Orion Avenue

First design meeting….

Me- “Is there a certain style that you’re going for?”

Clients- “Surprise us.”

“Surprise us” – possibly the two most exciting words an architect can hear. I was so thrilled to eat, sleep, breathe this project. I loved every minute of the design. On the one hand – design freedom. Of course, on the other hand – the fear that they could absolutely hate it. Talk about anxiety on the day I walked into the big presentation. Drawings in hand. Heart in my throat. Thankfully, they loved it! Whew!

The idea for this house started with the light-filled stairhall. Double-stacked corner windows spill light into the stairhall and this special space draws you through the house from the front door to the living room beyond. An overscale pair of pocket doors connect the stairhall to the kitchen. The natural wood beams in the kitchen ceiling relate to the staircase paneling and the wood corbels at the exterior, creating a strong architectural design.

The living room is a dream. A fireplace at one end. A banquette table under a huge window opposite the fireplace. Panoramic doors open onto the terrace which leads down to the pool. Stunning.

Often times, clients feel like they need to go to an architect with a set design style in mind, but this does not need to be the case.  With wonderfully adventurous and trusting clients, an architect can create something beautiful from a blank slate and maybe even “surprise” the client with the results!