Standing
outside the front security door provides no information about what lies inside.
If you're acquainted with the 1950's pop hit "What's behind the green
door?" - this is it! A fabulous party space. Visitors outside the security
door can be viewed inside on the security camera. If the visitors are men
wearing business suits carrying briefcases one need not even ackowledge that
anyone is home.
Visitors
who are admitted enter a courtyard in which they are extremely visible. The
front door is approached under a roof with round sky lights set above. The
arched security door, front door and pool courtyard door are all 7.5ft.tall.
In the entrance hall are four arched closet doors, and two 4ft. wide arched
openings on either side. The 12ft. ceiling has a 'casa blanc' type ceiling
fan above (visible in drawing NW view with great room roof off.) Entering
the living space to right or left one is struck by the expansiveness from
front security wall to back pool courtyard wall through the large walls of
windows - especially if floor tiles are set continuously from front to back
walls.
The
kitchen counters are obscured behind 4ft high half walls under 14 inch tops,
with a curved eating bar protruding towards the pool side. The range is set
back under a 7.5ft. ceiling with range venting up through the roof. The fridge
is on the left of the range concealed behind a closet door that matches the
pantry closet door to the right of the range. Additional pantry space is located
in one of the entrance closets. The great room is open, bright and light yet
private to the outside world - a great space to live in and enjoy. The third
arched door behind the eating counter leads into the pool courtyard - where
there are two storage rooms on either side for pool pumps and filters and
patio furniture and umbrellas.
Residents
of Block House will normally enter through one of the garages so there are
coat closets close to the garage door access. Notice the built-in shelving
units on the garage walls. In the main bedroom side garage is a clean-up utility
sink, next to a closet concealing the domestic hot water tank and the hot
water heating unit which pumps hot water through pipes laid in the concerete
floor under the tiles. The main bedroom ensuite bathroom has a tiled shower
plus large soaker tub.
The
bedroom wing on the opposite side has a guest bedroom plus a study (or 3rd
bedroom) with under counter washer and drier opposite the coat closet leading
to the second bathroom. The guest bathroom has a shower stall as well as a
bath tub. Notice the large closet in the passage leading to the study.
The
four square holes in the courtyards are for planting ornamental trees - though
gardeners living in this house would no doubt have numerous tubs with shrubs
in both courtyards.
Lighting
the 'great room' allows for interesting fittings. Long skinny single stem
lights could be suspended from the ceiling to hang over the kitchen counters,
and counter lights could also be placed under the half wall shelves that protrude
over the counters. Ceiling spot lights could be concealed on the low ceiling
over the range and entrance closets to shine up and illuminate the ceiling.
Wall mounted light fittings could also be placed between the 2ft. square windows
throwing light up against the ceiling. Spot lights to illuminate the courtyards
at night would retain the spacious feeling in the great room. There are countless
alternatives depending on the desires of the residents.
