A Home Captures (or Looses) Our Hearts

Part 2: Kate continues our tour of an attractive house that's near our office. As an architect she loves its looks but as a future mother, she has concerns. What do you think? For photos of cozy homes & gardens won't you friend us at Facebook; we're Melanie Taylor Architecture and Interiors. 

Now back to Kate: I quickly realized that a couple could easily live here, that this house would make a good “starter”. Throw in a couple kids and the living situation would get messy. One or two babies would be acceptable, but not for long. In just a few years, the children would outgrow the house. 

After looking over the details and placement of things, I sense that this house was designed by a man. The detail is beautiful with bamboo floors, dark marble, and chrome hardware. It would make a great bachelor's pad but speaking as a woman who evaluates a home as  a place for a young couple staring a family, I would have to change some things around to make it more comfortable.

First of all, the front entrance is a clear glass door. Beautiful, but not very protective or private. Since the first floor area is small, the light through the door really lit up the space. An unwanted guest can see right into the house.

 As women/mothers most of us instinctively want a front door to guard our families. Since two other windows at the front of the house also bring in light, the door of my choice could include translucent glass. I’d prefer that no one be able to see clearly in or out.

This house is located in a historic “streetcar suburb” where the houses are very near to one another. A side window within the kitchen peers directly at the side door of the “twin” house next door. This "Peeping Tom Effect" is repeated again upstairs IN THE BATHROOOM!!!!! {SHRIEK this with fear & horror!)  The fact that the two houses were obviously constructed by the same builder, makes it all the more surprising that visitors waiting at the neighbor’s door see right into this house. Why not eliminate the window and use the space to make an L-shaped kitchen? As for the bathroom window,  I still have a sore throat from shrieking about it!

Things got really interesting in the bedrooms. 

To be continued....

For more about cozy homes won't you friend us at Facebook; we're Melanie Taylor Architecture and Interiors.