Interesting choice of flooring material thru-out.
Looks like high gloss tile. Can you please elaborate on your decision to choose tile.

Most often when I see tile it is because there is in floor heating, but earlier you mentioned the house is using forced air heating.

thnx
Mike

Louis, John and Matthew
Thank you for sharing this outstanding home. So many well thought out details. The kids bedroom….love it and the courtyard….great space. Merry Christmas and all the best in 2012 guys.
Paul C

Thanks, J&M, for highlighting this house, and thanks, Louis, for your generosity.  Really thoughtful design and workmanship.  Love the livingroom millwork.  Well done!

I was excited about the polished concrete-look flooring, too — sad to hear it’s discontinued, but it confirms that there are attractive (and economical) alternatives.

And if I could also mention the great looking baseboards.  Construction details?  :)

Hi Terri – Connecting the Living Space over the Garage offered primary and practical amenities within the link (Laundry) and multiple functions above the Garage.

Adaptability was a key component to the proposal and crucial to the success of the design.  The approach offered flexibility as family needs change and allows for space do be re-arranged without expensive retrofits and renovations. 

This means a long term commitment, to the neighbourhood and lasting investment in a single dwelling that will be appreciated for a lifetime and more.

Check out all the possibilities these spaces presented us during the design development phase…

Hi Terri – I agree with your point about adding windows along hallways. There was initially some consideration to add more windows facing the courtyard. One thought included access to a clothes-line to dry laundry naturally.  There was some concern over how much height gain there would be since it is south facing so we wanted to limit the extent of glass here. The amount of natural light within this room however is incredible.  The one (floor-to-ceiling) window along the south wall coupled with the 7′ long clerestory window along the north wall over the W/D fills this room with plenty of natural light.

I don’t have an existing photo of the Laundry space unfortunately, but this exterior rendering illustrates how this space worked with the exterior design…

Hi Li-Na – In response to your question, there was no need to build-out the walls.  The baseboard in this case was slightly thinner than the drywall so that’s what created the recessed appearance.

With regards to cleaning, it is rather easy.  However, you must consider or adjust your cleaning methods accordingly. For example this particular floor requires either a vacuum with a soft brush which allows you to glide along the base of the wall without damaging the drywall.  The other method is simply sweeping with a wide headband dust mop and then followup with a wet ‘swiffer’.

With standard 1/2″ thick baseboard detail tacked on the drywall, dust tends to collect on the top anyway so in the end, i think the recessed cove is a better solution from a cleaning perspective.

Finally, a detail like this, as small as it may seem, can make a huge difference to the overall look of a room. Reducing trimwork or ‘de-clunking’, a term Matthew used recently, can best reveal a room’s spatial quality.

Actually, it’s recessed only about a 1/4″.  If you look at the close-up image in an earlier post, you can see the difference against the drywall at the top of the stairs.  You can also see this in the section detail.