Deseret Morning News, Friday, November 04,
2005
Great rooms are gathering
places
By Ann Robinson and Annie
Vernon
It's fall and just think of
all the gatherings: college football in front of the big screen;
Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends; the neighborhood
Christmas party held at your house; pot roast and potatoes on
a Sunday afternoon with the grandkids.
The addition of a great room off the kitchen (Image 1 2) created
the ideal gathering space for the family of seven living
in this 1940s home. Every home needs space for gathering.
|
One of the most important and central functions of our homes
is gathering. Every home needs space for the gathering that
happens in everyday life and on special occasions.
Traditionally, homes have been built with a living room,
dining room, and kitchen on the main floor. The trend in newer
homes is to combine these spaces into a great room —
a large, open room that includes the functions of a kitchen,
dining room, and sitting area. This open space is also a natural
draw for gathering as the kitchen is often the heart of today's
home and the center of a family's activities.
Many owners of older homes are undertaking renovations to
convert their homes from more traditional layouts to the newer
great room concept. This involves removing walls to open up
the different functions of each room to each other and may
involve rearranging to create the right kind of space. (See
last week's column.)
While great rooms do tend to fit well with a less formal,
more interactive lifestyle, there are things to consider to
ensure that your great room really will be great for the way
your family lives. For instance, if you have young children,
you have toys—which likely don't sit neatly on a shelf
most of the time. If you have teenagers, they may not always
want to "gather" with the family.
The great room concept combines the functions of a kitchen,
dining room and sitting area to create a natural gathering
place as the kitchen is often the heart of today's home
and the center of a family's activities.
|
Even if you have an "empty nest," your spouse may want to
blend up a smoothie while you are trying to talk on the phone.
And your kitchen, no matter who you are, is not always immaculate
with a vase of fresh flowers sitting on the gleaming granite
island.
Good design can provide solutions to these issues. One answer
may be to design the great room in such as way that the messiest
areas, such as the kitchen sink or the toy box, are screened
from the entry. Another possible solution is to maintain a
smaller, enclosed area—like an office or study—on
the same floor, where a family member can go if they need
privacy or just relief from the bustle of the gathering place.
You may also want to consider having a secondary gathering
area, such as a family room in the basement, where young children
can make a mess or teenagers can hang out.
If you're considering a great room to increase your gathering
space, begin by analyzing how your family functions and allocate
and arrange the space accordingly. A renovation that enhances
and supports your lifestyle will embrace those who live in
the home, as well as family and friends who gather there.
Architects
Ann Robinson, AIA, and Annie Vernon, AIA, welcome your design
questions at Ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com.
Robinson and Vernon are founding principals of Renovation
Design Group, a local architectural firm specializing in residential
remodeling design.
To register for "Designing a Remodel with Character &
Class," call 533-5331 or click
here for details.
© 2005 Deseret News
Publishing Company
|
