Forest Glen

Southern Living, Aug 1997 by Joyner, Louis

Inspired by the traditional architecture of the Gulf Coast, our Houston Idea House offers relaxed family living with an elegant twist. Carefully chosen materials add a timeless look.

This Idea House is not a historic reproduction; rather it is an adaptation and combination of the styles and elements we associate with the Gulf Coast, designed to fit into a new development just north of Houston.

Recalling the double galleries of New Orleans, a porch with balcony above graces the front of the house. At the side and rear, two more of these double-decker porches help our Idea House extend out into its wooded setting. Wrought iron railings wrap the upper level, providing a simplified homage to the more ornate cast-iron railings of the French Quarter.

Sunroom

Located at the side of the house, the sunroom has the feel of an old porch that has been glassed in. The wall adjoining the kitchen is brick, seemingly a continuation of the house's exterior wall. One arched opening in this brick wall connects the sunroom visually with the kitchen, while a second arched opening is a passthrough to the breakfast area, family room, and back stairs. The basketweave-pattern brick floor continues the flow of materials from the porches to the inside of the house.

COFFEE TABLE PROJECT

Our coffee table is a sturdy, serviceable piece designed to blend with a variety of furniture styles. The 36-inch square table features a convenient shelf for magazine storage. The coffee table is made from a single sheet of oak veneer plywood, with four solid oak boards used to edge the top. This is an easy project even for a beginner. The distressed two-tone paint finish we used gives the piece a relaxed, time-worn look. To order step-by-step plans, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to Coffee Table Project, Southern Living, P.O. Box 523, Birmingham, AL 35201. Enclose a check for $3.50 payable to Southern Living. Allow at least four to six weeks for delivery.

Planning for Light

In order to maximize light in the house, residential designers Rick Gary and Steve Ragsdale located the stairwell in the center of the house and provided a skylight above. This 6-foot square skylight provides light not only for the stairs but also for rooms on both floors. The family room especially benefits; the 15-foot-high room is completely open to the stairwell, with a series of square posts defining one "wall."

For light and views, the designers stairstepped the family room, breakfast room, and sunroom. This gives each a corner with two walls of windows.

Upstairs

Wrapped around the stairwell, three upstairs bedrooms and a media room (above) share natural light from the central skylight. Three of the rooms open to their own balconies. "It's an attempt to bring the outside in," says Steve. The girls bedroom has a delightful built-in window seat with two storage drawers below. A computer room, with a built-in L-shaped desk, is conveniently located between two bedrooms (see plan). Glass pocket doors allow the small room to be closed off while still benefiting from the natural light from the stairwell skylight. Another pair of pocket doors can be used to close off the media room, an important consideration for sound control.

Family Room

Wrapped by glass on two sides and open to the skylit stairwell on another, the family room is bright and inviting. Across the rear wall, three pairs of fixed French doors provide views to the golf course. "We've used a lot of French doors," says Steve. "There is no replacement for the character you get." These are topped with transoms; above the center pair, a high window emphasizes the 15-foot ceiling. Along the adjoining wall, three sets of awning windows provide additional light.

Instead of a conventional window treatment that might block some of the light, designer Trisha Dodson used a sheer bronze fabric gathered on faux-finished wood rods and puddled at the floor. The draperies are pulled to the corners of the room, leaving the glass uncovered. "They are just there to soften and add a little color, not to enclose the room," says Trisha.

Kitchen

The generously sized kitchen combines two work coun ters, arranged in an L, with a 3- x 8-foot island. To residential designer Rick Gary, the island "is a congregating area. A 2- x 5-foot island wouldn't cut it." The island is big enough to provide plenty of workspace around the cooktop as well as stand-up room for family and friends to cheer on the cook.

The adjoining breakfast area doubles as a rear hall, leading to the family room. Back stairs extend up one flight to a landing (overlooking the family room) that connects to the main stairway, accessible from the entry. These back stairs allow convenient flow to the more casual part of the house, without the expense of a separate second staircase.

A pantry, tucked partially under the stairs, provides storage for staples and canned goods, as well as spot for a built-in wine rack.

Study

With its fireplace and flanking floorto-ceiling bookshelves, the study offers an inviting alternative to a traditional living room. 'The formal living room, for all practical purposes, is gone," says residential designer Steve Ragsdale. "What you have to have is that second living area." "The trick is to make it flexible enough so you can actually use it," adds his partner, Rick Gary.