SUNNY IN-LAW SUITE
How do you pack a lifetime of memories and a several houses full of treasures into a multifunctional space adjacent to your son and daughter in-law’s home? That was the request our client presented to us last summer as she prepared to relocate from Chicago to Fairfield County.
Designing for one client is the norm around here. Designing for two sets of clients (one to occupy the space now, the other to assume its use in the future) proved to be quite a challenge. Mom’s wish list included a large space with soaring ceilings, plenty of windows by which she could paint, a large bath with walk-in shower, a dressing room to house countless collectibles as well as clothing and access to the outdoors to walk her dogs. The homeowner’s request was to later occupy the space as their ground floor master suite with a home office. Quite a challenge, as the needs and desires of both sets of clients were so different.
The fact that the addition was built over the hillside gives the illusion of being in a tree house. Bringing nature inside was important to someone who had once enjoyed the perfect climate of San Diego, CA. As you enter the new living space from the main house, your eyes are immediately drawn to the huge triple window with half round top at the far end of the room. To further bring the outdoors in, we ensured that her bed would be placed opposite a triple slider to her private deck with a skylight overhead to watch the stars at night.
From the main house, French doors allow access to the new suite. The hall leading to the actual living space is banked with closets on one side and flooded with light from a repurposed slider, which allows access to the new deck space. As part of our “go green” effort, we also repurposed two windows from the original house for the new bathroom and dressing room.
The bank of new closets in the entry hall was a request of the homeowners, and provisions were made to make this space flexible so that these closets could be accessible to everyone. In its second life, the dressing room will eventually serve as the home office space the homeowners requested, with a pocket door intended to hide the clutter of a day well spent in the office.
In the end, both sets of clients are pleased with the new space, and mom can’t wait to unpack and settle into her new home.
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