Divider is wet bar and media center

Sunset, March, 1992 by Peter O. Whiteley

ONE LONG ROOM BECAME TWO better-proportioned spaces with the addition of a custom-built cabinet that has two distinct sides. The freestanding unit divides the 14- by 60-foot room into separate areas, while still allowing circulation and long views so both spaces retain a sense of volume.

The 80-inch-wide, 89-inch-tall cabinet is elegantly crafted of bird's-eye maple with accent bands of red-colored bubinga (a South African hardwood). It houses a compact wet bar in the more formal entertainment area, and stereo controls and a television on the family room side.

At the center of the bar is a 10 1/2 inch-deep mirror-lined recess with low-voltage downlights built into its top lip. A black marble counter with a small sink sits in the recess. Below, a cabinet extends 12 inches beyond the front of the larger shell. Flanking the bar are two tall openings that run through the unit from one side to the other. Electrostatic speakers in these cavities enable sound to be delivered effectively into both the living and family rooms.

Between the speakers on the family room side is the home entertainment center. Two pairs of "flipper" doors conceal the television and stereo equipment when it's not in use. The doors pivot open, then slide out of sight into slender compartments at each side of the equipment. All power, speaker, antenna, and plumbing lines feed up through the floor.

Sacramento architect Steven Goldstein designed the center, which was built by The Garlick Company.