“Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
We put every effort into making each custom home beautiful, yet we also recognize the everyday lives led within the walls of our home designs. Families dine, wash laundry, play, and launch their days within the homes we craft, and sometimes those lives are a little messy. So how do we accommodate real life in the context of an artful custom family home?
Durable Surfaces
For a custom family home, we opt for beautiful surfaces that will stand up to everyday life with easy cleaning, minimal wear, and gorgeous visual appeal. Wood floors, glass countertops, and steel railings, for instance, can endure muddy shoes and accidental spills while maintaining an air of artistry.
Designated Space
As we meticulously design a home and outline the floor plan, we leave room for kids to be kids. In this Meydenbauer home, the children’s rooms connect to a common playroom complete with climbing wall, swing, television, mats, and wall space for a kids’ art gallery. Fun and games can abound in a safe and controlled space. Architect Scott Hommas went further and provided an outdoor play area above the garage. This kid-friendly balcony is hidden from the front view of the house, so bikes and toys can remain ready for action without cluttering the home’s exterior aesthetic.
Clever Storage
Accessible, functional storage is essential to a clutter-free, beautiful custom family home. “There’s a place for everything, and everything in its place,” so to speak. Whether it’s the playroom, kitchen, or living room, artful cabinets and closets provide space to store games and toys with ease and help maintain an orderly sense of luxury.
Room to Run
The homeowners wanted to minimize lawn care at their Meydenbauer home so they could spend more family-fun time outside. So, they opted for artificial turf. Historically, artificial turf and real grass presented a distinct difference in aesthetic appearance, but recent advances blurr the lines between the two. Synthetic grass is a low maintenance alternative, especially for families worried about children or pets tearing through the lawn in a lively game of tackle frisbee. Artificial turf removes the need for regular watering and mowing while still allowing room to run.
We consider designing custom family homes a superb opportunity to practice blending form and function into an artistic home unique to each client’s needs, and we’d be honored to design a home that tells your family story.