Design Home An Island

An Island Home

In this plan the bedrooms and bathroom are attached around central eating, living and dining spaces. These areas have open views to the east and south east as opposed to west because the approach is from the east, giving the kitchen a command of the approach.

And with lots of glass on the morning side, the house is able to soak in the morning sun and start warming the house. Late in the day the western sun tends to cause overheating, which makes the west side an ideal location for the screened porch. It is in the afternoon that one is likely to have time to sit and enjoy the mosquito-free comfort of a screened porch.

A unique feature in this house is the kids' bedrooms (two and three) which are only 65 sq. feet. Tiny as they are, they work because lofts were designed above the floor up under the roof. You can see them as a dotted line. The kids climb up to their beds (or play areas) via ladders. There is even a small door (optional) that connects the two loft spaces. The lofts use all the volume under the roof as added floor.

An Island Design

The parents' houseguests get the loft space over the entry area; this has a ship's ladder to get to it. The fireplace and woodstove act like an anchor that holds this centrally oriented assemblage together. It creates an entry foyer on its north side and a hearth on its south side, and holds up the guest loft. The dining room off to the southeast projects like a peninsula from the house so that it gets the sun all day long. It has the feel of a sheltered part of the porch when the big double hung windows are open in the summer.