Residential Project: Venice Compact Home
Over the span on three class projects in my Elements of Design class, I redesigned the home an empty nester couple downsizing in Venice, CA. Students were given the floor plan and elevation drawings of the two story home, and a brief program. I first established the design concept, inspiration and color scheme, then revised the floor plan with material and furniture selections, and finished with a reflected lighting plan.
Program
Extremely simple. Revive this compact Venice home for two empty nesters. Maximize the ground floor to primarily accommodate guests. Design a corridor for the ground floor that extends between the front and back doors without disrupting the guest area.
Revised Floor Plan
There was originally a significant amount of closet space provided for the primary bedroom that could be used more efficiently. I chose to extend the primary bathroom through to the exterior wall to provide for a larger and more luxurious bathroom. This change allowed for a spa-like combination Japanese soaking tub and rain shower. To make up some of the closet space and make the bedroom area a bit more compact and cozy, I added a glass block divider wall to hide closet built-ins and create a changing area. 24” high wood shelf built-ins surround the rest of the room, of which the bed frame and couch seating are both connected to. Floor to ceiling window panes will fill the dining and living space, as well as a built-in entertainment center. I made small modifications to the kitchen layout to keep the area open and airy. On the ground floor, I extended the wall to the back of the home to create that private corridor. To address the desd space that created, I added a small coffee and drink station to primarily be used by the guest or when the couple is working in the garage.
