Project
Published in
MyHouse Magazine
The
Problem: The
original garage barely had enough room for one
car, and there was little to no storage space.
In addition, the structure was leaky, dark, and
an eyesore when the Wallins looked out the back
windows of their bungalow.
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When
Craig and Carolyn Wallin purchased their 1917 Prairie
School bungalow in a historic Salt Lake City neighborhood,
they were enamored with the home's well-preserved original
features. From the authentic river-rock pillars on the
front porch to the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired leaded-glass
windows to the quarter-sawn oak floors, beams, wainscoting,
window benches, and bookshelves, their bungalow emanates
the character and quality of the Arts and Crafts movement.
But there was one feature of the home the Wallins wished
was not original-the detached garage. Built to accommodate
a single Model T Ford, "the garage was a little
too historic," quips Craig. The structure had no
storage space and the Wallins couldn't close the door
when they parked their Subaru inside. On top of that,
the 87-year-old garage was leaky and an eyesore next
to their enchanting home.
"We knew we wanted a new, two-car garage with plenty
of storage space," says Carolyn, "but at the
same time we didn't want your typical Tuff-Shed look.
We also wanted to preserve our large, backyard deck
and keep our small yard attractive, even with a larger
garage encroaching into it. But we thought we might
be asking too much."
The Wallins turned to Salt Lake City architect Ann Robinson
for help. Robinson went to work to design a garage that
would meet the Wallins' needs while complementing the
character of their classic home.
Since the Wallins look out at the garage daily from
the back windows of their bungalow-located just 25 feet
from the garage-and because a larger garage would become
a major part of the already small backyard, "we
wanted to design something that was pleasing and interesting
to look at, a structure that would look more like a
charming carriage house than a garage," says Robinson.
Because of the high demands and tight constraints, every
part of Robinson's design was a matter of function as
well as form. The vaulted, gabled roof with hipped peaks
gives the garage Craftsman feel while providing plenty
of attic storage space. Recessing one half of the garage,
which required the use of two smaller garage doors rather
than one large one, created enough space to preserve
the backyard deck while adding character to the structure.
The recessed portion also allowed the Wallins to widen
their driveway just in front of the garage, "so
now we can turn our cars around and easily drive out
of our very narrow, long driveway rather than having
to back out all the way," says Craig.
Arts and Crafts-style lite windows at the top of the
garage doors, along with two large, wood-gridded windows
and a wood-gridded glass door on the west side, flood
the inside of the garage with natural light while giving
the structure the appearance of a bungalow on the outside.
Attractive period lanterns attached to the exterior
walls add to that effect. "When you're out in the
yard, you feel like you're sitting outside a delightful
cottage rather than a garage," says Carolyn.
"I never thought the garage would join the list
of one of the great features of our home," says
Craig. "Now it has."
Barbara Jean Jones is a freelance writer in Salt Lake
City.
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The
Solution:
The original garage barely had enough room for
one car, and there was little to no storage space.
In addition, the structure was leaky, dark, and
an eyesore when the Wallins looked out the back
windows of their bungalow.
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