Striking a Balance
After selling their previous home in a historic Birmingham neighborhood, architects Lynielle and Richard Long expected to find a serene spot nestled in the woods for their family. A split-level rancher in the suburb of Vestavia Hills fit the bill, but it had a lot of work. Combining their expertise, the couple transformed the tired 1970s property into a family-friendly home for themselves and their two kids. Plus, they made space to prepare their own firm, Long and Extended Design.
Love Where You Live
The wooded setting was what sold them on the home. The screened porch blends the house into the atmosphere.
Create Space to Play
The Longs' house makes space for both sound and silent, introversion and extroversion, life and work. A teepee on the screened porch serves as a designated play area for the kids where they could let their imaginations roam.
Choose Contrasts
The decking is left normal, although the rafters are stained to match the doors and windows of the house. Contrasts such as this are replicated during the Longs' layout. The architects chosen for a simple ceiling fan with no light kit, hanging rope lights across the perimeter for gentle lighting at night.
Embrace the Landscape
The Longs designed the screened deck to extend the living room into the woods, so they are sometimes outside year-round. The light and airy area juxtaposes diagonal and linear strips of timber for visual interest and includes a metal roof.
Pick Art You Love
"Richard has an affinity for water," Lynielle says. "And we both like being outdoors." As a result, a lot of the artwork they gravitate toward contains ecological themes, such as the gicle of a tranquil stream above the console. Lynielle replaced two small table lamps that obscured the artwork with a single big floor lamp, which anchors the space.
Blend Well
The Longs chipped off the old brick faade of the 1970s fireplace and made a layered mantel with echoes of midcentury modern master architect Carlo Scarpa. Once a darkly paneled and carpeted area, the den now blends into the kitchen. Art provides live high up here -- they are readily accessible by all but little hands.
Let the Light In
Light was seriously lacking in the old home, so the architects added collections of French doors flanking the fireplace. The two sets of doors lead to the screened deck. Contrasts of light and dark, rough and smooth, define the space.
Leave Room to Grow
From the woman's room, a crib mattress planters under the bed just in case she rolls a lot over in the evening. The mattress is one half of a bunk set, and its partner is in her brother's room. 1 day once the children are old, the bunks will soon be reunited.
Insert Handmade Touches
For every child's first birthday, Lynielle made pennant flags that spell out their names and "Happy Birthday" across the panels. The opposite side is blank, including only the routine of these cloths. For every birthday, she turns them about, but throughout the remainder of the year they decorate the bedrooms.
Consider Safety
From the boy's bedroom, interlocking foam tiles protect the hardwood flooring and provide a safe, comfortable place to perform.
Make Space for Quiet
The living room is the place that Richard considers the introverted area of the house: This is where the family goes for quiet moments: listening to or playing music, reading or pausing for a minute of reflection. It adjoins the dining room, which can be painted a dark gray for a cozy feel. "Our purpose is to have an art collection," says Richard, "so we wanted a color that would fade in the background and allow the artwork stick out." Simple but glistening moldings and creamy walls are put off by the rich textures of leather, jute and timber in the living area.
Involve Kids in the Kitchen
A fresh wall of cabinetry in the kitchen offers pantry space from floor to ceiling as well as homes a microwave. "What is on pull-out drawers," says Lynielle, who enjoys sharing bits of new ingredients with the children while she's cooking. "This way they play with their kitchenette and texture within the meal prep while I perform" New hardwood flooring includes a mix of plank sizes.
Always Add Storage
"I needed storage above the hood since you can not have too much," states Lynielle, who comprised two types of glass doors to get china and china storage. A wall of marble tile put in a herringbone pattern is easily wiped down and adds subtle dimension. The countertops utilize two tones of granite: "Blizzard White" on the counters and "London Fog" on the island.
Open Up and Out
The original kitchen has been smaller, smaller and enclosed. The Longs removed the wall separating the kitchen and den, extended out the space by two feet, and included a series of windows to open this up. The ceilings are the standard 8 ft high, but floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and long, linear shapes give a sense of more elevation. They cut new doorways and covered old doorways, completely reworking the room for a fresh and contemporary kitchen.
Do not Be Afraid to Go Dark
The window muntins and sashes are painted Sherwin Williams "Sealskin" -- nearly black -- that brings the eye and frames the view of the forests outside. The deep, stainless steel spout features a Blanco faucet.
Think in Zones
The basement includes zones for playing and working. The husband and wife team removed dropped ceilings, painted the cinder-block walls and set up carpet floor tiles -- that can be removed and washed or replaced and layered with carpets to soften the space.
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