Hicks/Schwamb Neahkahine Beach House
MH: "Zone your space with flooring Don’t be afraid to use different types of flooring in the same room. In fact, by teaming contrasting surfaces in an open-plan space, you’ll inject the room with impact and interest. “Alternating tiles, sleek wood, and patterned carpets or rugs not only adds depth to a room design by layering textures, it also creates a clear sense of flow and movement between the individual zones of an open-plan room,” says Kelly." In our upper floor space, maybe area rugs in the living space on top of the same flooring m material as the kitchen will work well.
MH: Rounded makes sense for ease of circulation, avoiding pain when bumping corners. Kitchen island details. “The round island Carrara-marble-look quartz countertop accommodates stools when needed, such as when the cooks are preparing particularly time-consuming tasks such as peeling potatoes or cutting vegetables,” Mergal says. “Also, it allows for ease of circulation between the refrigerators, sinks and range.”
MH: think about what is going to be located on the deck (BBQ, fire pit, table and chairs, etc) and where stuff will be stored in the cold and rainy seasons. Consider deck cabinetry for storing some stuff on the deck. Will there be crawl space to store a table and chairs, or should the table and chairs remain on the deck and possibly covered in the winter?
MH: This island design may work if the open upper shelf is facing the kitchen for storage of pots and pans, cookbooks, etc; the opposite size facing the dining/living area could be pull out drawers for storing electronics and other non-kitchen utility items; below could be cabinet storage. Consider having a charging station inside a drawer or area where electronic devices are stored. Consider a no-seating, no-sink island like Derek and Manda's house.
MH: An outdoor shower is on the top of my list. I like the concrete and rocks. I'm open to other ideas for the ground around the shower.
view from outside bathroom
built in shower shelves
small bathroom with double sink
MH: I like the clean, simple, non-cluttered look: cabinets and drawers with minimal handles; oven flush with cabinets; white ceiling and backsplash; wood or faux wood flooring that seems like it will hide dirt, sand, and staining/marks.
MH: I like the exterior concrete wall. I like the look and that it's very durable.
MH: I like the design of this outdoor shower. We don't need to get this fancy, though. something simple and functional is fine with me. I really like my friend's outdoor shower at his beach house in Seaside, I can share photos. I envision the shower on the north side of the house.
MH: this sheetrock ceiling looks pretty good. Wood, depending on the type and style, may look and feel better.
MH: The wood ceiling looks nice, although painted sheetrock may be fine too.
MH: The wood ceiling looks nice, although painted sheetrock may be fine too.
MH: I really like this fireplace better than any others I've seen. It looks great, and I'm leaning toward wood. Ideally, the fireplace would have a fan to blow the heat into the living space. A big screen TV could go above the fireplace if the heat won't harm the TV. Arrange seating to view TV, maybe mobile furniture (couch, chairs, cushions) that can be relocated to view area south of the TV area. Nearby open wood storage is very desirable. Wood storage shed maybe on the north side of the house, covered with a sloped roof and open to the north.
MH: I like the idea of packing in a bunch of beds into the bunk room. Also like storage under the beds, trundle style beds for even more sleeping, built in stairs up to bunks. Prefer larger bed on bottom, regular bed up top, even if just at total of 4 beds; built in beds are nice although free-standing may be more practical/cost-effective.
This is cool, too. Can a trundle bed(s) be placed under the bunks to pull out for even more beds? mh
This is cool. Can this be done in our place? How does the cost of this compare with off the shelf bunks? mh
MH: I'm not a fan of this style, but I thought this made sense, "pretty blue cabinets, medium-tone woods and a slate floor add color while hiding dirt and mud." Maybe consider a different flooring material for the mudspace entrances if the main flooring is not hearty enough to hold up to the dirt, sand, and moisture that this space will receive. Also, make mudspaces outside the doors, especially the upper level, to encourage people to do an initial shedding of layers and grime outdoors. Create a pet space to hose and dry off pets outside the doors too.
MH: "Adding color to a mudroom will make it a more inviting space, and a dark color on built-ins will help camouflage dirt and scuffs." Good idea from "6 Mudroom Ideas From the Most Popular Entries So Far in 2021."
MH: I like this design with a single long bench that's high enough to place tall rain boots underneath; photos on the opposite wall although this probably won't be an option in our place unless we have a bench to the south of the front door or place photos on the end of the kitchen cabinet that faces the north entry wall; overhead storage accessible by stepping on the bench although overhead storage may be a low priority. Plan for a small mud room space (bench with boot/shoe storage underneath and coat hangers above) in the lower floor entry.
MH: I really like the idea of being able to step on the built-in bench to access the stuff above. We may have no need for storage above the bench, though.
I like the fireplace. I this a wood-burning fireplace? Maybe we should consider a wood fireplace. MH
MH: I remember in our old beach house wishing that there were more hooks to hang wet coats, hats, gloves, and other clothes. I would like to plan for an open area like this to hang wet clothes. I would prefer that the wet clothing not be placed inside a closet behind a shut door. I like the design that we have (as of Jan 2021) with a closet near the entry for storing a broom, dust pan, maybe a vacuum and other gear, but not clothes. I like the open shoe storage under the bench, I would make the bench high enough that tall boots could fit underneath it. From "New This Week: 5 Marvelous Mudrooms."
open floor plan
MH: Open shelves may not be the way to go in a vacation home, but these shelves look nice and I like the idea of having the commonly used glasses, bowls, plates etc in the open. From: Style Your Open Kitchen Shelving Like a Pro
MH: "3. Hide the Knocks All kitchens get their fair share of wear and tear, but some show it less than others. A kitchen with dark cabinets, such as this one by Compass & Rose, is a good choice if you think your cabinets are going to need to stand up to frequent spillages and dings. A dark surface can be more forgiving than a light one and won’t instantly show scuffs and stains. If you’re painting your cabinets, make sure you apply a few coats, so the dark undercoats hide any scratches in the topcoat." The concept: Dark cabinets hide the dings better than light cabinets. This would be a plus in a rental.
MH: "If you’re going for a white countertop, contrasting it with a dark shade will have the most striking effect. The gleaming marbled surface here looks stunning against the deep-hued cabinets. The House of Beulah designers embraced the contrast, mixing white walls with dark gray features. To warm up the room, they added a wooden floor and some soft foliage."
MH: "Just as dark cabinets set off a white countertop, they also can form a dramatic backdrop for other vivid colors. Take a look at this kitchen designed by Roundhouse, for example. The dark gray cabinets are neat and practical, but it’s the accents of green and red that really make the space. The cabinetry works as a moody canvas to showcase those bright bursts of color." I like how the red and green colors work with the grey cabinets. White countertops would look nice here.
MH: "In an open plan, it’s a good idea to use color to zone different areas. By using a dark shade on your cabinets, you can make your kitchen appear grounded in its spot. The dark cabinets in this kitchen by Hannah Gooch contrast with the white walls around them, helpfully marking out the kitchen from the rest of the room." Good idea! From: 7 Reasons to Choose Dark Kitchen Cabinets
MH: A big wood table and chairs/stools would probably look nice with whatever non-wood countertop surface we choose for the kitchen. From: 5 Tips for Mixing Kitchen Countertop Materials
MH: This quartzite has the look of grey concrete. Seems like there are lots of color/pattern options.
MH: I prefer the look of this quartzite over the more "busy" colors/patterns.
MH: Quartzite for showers?
MH: May be worth considering quartzite as a bathroom countertop or backsplash.
MH: Joe, did you send this picture? My preference for our place is to have storage under the stairs since the stairs are up against a wall and esthetics don't matter. As always, I'm open to discussion about this and pretty much all aspects of the design.
MH: I think this looks pretty cool when the bathroom is otherwise all white.
MH: "Source furniture that doubles up as storage Take time to plan the storage you need in your multifunctional space and to work out how furniture can help. For example, perhaps you need a coffee table with a hidden compartment for storing remote controls, magazines or your latest craft project. Or maybe a storage footstool for movie-night floor cushions and that ever-growing collection of family board games. The same consideration was given to the luxury suites on Celebrity Beyond to ensure the spaces felt comfy yet practical. “Dual-purpose furniture is great for keeping a space minimalist and offering guests that extra level of functionality,” says Kelly. “I find that banquette-style seating is a great way to do this, as well as footstools and side tables; these kinds of pieces are always versatile in any space.”" I really like this concept. It works really well for us a the dental office where space is a premium.
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