Mulberry Park

Southern Living, Aug 1998 by Nesmith, Lynn

Embracing its neighborhood, our Idea House in the new town of Celebration, Florida, is a welcoming retreat for an active family.

The setting for Mulberry Park-the new town of Celebration, Florida-gives it its spirit. Inspired by Classical architecture and a longing for traditional neighborhoods, our Idea House greets visitors with a welcoming face along the front, side, and even the back. (For more information about Celebration see the September 1997 issue of Southern Living, page 92.)

This Idea House recalls the dignity and grace of a tasteful older home. And like buildings that have stood the test of time, Mulberry Park blends refined proportions with an inviting scale.

Memphis architect Carson Looney marked the front door with a portico supported by Doric columns to capture the character and architectural integrity of a historic home. Proportional to the house and the site, this porch establishes a presence that enhances its neighborhood setting.

As the house turns the corner, it takes on a less formal stance. "We chose the Charleston single house as inspiration for the side," says Carson. This door beckons visitors into a courtyard and into the sunroom. "Both the front and side of the house are classically inspired, yet each has its own personality and conveys a different message."

family spaces

At the heart of this house sits the kitchen and breakfast room. Rich textured finishes and architectural trim and molding, crafted by builder Derrick Koger, contribute to the refined scheme, while an efficient layout offers practicality with lots of charm.

To instill the feel of an older home, the kitchen features cabinets with a mix of woods and finishes. As another nod to tradition, the cabinetry incorporates oversize crown molding and turned legs. A V-groove paneling backsplash provides a dramatic background for stainless steel appliances and light countertops. A kitchen alcove functions as a well-organized office (right) with lots of storage and deep counters.

breakfast banquette

A banquette offers the convenience of an eat-in kitchen. In this house, a 6-foot-long, built-in bench is framed by two doors that open into the sunroom. The table can be pushed against the bench to take up less space when not in use. The table's shelf and drawer below come in handy for homework projects and everyday storage.

family room

Positioned next to the kitchen, our family room (shown above) enjoys the best of all worlds-close enough for comfort yet definitely its own special retreat. Large cased doorways offer an inviting interchange between the adjoining rooms, while a built-in cabinet unit provides just the right amount of separation. Crafted of cabinets with glass doors along the front and back, the partition has a large arched opening at the center of the unit that provides visual connection.

Twelve-foot ceilings and a bank of tall windows facing into the courtyard emphasize the room's openness and spaciousness. Along the adjacent wall, a new mantel crafted of heart pine adds texture and warmth to the room. On the remaining wall, a series of windows is positioned high enough to allow placement of furniture underneath.

sunroom

Our Idea House's floor plan offers easy circulation. In the sunroom, V-groove paneling stained a warm shade of brown wraps the room in texture and counters the large bank of windows. The lack of window treatments and the simple decorations in this room accentuate the architecture and the views to the garden.

dining room

Formal dining and living areas are no longer just for special occasions. It's much more practical to design functional spaces with flexibility-for the way families live today. Mulberry Park's floor plan is open and airy, and makes the most of every inch of space.

As the owner's family grows and changes, rooms can be adapted for different uses. Unique to our house is the combined foyer/ dining hall, which creates a dramatic first impression from the front door (see photos at top of page 120).

Floor-to-ceiling bookcases line one wall of the foyer for storage and display and offer a striking alternative to a more typical blank-walled foyer.

study

The adjacent study also makes the most of the home's open floor plan. Pocket doors provide a wonderful connection between the study and the foyer/dining hall while allowing the room to be closed off for privacy. When furnished with a daybed or sleeper sofa, the space can also be used as a guestroom. The adjacent bath features a shower to accommodate overnight guests.

Arranged on a grid, floor-to-ceiling builtin bookcases provide an excellent background for artwork and accessories. Roman shades mounted within the deep cased window openings complement the furnishings and the bookcases.

for a special baby-nursery

The children's bedrooms are upstairs, as is the master bedroom. (An alternate plan offers the master on the first floor.) In the nursery (see bottom left photo on page 122), a mix of fabrics, furnishings, and special accents provides a colorful background for a baby boy or girl. A vintage Peter Rabbit fabric sets an English tone for the room, while a medley of colorful plaids offers a pleasing complement for tiebacks and crib bedding. Roman shades fashioned of sheer dotted-swiss fabric add softness along the windows.