living area totals 2,000 square feet; over-all dimensions, including the roof overhang, are 58x64 1⁄2 feet.
The garden and kitchen share the daylight that streams in through the skylight at the roof's peak. The skylight is plexiglass, with a slight gray tint. The garden itself is simply a 16-inch depression in the concrete slab floor. This area is fitted with a floor drain and a garden hose connection and filled with pea gravel. Pots can be dug into the gravel or just set on the surface; stepping-stones provide a solid walkway leading to all the plants.
The brick wall, topped by a collection of African violets. shields one kitchen counter work surface. The other wall of cabinets and equipment can be completely closed off like this when not in use. The six walnut panels slide open to reveal an efficient line-up of work spaces, range, and refrigerator.
The living area has views both outside and back to the indoor garden. The space seems much larger than its 12x 20 feet because it is not divided from the garden; furniture can be arranged a number of different ways.
The family room is exactly the same size as the living room and functions in much the same way. The central location of the fireplace lets it spread its glow over all parts of the room-even the dining area at right. The floor here- and all around the garden-is ceramic tile.
This photograph also shows the nearness of the kitchen. The family room and dining area are only one step from the end of the kitchen counter. With an arrangement like this, the homemaker is never left cut-and she enjoys a full view of the indoor garden all year.
The two glass walls are made up of sliding doors-which act like huge windows to scoop in breezes.
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