The exterior was based on "craftsman" styling. Miracle Designed and Installed all of the extensive landscaping with the idea of taking a smaller, standard quarter acre subdivision lot(with close neighbors and little privacy from the road) and created privacy and living space. Tall shrubs were shaped to reveal enough of the home for curbside appeal, yet enough privacy is given to allow an "in the woods" front porch feeling.
Parade '09 Exterior
Named "The Little-Big House", the overall idea was to find interesting ways to make the home "feel" much larger than it's actual 1598 sq. ft. size. The secondary goal was to be constantly introducing new ideas and little surprises to visitors. Notice the down-curving shaped roof, Frieze boards(instead of common straight shapes) and the two ornamental metal wind sculptures(in the foreground on left and the background by the porch.
Parade '09 Exterior
To create a proper introduction into the Little-Big House concept and our goal to introduce little surprises along the way, the 5 foot wide sidewalk curves around a 9 foot diameter fountain. The shrubs get taller with every step towards the home. This effect was to emphasize the idea that you are leaving your "ordinary world" and entering something creatively new. The semi-hidden front means visitors are constantly "discovering" new details as they come closer to the front door. Notice the 2 sunburst trellises point toward the front door and provide shade for waiting lines of visitors.
Parade '09 Exterior Entry
The landscape designs shields a semi-privacy barrier from neighbors. Notice how the lamp posts match the home's wall lightning. To further entice waiting visitors, small shrub-shaped signs are placed to explain a few of the highlights awaiting beyond the front door. Rather than use common gray concrete paths, here you see a mix of golden paver bricks and flat stepper stones. Some of these stones were embedded into the concrete to give a unified look.
Parade '09 Exterior Entry
Yet another view of the fountain(actually made from a 9 foot concrete sewer pipe) and the fanciful landscape. The foreground shows a rock speaker. 5 rock speakers were place(in varying volume levels) to further enhance the visiting/waiting experience. Since crowds, at times, were large, the waiting line experience was important, 4 benches were provided along the path.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
Who says a large porch has to be spread across the home's front? The Little-Big House gives a surprise twist by putting the 9'x17' front porch protruding off the front of the home. This is room enough for 4 love seat fiberglass wicker chairs. The entire porch could be screened as a 3 season room. Notice the 2 Fypon® foam arches and the peek-through landscaping, this allows the front door to be viewed from the street.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
Here is an example of some of the thoughtful details you encounter on the front porch. Notice how the stone pillars are topped-off with brick trim and then with cedar wrapped top crowns. Even the light block cedar platforms carry a "custom" flavor.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
A view that shows the porch floor as well as the ceiling.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
Details here show how plastic fish scale shaped shingles were placed into cedar wrapped frames below each window. The area you see here had a small stage and podium to give visiting groups a short presentation complete with art posters to emphasize details to look for inside.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
The front of the home as well as the porch was sided with cement based "Hardie Plank®". Notice the Fypon® foam window bracket detail, ceiling speakers(for music) and the porch ceiling beams that visually break-up what could be a rather large and common porch roof.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
The colorful metal wind sculptures adds a sense of creative whimsy and becomes a real conversation starter for visitors. This view shows the semi-privacy that the landscaping provides.
Parade '09 Front Door
This is a fiberglass door that was stained and varnished to look like the interior woodwork. This effect brings a hint of the interior motif to the outdoors. Notice a unique touch pad electronic entry is built-into the deadbolt lock set(above the keyhole). The door glass as well as the bottom pane of the window is made of privacy obscured glass. This gives excellent privacy and great sunlight as well.
Parade '09 Exiting Door Detail
We want to create the proper impression from the moment you step onto the property until the moment you leave. Here you see the high level of detail in maintained on the exit door which leaves the garage. Notice iron work detail in the door windows as wall as the inset stonework in the flooring concrete.
Parade '09 The Exterior Entry
Nothing is more welcoming than the sound of splashing water. The 9 foot diameter concrete pool even had stones detailed into the bottom. Just as important as the visual effect was the ambient sound effect the fountain provided. It was not unusual to see small children exploring the fountain for frogs(and even turtles) or adults simply sitting on the bench to enjoy the sound.
Parade '09 Exterior Porch
One last view of the window detailing.
Parade '09 Computer Alcove
Just to your immediate left(as you first enter), you see this elaborate built-in double computer station. The main station looks over the stairs to an easy view of the great room television, fireplace and windows. Often private dens tend to separate the family members as they use the computer of leisure or entertainment. This concept is more socialable.
Parade '09 Computer Alcove
Another view of the double computer alcove.
Parade '09 Stair Wall Detail
Once inside, your sense are exposed to an explosion of big and little details. This entire stair well(commonly built as simple open stair railings or half wall) was "sculpted" out of drywall products. The big post(on left) is little more than a simple 8"x8" squared lumber post. The details are all done using multiple layers of drywall and new corner devices. Notice the 10" tall base boards.
Parade '09 Stair Wall Detail
Here is a view from the main computer alcove. Notice the backside of our stair wall. The top of this dry walled stair wall is actually arched upward. This was accomplished using quarter-inch this drywall to allow the arching bend. The darker tan colored "top" is nothing more than a paint line to seemingly define a top board to the stair wall.
Parade '09 Entry Floor Detail
The three quarter inch thick traditional(hand layered and finished in place) hardwood floor had a slight groove etched into the floor on a dramatic arch. This arch is a visual separation within the great room. Two different colors of stain were used on either side of the etched groove to give a two-tone wood floor. The foyer ceramic tile also had a curved line where it meets the hardwood. The 10" high base boards are actually 1/4" plywood(and 3" base) connected to the studs.
Parade '09 Entry Floor Detail
A closer look at the two-tone wood floor idea as well as the 10" high baseboards. Notice how the drywall actually hangs over the baseboard top edge. The baseboard(1/4" plywood and 3" maple base board) was actually attached directly to the framing studs.
Parade '09 Two-tone Wood Floors
The arch gives flair to separating the great room areas. Notice the small staircase(this is a ranch home) to an upper play(or exercise) loft for the kids.
Parade '09 Two-tone Wood Floors
A closer look at the two-tone wood floors.
Parade '09 Great Room
The two-tone floor and seating enough for 22 people. With dining set for 8(10 possible), bar stools for 6(7 possible) and couch seating for 7, this is one great room you would not expect with a 1598 sq. ft. home.
Parade '09 Entry Foyer
The unique maple three panel solid doors were yet another little "surprise" to visitors.
Parade '09 Great Room
The electronics are all hidden away yet instantly available(radio remote controlled) near the television area. The top of the cabinet can be used for games, scrap books, or photo albums.
