Peace and quiet: balance an open floor plan with a room designed for solitude

Custom Home, May-June, 2002 by Anthony Perry

Every home needs a main-floor get-away room. It can serve as a sanctuary from the noise and bustle of family life, or as a place to play the piano and smoke a cigar without disturbing anyone. Whether a library, an office, or a music room, its ideal location is at a dead end away from the home's major traffic paths. And make sure the room has a nice view, lots of good light, and storage and amenities tailored to its intended function.

Like most homeowners, many of our clients have found they don't need a living room but do get a lot of use out of the library. So when we designed the Concept House, a show home we opened to the public, we decided to give this room more space, presence, and utility. We worked with Neff Cabinetry to design an integrated look for the custom desk and built-ins that surround it. We tucked the desk into an alcove that can't be seen from the French doors that lead into the room. That way it doesn't have to be tidy all the time. Clients who had toured the Concept House invariably included a room like this one in their plans.

An alcove in a library can be used for more than just a desk. In this room, it's a cozy, protected spot for a client who likes books. This is a wonderful place to sit and read next to the fireplace. Because these rooms get a lot of use, we design them to enhance the owners' interests. This room is completely trimmed out with built-in bookshelves that make it a warm, inviting place to pursue an interest or do a little work. If a client wanted this to be a smoking room, we would add ventilation and a humidor. If it were to be a music room, we'd beef up the sound insulation.

When I recently designed a house for my own family, I included a literary/office (shown in yellow) that gives me a place to work off the beaten path. It's near the entry, so when I occasionally work with clients at home, they won't have to traipse through the house. French doors lead outside to a small terrace where a splashing fountain will drown out noise. Best of all is a built-in credenza that runs 7 feet in two directions and ranges from 30 inches to 6 feet deep at the corner. That's big enough to spread out a large set of drawings. The credenza can't be seen from the room's entry, so I can let the tracing paper fly as I design and no one will see the mess.

This home office is where the owner, a commodities trader and sports executive, conducts all his business, so it's a very specialized space. Like most of our clients, he came to design meetings with a list of what he wanted in his office. It has a built-in TV so he can get early-morning financial news and watch sporting events. He also wanted a place to display his large collection of sports memorabilia. We designed the room around his massive wooden desk and big comfortable chair, ringing them with built-in cabinetry all around, sized and organized for his treasures. Off the office is a space the size of a large walk-in closet where the owners' office equipment--copier, fax machine, a table for collating--and office supplies are kept out of sight. There also is a private bathroom and a refrigerator. The office is located in the house for maximum effect. It's at the end of a long hallway, which tells visitors that it's a big deal to be invited into this most private domain.

--Anthony Perry is vice president of design at Orren Pickell Designers & Builders, Bannockburn, Ill.