July 15, 2008
· Filed under Architecture, Remodeling, Uncategorized · Tagged Architecture, home design, interior decorating, Remodel, Remodeling, Split Entry, Split Foyer, Stairs, Susanka
I ran across a great article in Residential Architecture Online explaining (better than I can) the problem with split foyer homes. In this case, they talk about split levels, but a split foyer is plagued with most of the same problems – only fewer levels!
Split Level
By Meghan Drueding
Hands-down, the split-level owns the title of architects’ least favorite house to remodel. “It’s a difficult type to work with because it’s so poorly constructed, and the room sizes are way too small,” says Lane Williams, AIA, a Seattle architect who says he tries to avoid split-levels. This house type is plagued by some of the same quality-of-construction issues as the ranch, from which it evolved as a method of gaining space and privacy and handling hillside sites. But it contains its own particular set of design challenges.
The entry to many split-levels, for example, dumps guests in front of two stairwells the minute they step in the front door. “You walk into a stairway that gives you a mixed message,” says Sarah Susanka. “It’s the thing people dislike most about split-levels—should I go up or down? You have to add on more entryway to build a message about where to go.” http://www.residentialarchitect.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=206&articleID=82722
- The cavernous hole we call our “foyer”
The above photo is after we tore out the entire horrendous, old staircase and landing that weren’t designed correctly to begin with. I think the guy who built our house decided to change a few things in the original plan and without good results. The new staircase is redesigned (they were originally an L-shape), and we installed a new craftsman style fiberglass entrance door and ceramic tiles on the landing. The new staircase is all oak and will have stained treads with painted risers. This is not a project for a novice. We hired a contractor and even he had a stair manufacturer come out and measure everything up for a perfect fit. One small miscalculation and your stairs won’t reach the floor. It’s my job to do the painting and staining, and as you can see, it’s still bare wood.
July 15, 2008
· Filed under Hobbies, Organization · Tagged 1960's, 60's, astronomy, Barbie, closets, down size, Gloria Steinem, home decorating, moon, Organization, planets, Remodeling, sixties, star gazing, Steelers, telescope
I’ve been on a seemingly hopeless quest to organize everything and to pitch the junk that accumulates after twenty-one years of marriage and kids. A closet I always put off is underneath our entrance staircase and everything that we never hope to see again gets jammed in there. Last week I broke down and cleared it out. Hiding among the sleeping bags, boxes of Steeler memorabilia (go Steelers!), old games, and things unidentifiable, stood my son’s old Tasco telescope. Holy cow it was beautiful! Why the excitement? When I was a girl growing up in the 60’s girls didn’t usually get things like telescopes – yes, it was still the dark ages when girls got gifts like play kitchen sets, Barbies, etc. (thanks for straightening us out Gloria Steinem). Girls normally didn’t get to use one unless they had an enormously generous brother that possessed one.
For some reason, my son never took much interest in the telescope. I figured he wouldn’t mind (like that would stop me if he did har, har) if I dragged it out of the closet, cleaned it up, and messed around with it. Which I did.
The first night I did what every first time budding star gazer does – looked at the moon. I had seen that before via telescope. It still produces that, “oh wow” reaction. I knew at that moment I was hooked. On to the planets! Venus has been in good view. Let me tell you, there’s something about seeing the planets ‘real time’, instead of in pictures, that humbles a person. I can only imagine how the first people to look through telescopes hundreds of years ago must have felt.
Even though I’ve been tired from staying up late and living vicariously through my son’s old telescope, I’m enjoying it immensely. I may look into getting a better model. I might even dig out that old metal detector next (heh, heh).
