Ease of Use
I strive to be efficient in my daily life. I find it satisfying. I set things on the stairs, so a trip up or down is never empty-handed. I group errands by the direction I'll be headed. Planning this house gave me the opportunity to correct the inconveniences my old house had, and make this new one more efficient and functional for my lifestyle.
The most significant example of this was my anticipating the long season of "damp" in Oregon, and how I could adapt the house to it. So, I designed a glass conservatory entry porch, I created the glass-ceiling breezeway at the other end of the house, and I covered one patio with glass. I intend for the doors to the porch and breezeway to generally be unlocked during the day. People can enter and get out of the rain, before I get to the front door (and UPS can set packages inside). And more familiar people and pets can enter through the breezeway, to take off jackets and dry paws before entering the family room. The covered patio will give the area more all-season functionality.
Here are a few other ideas for ease of use that we've incorporated into the house.
I put up more than one Christmas tree, and I put a lot of thought into where they will go in the rooms. After that decision, I put in a floor or nearby wall plug in each room that connects to a designated light switch. I'll be able to light the trees as I enter the rooms. I also have large entries into the main rooms so I can more easily wheel the trees to the garage for storage.
Being a bit vertically challenged, I often need a step stool or small ladder to reach upper cabinets and shelves. It's a nuisance to have to fold and store a ladder in each room, or carry one from room to room, so I copied something clever I spotted in a magazine. Under downstairs sinks, the cabinet doors will go to the floor with an arched cutout, so a kick stool (glides on wheels until stepped on) can be kicked in and hidden underneath the sink.
In the bar, the coffee-making will be very efficient, with a refrigerated drawer for my milk and white wine. I'll also have a couple room-temperature wine drawers--so all labels can be seen at once, rather than pulling out a bottle at a time to see what it is. The bar also has a dog bowl drawer that can be closed after mealtime. (I've been asked, why no wine cellar? Not my thing. That's for the next owner to add.)
In the dining room I have shallow drawers behind cabinet doors that will hold placemats neatly. And a closet in the hallway outside the dining room is for table cloths. The pantry has a cabinet lined with jewelry felt for silver trays (an obsolete need for most--but not me!)
The pantry and the long cabinet opposite the bottom of the stairs have a very important function. My kitchen is without overhead cabinets for extra dishes and food storage, so these areas will provide the necessary space. One appliance I'm a big proponent of--for efficiency--is a trash compactor. And the epitome of ease of use, is the Nespresso espresso machine that I've used since they first came out--the machine that introduced coffee pods and eliminated the need for disposal of messy coffee grounds.
My office will be very convenient with it's three desk spaces. After trial and error (big decision in a stone-sided house), the dog door will be accessed through the office storage closet. Along with being inconspicuous from inside the house, it will allow Sadie to hit a small rug as she bolts inside.
One thing I've never understood and have always wanted to remedy--laundry rooms on the main floor with the bedrooms upstairs. The majority of the laundry in a household is clothing, towels and bedding, isn't it? So I'm putting my laundry upstairs. And it will even have a door to the master bedroom closet--how efficient is that!
And finally, I've added two extra bathrooms--one in the basement and one outside. Practical, if not efficient.
The most significant example of this was my anticipating the long season of "damp" in Oregon, and how I could adapt the house to it. So, I designed a glass conservatory entry porch, I created the glass-ceiling breezeway at the other end of the house, and I covered one patio with glass. I intend for the doors to the porch and breezeway to generally be unlocked during the day. People can enter and get out of the rain, before I get to the front door (and UPS can set packages inside). And more familiar people and pets can enter through the breezeway, to take off jackets and dry paws before entering the family room. The covered patio will give the area more all-season functionality.
Here are a few other ideas for ease of use that we've incorporated into the house.
I put up more than one Christmas tree, and I put a lot of thought into where they will go in the rooms. After that decision, I put in a floor or nearby wall plug in each room that connects to a designated light switch. I'll be able to light the trees as I enter the rooms. I also have large entries into the main rooms so I can more easily wheel the trees to the garage for storage.
Being a bit vertically challenged, I often need a step stool or small ladder to reach upper cabinets and shelves. It's a nuisance to have to fold and store a ladder in each room, or carry one from room to room, so I copied something clever I spotted in a magazine. Under downstairs sinks, the cabinet doors will go to the floor with an arched cutout, so a kick stool (glides on wheels until stepped on) can be kicked in and hidden underneath the sink.
In the bar, the coffee-making will be very efficient, with a refrigerated drawer for my milk and white wine. I'll also have a couple room-temperature wine drawers--so all labels can be seen at once, rather than pulling out a bottle at a time to see what it is. The bar also has a dog bowl drawer that can be closed after mealtime. (I've been asked, why no wine cellar? Not my thing. That's for the next owner to add.)
In the dining room I have shallow drawers behind cabinet doors that will hold placemats neatly. And a closet in the hallway outside the dining room is for table cloths. The pantry has a cabinet lined with jewelry felt for silver trays (an obsolete need for most--but not me!)
The pantry and the long cabinet opposite the bottom of the stairs have a very important function. My kitchen is without overhead cabinets for extra dishes and food storage, so these areas will provide the necessary space. One appliance I'm a big proponent of--for efficiency--is a trash compactor. And the epitome of ease of use, is the Nespresso espresso machine that I've used since they first came out--the machine that introduced coffee pods and eliminated the need for disposal of messy coffee grounds.
My office will be very convenient with it's three desk spaces. After trial and error (big decision in a stone-sided house), the dog door will be accessed through the office storage closet. Along with being inconspicuous from inside the house, it will allow Sadie to hit a small rug as she bolts inside.
One thing I've never understood and have always wanted to remedy--laundry rooms on the main floor with the bedrooms upstairs. The majority of the laundry in a household is clothing, towels and bedding, isn't it? So I'm putting my laundry upstairs. And it will even have a door to the master bedroom closet--how efficient is that!
And finally, I've added two extra bathrooms--one in the basement and one outside. Practical, if not efficient.
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