September 2018 – COURT-REPORTER-INFO

Kitchen of the Week: A Cheery Combined Space in Brooklyn

The artistic Brooklyn couple who resides in this happy home loved their new neighborhood but had any problems coordinating their flat. The living area and kitchen are joined, it was important to keep things from becoming cramped while still incorporating plenty of storage. The couple hired architect Sarah Zames of General Assembly to create an inviting and open kitchen and living room for their 2-year-old daughter.

Sturdy substances, bright squares and a contemporary décor were crucial, and the customers also wanted their kitchen to adopt the playground view and sunlight they had fallen in love with. “The place definitely played into the design of the home, that is unusual for a residential renovation in New York,” says Zames. “We are typically very oblivious of our outside environment once we’re inside.”

General Assembly

The customers wanted to have as storage and much light from the space. Since it’s in the center of the flat, Zames wanted to open the kitchen with spacious shelving and light colours. “Doing open shelving was very crucial because we could increase the counter area by wrapping the kitchen round like that, while not cutting off the light and flow of the staircase,” says Zames.

The white cabinetry contrasts with slick concrete countertops and a whirlpool bathtub. Sticking with a simple but contemporary cloth palette streamlines the room visually, while colorful accents keep it warm and cheerful.

Sink: Kohler Anthem in Cast Iron
Faucet: Grohe

General Assembly

Open shelving was custom developed with this space. Each shelf is created from 2-inch thick solid walnut and suspended from steel backs mounted into a steel plate in the ceiling.

“Do not be afraid of open shelving,” says Zames. “You do not need to be the neatest person in the entire world. It’s very good motivation to keep a look out for cool dishes and storage pieces that you would normally simply bring out for a party.”

The combined kitchen and living room area is just over 300 square feet, so Zames tucked storage into each nook and cranny to keep this place from feeling helpless. Shelves in the island hold wine and glasses, and a slide-out full-height pantry was put near the refrigerator.

Refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, range: Bosch

General Assembly

A cheerful breakfast tucks into a nook next to a sun-drenched bay window. The built-in bench flips up to reveal storage for paper towels, tablecloths and other goods. The cushion is upholstered in Marimekko cloth from Crate & Barrel. “It’s great because it’s a waxy finish that is quite easy to clean,” says Zames. “This is quite important for a household using a 2-year-old!”

The pendant lights are vintage fixtures the customers found. The flooring is present hardwood that Zames re-stained.

General Assembly

The kitchen embraces the bay window overlooking the playground across the street. “If you sit at the dining table, you can hear the kids playing across the street — a pretty unusual thing for New York,” says Zames.

General Assembly

The close-knit kitchen and living area works really nicely for your household. It’s easy for the customers to cook and clean the kitchen while their daughter is inside watching distance in the living area. The remaining portion of the house is split-level, so the bedrooms are only upstairs and a studio area is below. “Everything is in yelling distance,” says Zames.

More Kitchens of the Week:
Vibrant and Modern in 90 Square Feet
Cheerfully Modern in Oregon
Small Kitchen, Big View

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So That Your Design Is: Contemporary

What it is: Technically, modern design is rooted in the minute (as in this moment, here and today — how’s that for having to think about your feet?) . However, in broad terms, it represents an about-face in the conventions of standard decor.

Less is more: smooth profiles instead of ornamentation, solid or subtly patterned cloths instead of vibrant prints, minimal accessories instead of large collections. While it does not have the overt heat of mature design fashions, it won’t cast a chill either.

You will frequently hear the terms”modern” and”contemporary” tossed about , but they’re not precisely the exact same thing. Modern refers to a specific design movement that originated in the early 20th century and follows stricter guidelines; modern, by definition, is more fluid and tolerates a bit of rule-breaking. (Keep a look out for a manual to contemporary style in the near future.)

Why it works: A strong emphasis on line and form — two essentials of great design — gives modern style its own energy. These chambers are designed with ample open space and natural lighting in your mind, which makes them feel airy and expansive. Since there isn’t any mess, every bit must count.

You will love it if… At art museums, you gravitate to the abstract works. You have over two books together with the term Simplify from the title. Curtains make you claustrophobic. Geometry course was the high point on your school day. You’re tempted to stash the majority of your things in storage and redecorate all in white.

Charlie & Co.. Design, Ltd

Style Secret: Simple Lines

Repeat after us: lines, planes, angles. Now make it your mantra. Contemporary design is oriented along a solid horizontal-vertical axis, from design to furnishings. The construction of a space becomes an integral design element by itself.

But also consider… Does that mean that which in your house should have square corners? Of course not. Balance the appearance with a couple curves; the crucial thing is to keep true to simple geometric forms: circles, orbs, cylinders, waves. Leave the scallops and curlicues to a traditional buddies.

John Lum Architecture, Inc.. AIA

Style Secret: Sophisticated Neutrals

Cream, tan, white, beige, black — all these will be the bedrock upon which modern design is located. Monochromatic and tone-on-tone schemes allow the shapes and lines inside a space to take center stage.

But additionally consider… Neutral is a fairly broad term. Choose a color with undertones that include interest (the stony gray-blue displayed here, for example). Attempt lotion with a hint of pink, gray with a bit of green, or beige with some golden. If you’d like a jolt of brighter color, keep it judiciously concentrated: a accent wall, say, or a bold piece of furniture.

How to Make Your Neutral Palette Shine | Dare To Try a More Colorful Neutral

Rachel Paul

Design Secret: Open Space

Contemporary design celebrates what isn’t there as much as what’s. Empty space takes on an almost sculptural quality, carved out from the powerful architecture. Due to their openness, modern interiors are especially ideal for large-scale furnishings, artwork and accents.

But also consider… Too much distance with too little to anchor it makes a room feel lost and forlorn. Split furnishings into groupings to help split up a huge room. Chandeliers or pendant lighting can visually pull a large, darkened ceiling.

Greifenstein Boyce Associates

Style Secret: Unadorned Floors

In case you are crazy for the sense of bare feet on cool tile, you are in luck. Contemporary design eschews rugs and carpeting in favor of sleeker, tougher surfaces: bamboo; blond woods like maple or ash; stone; ceramic. Ebonized boards or dark-stained concrete can ground contemporary rooms (provided that you are ready to make buddies with your dust mop).

But also consider… That is not to say you can not possess a rug in a modern home; it’s only a matter of deciding on the right one. You wouldn’t necessarily need to throw a fringed Oriental, however a geometric design or a textural weave may be just the ticket. Or experiment with a grid of tiles. If you must have wall-to-wall carpeting, choose a good color and a very low heap.

Mark Newman Design

Style Secret: Serious Shine

Contemporary rooms are nothing if not polished, which means high-gloss surfaces fit right in. Chrome, steel, lacquer, plastic, glass, tile and more all work in tandem to help bounce light around a space. Mix materials for contrast and depth.

But also consider… Too much reflectivity will make your eyeballs quiver. Break up the gleam with matte components — check out the gorgeous interplay of glossy and honed surfaces in this bath. Or temper shine with feel, like ribbed glass or brushed nickel.

Interieurs from Francine Gardner

Style Secret: High-Impact Furniture

Contemporary furnishings possess clean lines and striking profiles. You won’t find a good deal of skirts or slipcovers — the most tailored versions can look overly soft and full. Instead, concentrate on pieces that reveal a little leg.

But also consider… An overdose of long-legged tables and chairs can make a space feel awkward and unsettled. A low-slung sofa, a simple ottoman or directional end tables will counter the spindliness of their counterparts.

Marie Burgos Design

Style Secret: Center-Stage Windows

Could you picture tasseled draperies or a balloon valance in this area? Neither can we. Windows in a modern milieu are usually abundant, and they’re often left undressed to highlight their sharp lines and allow natural light flooding in.

But also consider… If solitude’s an issue, or in the event that you simply don’t enjoy feeling that you are on screen, integrate sleek window treatments that won’t stop the eye: sheers or solid panels which mix into the wall shade; narrow dividers; mesh shades. As long as they’re done in a neutral sound or barely-there print, and maintained very tailored, Roman shades are another chance.

Cecile Lozano Interiors

Style Secret: Minimal Accessories

Remember how we said”less is more?” Eschew diverse groupings, fussy finds and bric-a-brac; keep accessories simple, few and well-chosen. In this pared-down arrangement, every bit adds play without detracting in the streamlined feel.

But also consider… Collectors, take heart: You’re not doomed to a collection of garage sales. While this isn’t the setting for your family Staffordshire, simple objects that sense of a bit — like white ceramic glass or vases fishing-net floats — drop step with the aesthetic. Organize them into a tight, uniform manner that improves the distance instead of detracting from it. Bookshelves should be filled with hardbacks; paperbacks are better suited to conventional rooms.

Rodriguez Studio Architecture PC

Style Secret: Overscale Art

Walls in modern rooms don’t generally have much in the way of adornment: no heavy moldings, no plate collections, no family photo groupings. So they’re an ideal foil for big works of art that shine best amid gallery-style simplicity. Canvases ought to be framed quite cleanly, if at all. Streamlined sculpture, black-and-white photography, glass and prints also get the job done. And if you like your artwork a bit edgy, it is going to feel right at home.

But also consider… Art shouldn’t compete with an accent wall or another attention-stealing focal point. Torn between you or the other? In our book, artwork wins.

Tell us: Does modern style light up you or leave you cold? How can you put your own stamp on this appearance? Share your ideas below!

More:
Modern and Contemporary: What is the Difference?
How to Make Your Neutral Palette Shine

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Kitchen Tech: Slip Sliding Away

One of the tendencies I noticed in the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show this season would be the high number of goods that slide. There were products that slide up or out to utilize, then slide out of sight when not in use. There were also excellent products with sliding elements that increase their own functionality and style. This Ideabook encompasses those, and many others spotted in other recent trade shows.

More: Best 20 Kitchens of 2011

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Blum Servo-Drive

This entry is about full-overlay drawers that slide open without pulls or knobs. Blum has been known for superior cabinet hardware, such as full-extension, soft-close undermounting drawer slides and soft-close door hinges. Servo-Drive permits you to make a clean-lined, full-overlay drawer bank without a decorative hardware. A touch of the finger activates the drawer opener.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

GE Monogram 36″ Slide-Out Hood

This hood slides out from below a cabinet, where it remains unobtrusive until you need to utilize it. In addition, it can be used as a stand-alone chimney-style hood. I used it in a upscale kitchen with integrated appliances to great effect.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Salice – Bortoluzzi Sistemi

Salice, yet another premium European hardware maker, introduced its own Bortoluzzi Sistemi to the US market in 2011.

These heavy duty hinges allow cabinet doors to slide open across one another, like the passenger doors onto a minivan, instead of swinging out. This frees up walkway distance. They offer automation, which is very good for the bigger, heavier doors you might want to include within an European-style kitchen.

The S-Box

S-Box Knife Box

S-Box has introduced a series of sliding organizers. This one replaces your regular, countertop-cluttering knife block, and does not tie up a drawer how a cutting edge center does.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

S-Box I-Dock Box

You’re likely to need your iPod handy in the kitchen to enjoy your favorite songs while you work. Why not keep it charged and skip the ear buds in precisely the same time? This slider brings your charging station from below the countertop to easy use with the touch of a finger.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

S-Box TV box

Here’s a smart way to add a television to your kitchen. This set, complete with an HD-ready TV/DVD and remote controller, slides upward from your countertop when you want to watch — and back out of sight when you don’t.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

S-Box Key Box

This slide-up-from-the-countertop key holder adds an element of convenience to your daily routines. Keys can be stored out of sight, but in easy reach.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

S-Box Spice Box

Where to store your spices is always a kitchen preparation question. This slide-up organizer adds another option. Locate it where you prep your meals for a convenient, smart way to keep your favourite seasonings arranged and within finger reach.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Brizo Solna – $349

This modern kitchen faucet along with its companion bar/prep faucet offer a unique characteristic: Their pull-down spray heads slide out of sight when not in use for a sleek, modern look not often achieved in this category. The sliding spray heads pull via levers tucked subtly behind their graceful necks.

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS

Gaggenau Induction Cooktop

This Gaggenau induction cooktop Isn’t yet available from the U.S. I spotted it in the LivingKitchen Show in Cologne, Germany. What gets it into this sliding Ideabook is that you can slide a pot or pan everywhere on its surface and cook there. It is going to even remember the configurations you made in its prior position and slide them to the new site. It is planned for 2012 US launch.

Minimal

Sliding Best Kitchen with Minimal USA

One of the trends I’m really enjoying is your European-style”un-kitchen/hidden kitchen” look. Doors slide open to reveal storage and appliances. Countertops slide open to reveal retractable and sinks faucets. The kitchen shown below, by token USA, is typical of its category — coming to an upscale showroom near you!

More: Kitchen Cabinets Heading Our Way
Best 20 Kitchens of 2011
20 of the Coziest Kitchens Around

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18 Amazing Mid-Century Modern Chairs

The other day a reader suggested I write an ideabook rounding up a group of the excellent chairs we’ve featured in our Modern Icons series. I believed it was a wonderful idea. I really like it when you help me do my job!

It was enjoyable to revisit the innovations of those designers, from bending plywood, experimentation with new materials and cantilevering tubular steel in gravity-defying ways. They had been making do with what they had during times of war rationing, and showing off the results of the latest technology at international exhibitions and fairs before and following World War II. It’s also fun to notice a few of the connections they had to one another, whether they had been classmates at Cranbrook, Bauhaus colleagues, mentors and protegés or buddies.

Birdseye Design

Wassily Chair
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Year: 1925

These chairs have been credited with being the first to use tubular steel. The idea was inspired by the arrangement of Adler bicycles.

Watch more Wassily Chairs in action

Crisp Architects

B32 Chair a.k.a. Cesca Chair
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Year: 1928

These chairs require the tubular steel’s possibilities to new heights, with an impossible-looking cantilever structure.

Watch more Cesca Chairs in interior layout

LDa Interiors & Architecture

LC2 Chair
Designers: Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand
Year: 1928

These chairs and their bigger sister, the LC3, were created to be”cushion baskets” of comfort and style.

Watch more LC2 and LC3 chairs in action

Alterstudio

Barcelona Chair
Designer: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Year: 1929

Designed due to his German Pavilion at the International Exhibition in Barcelonathis iconic seat with its simple X-base comes in an ottoman/stool and couch/daybed.

Watch more Barcelona Chairs in action

Tom Hurt Architecture

BKF Chair a.k.a. Hardoy Chair a.k.a. Butterfly Chair
Designer: Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy
Year: 1938

An easy framework supports a fabric cover, providing these chairs a light and decorative silhouette.

Watch more Butterfly Chairs in action

BKSK Architects

Risom Lounge Chair
Designer: Jens Risom
Year: 1943

Ingenuity that blossomed from WWII situation is shown best in this seat, which was originally crafted from birch wood and excess parachute straps.

Watch more Risom Lounge Chairs in home design

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

1006 Navy Side Chair
Designer: Unknown, but Philippe Starck has utilized their first designs as inspiration to get more recent Emeco collections.
Year: 1944

These chairs were designed for strength and not necessarily fashion, but they have the ability to have both in spades.

Watch more Navy Chairs in action

Dijeau Poage Construction

Womb Chair
Designer: Eero Saarinen
Year: 1946

This is among the first chairs to Have the natural form during the mid-century motion.

Watch more womb chairs in homes

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair
Designers: Charles and Ray Eames
Year: 1946

Manipulating plywood past its customary shapes was a popular pastime for the Eameses for awhile. The end result is a seat where form follows function with beautiful results.

Watch more Eames Molded Plys in action

Eames Molded Plastic Rocker
Designers: Charles and Ray Eames
Year: 1948

Initially these infants were made with fiberglass, but these days they are made with a more ecofriendly polypropylene. I believe this is the most happy modern icon chair around.

Watch more Molded Plastic Rockers in action

Kaylovesvintage

Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair
Designers: Charles and Ray Eames
Year: 1948 (although the version with those wooden dowel legs technically came 2 years after )

This is the more practical of this Molded Plastic Eames chairs, the side seat variant. The chair comes with all these wooden dowel legs, Eiffel legs, simpler metallic legs, and it also comes in an armchair version. The collection shown here is just one of my favourite Eames furniture pictures; thanks so much to Kay for posting it on Houzz.

Watch more Eames Molded Plastic Side Chairs in actions

Eleven Interiors

Saarinen Executive Armchair
Designer: Eero Saarinen
Year: 1950

Saarinen’s Executive Collection started years before, but this model, the Executive Armchair on wooden legs, is a true standout. Because of its beautiful and comfy form, it is more popular today as a dining chair or occasional seat it is as workplace furniture (its first intention).

Watch more Executive Chairs in home interiors

Prideaux Design

Bertoia Diamond Chair
Designer: Harry Bertoia
Year: 1952

Wire Bertoia chairs Aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Whether side-by-side, bar stool or bird, then there is a Bertoia for each room in the house.

(By the way, the ideabook I wrote about these was among my very first, and it’s sort of a stinkbomb, but check it out anyway.)

Paul Anater

Wegner Sawbuck Chair
Designer: Hans J. Wegner
Year: 1952

This is just one of a couple Wegner chairs I piled up for a single ideabook. The Sawbuck Chair is flexible, picturesque and surprisingly comfortable.

Watch more Wegner Chairs in actions, including Wishbone Chairs and also the sought-after Papa Bear Chair

David Churchill – Architectural Photographer

Series 7 Chair
Designer: Arne Jacobsen
Year: 1955

Like many in this set of designers, Arne Jacobsen was an architect that made down to every last detail, including statement-making chairs (we will see a couple more out of him in a minute ). As simple as it seems, the Series 7 has been created to provide comfort. This seat is copied all of the time, but no fake is as comfortable or as beautiful as the first.

Watch more String 7 Seats in action

Peter Tow

Egg Chair
Designer: Arne Jacobsen
Year: 1958

Jacobsen made his Egg Chair as a part of his design for the hotel lobby of this SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.

Watch more egg chairs in action

Baltis Architects

Swan Seat
Designer: Arne Jacobsen
Year: 1958

Jacobsen also made some Cozy Swan Chairs to complement his Egg Chairs at the same hotel lobby. Would not you love to return in time and waltz to the Copenhagen SAS Royal from the late’50s?

Watch more Swan Chairs in action

Rachel Reider Interiors

Cherner Armchair and Cherner Side Chair
Designer: Norman Cherner
Year: 1958

This attractively curved seat went from manufacturing back in the 1970s, but thanks to its fan base of architects and architects, Cherner’s sons started copying them in 1999.

Watch more Cherner Chairs in interior layout

Today, I know I have left some iconic chairs out, so in the Comments section, allow me to know about any chairs you’d like to see here in the future.

Inform us Which of those iconic chairs best reflects your style?

More:
Take a Spin on a Swivel Chair
Totally Tubular Chairs
Fun Furniture: Seats in the Air

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Tour Sarah Susanka's Newest Right-Sized House

Sarah Susanka, architect and best-selling author of the”Not So Big House” books, has just finished her latest example of building a right-sized house.

The house, in the School Street neighborhood of Libertyville, Ill., is 2,450 square feet on 2 floors and sits on a small and narrow lot, 29 feet wide by 100 feet long. The house’s interior spaces are lined up at a row; each has a west-facing window which lets in plenty of sunlight on chilly winter days.

This house is part of the School Street Project, a development which will incorporate both single-family homes and the old School Street school building converted into condominiums. The development is an example of New Urbanism attracted into an small city. It’s within walking distance of schools, houses of worship, town’s Main Street and the commuter rail station for people working in Chicago.

Sarah Susanka

The house’s Arts and Crafts aesthetic helps it fit into its surroundings. Along with front porch provides back to the neighborhood, allowing the house to take part in the public sphere.

Sarah Susanka

The front porch, large enough for a table and chairs, aligns with the other porches in the neighborhood. Spaces such as this encourage friendly neighbors and safe areas.

Sarah Susanka

The front door is actually at the side. This enables a more open layout. The entry axis and flow axis along the back of the house provide the interior with a clear organizing principle.

Sarah Susanka

The living room, to the left after you enter the house, is created particular and spacious with a raised ceiling which incorporates indirect illumination. The display wall keeps the room open into the stairs while supplying enough of a barrier to be sure the distance has its own ethics. From the opinion down the hallway, a piece of art is displayed in a lighted niche.

Sarah Susanka

To the right of the entry, toward the street side of the house, are the dining and kitchen areas. These rooms are open to each other yet maintain their own spatial integrity through the use of walls, ceilings and trim.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

A dining area is visible from and open into the living room.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The light in the large west-facing window of the studying area illuminates the heart of the house, bringing natural light into the living room. The custom muntin pattern makes the window even more special.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The kitchen is visible in the entry area and circulation spine. A special feature of the layout is the kitchen’s location at the front of the house, perfect for preparing a snack while watching for the kids to make their way home from college. Also, the front of the house receives the most sunlight so having the kitchen gives this heavily used space a great deal of natural light.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The organized flow of the house is evident in this opinion.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

A backsplash is among those places you might want to splurge on when building a new house or remodeling a kitchen. It’s one of these items you see every day — several times each day — so it should be purposeful and interesting.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

This is the opinion entering the house from the garage. This mudroom offers plenty of storage for coats, boots and backpacks, and there is a desk for organizing the household’s activities and data. Toward the front of the house, we could see the stairs, living room and kitchen.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The stair hall is three stories tall and has plenty of natural light deep into the heart of the house. When open, the windows at the top provide natural ventilation to the house, particularly helpful on warm summer days.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

Built-in display markets and spaces make journeying up and down the stairs beautiful.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

At the peak of the stairs is a laundry/crafts room. This room offers plenty of storage space and counters for folding. A sink provides a handy cleanup spot for crafts and house jobs.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The master bedroom at the front of the house, incorporates a window seat and taller ceiling for light and spaciousness. The easy, painted trim gives the room a tailored feel.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

Unlike a lot of houses which have the bedroom closets built at the interior walls, the cabinets in this child’s bedroom flank the window thus a built-in window seat can be incorporated into the room.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The identical attention to detail is found in the baths.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

An outdoor living space obtained from the second floor is over the garage and rear end of their first floor. This place provides a quiet and safe place for kids to play and for outdoor parties.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA

The programs show how the house’s linear strategy of a single room deep distances is set to gather as much light as possible. This approach allows a few passive heating of the house during those cold Illinois winters reduces the house’s carbon footprint and conserves energy bills.

More: 10 Elements of the Just-Right House
New Urbanism at Colorado

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Not Only for Automobiles: Garage Doors for Your Home

We generally think about garage doors from the outside, but many homeowners have bought a bit more distance by turning garages into rooms, and a slew of creative architects and designers have either transformed existing garages or introduced the garage door aesthetic to traditional rooms. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and investing in a garage door for a nontraditional usage, invest in an insulated door. In addition to keeping out the cold, insulated doors might help mitigate noise. There lots of doors to choose from, but CHI Overhead Doors is a fantastic place to start your search for styles.

Pros:
LightSpace-saving without swingsIncreased worth (if you’re turning a garage, upgrading the door tastefully can improve your home’s value by enhancing curb appeal, for starters. But if you’re insulating the garage, then you can bet that you’re adding equity!) Cons:
Added expense for nontraditional openingAdded cost to ensure insulationOpportunity for bugs, dust, leaves, etc., to fly in

Single panel up-and-over doors. As the name implies, up-and-over garage doors lean outward, then lift up. When available, these doorways align with the ceiling. While the swing-out feature requires additional space outside for clearance, the panel may provide a little awning above, as in this photograph, which can be a nice feature for those days when you need sunlight, but could use a little mitigation.

This image illustrates the opening procedure of a single panel door.

Another illustration of a single-panel door, this one lifts straight up, rather than gearing up to the inside area. This design is best utilized in double-height spaces, in which having a door roll in overhead would be complicated.

Double-height spaces benefit tremendously from garage doorways; traditional windows tend to be too low to assist with cross breeze in high spaces, and clerestory windows don’t always receptive, making open-plan upstairs areas a little stuffy. The huge scale of these garage doors, together with the height that they reach, makes them a great solution to keep air flowing through an entire house.

Jeannette Architects

Entry doors. The most common type of garage door would be the sectional, which can be constructed of panels that slide up and overhead. Sectional doors have two distinct benefits over more monolithic single-panel doorways: they don’t need any room beyond the garage to open and each panel has its own link to the door track, increasing sturdiness.

Birdseye Design

Dueling sectional garage doors open up this space tremendously and would boost an impressive cross breeze.

Evergreen Carriage Doors

Evergreen Carriage Door

Carriage home doors / swing hung doors. Hinged to open like traditional entrance doors, this style of garage door harkens to the days when folks parked horses, rather than automobiles, inside. Much like single-panel doorways, these doors need additional space outside for opening, although having two panels makes the swing outside thinner.

Some carriage house doors are for appearances only; they are in reality single-panel doors made to look like two doors open out, which works nicely for traditional and contemporary houses alike. In either scenario, using historically suitable hardware (hinges and handles) is vital for creating an authentic look.

Paint selection is an significant part the procedure, too. Carriage House Door Company and Real Carriage Door Company are two good places to begin shopping the choices, as they offer many different sizes and styles from which to choose, together with numerous finishes, eyeglasses and hardware choices.

Glass doorways. Glass garage doors have become much more common in residential uses. Normally, the doors are constructed at a paneled design with a grid pattern dividing the panes of glass. The grids can be manufactured out of wood or metal, similar to window frames. The glass on these doors is made to be strong and tamper-resistant, with several opacity choices from which to select, including clear, frosted and tinted colors. Additionally, there are solar treatments that encourage thermal heat gain.

Glass is the favored material for those converting garages in to studios or rooms, and surely for those installing garage doors in unconventional spaces due to their clean, contemporary aesthetic and the simple fact that they act as an enormous window when shut, bringing in all sorts of natural light.

While garage doors are excellent for looking out from inside, don’t forget the view from outside looking in! How comfy does this wine country dining room and kitchen look?

Poor House Interior Design

This Yountville, Calif., architecture home office is guaranteed to inspire almost anyone.

Ian Moore Architects

I know, there is a car in there and the attention is garage doors in rooms that don’t contain automobiles, but this one’s just so well done. The columns and rows of glass panels work superbly with all the tall and narrow opening.

More: A New Style for your Overlooked Garage Door

More inspiration for your windows and doors

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Houzz Tour: Fun Living Spaces for 5 and Rooftop Garden

This house is built in a very urban fashion, but it’s really located in the seaside neighborhood of Silver Strand in Marina Del Rey, Calif.. The houses in this section of town are really close to each other, so builders are often made to build up instead of out.

The owners of the home had a space that could have lasting design and grow with their three children. Designer Joani Stewart-Georgi infused the house with a transitional look that combines contemporary and classic design, and took good advantage of the home’s height with a stunning rooftop deck and view of the ocean.