© Copyright 2012, Home Architect, PLLC, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
The HOME ARCHITECTS ® often have requests from their clients to design bunkrooms into basement levels or at lofts. These larger bedrooms are intended to be the sleeping rooms for groups of young people.
© Copyright 2004-2012, Home Architect, PLLC, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Often grandchildren are the ones for whom such enlarged bedrooms are intended. And perhaps 2, 4, 6 or more youngsters can enjoy such spaces. So what’s this got to do with Barn Doors? Well, it is nice to be able to open the Bunk Room to an adjacent Family Room. That way, kids can enjoy the expansion of their sleeping space with the play space for a large joined room that is larger than either one alone. This “flex-space” approach is inherent in many of the HOME ARCHITECTS’ ® designs.
Why? Because it is fun. And because it allows the owner (or their young visitors) to create a third, larger, combined space that would could not have existed if both rooms had been totally compartmentalized and separated with small, conventional doors. Having larger barn doors, particularly in a sliding configuration, allows substantial chunks of the walls separating the two rooms to disappear. This creates the third, combined space.
When planning such an arrangement, Senior Staff Architect Rand Soellner, NCARB, ArCH, explains that it is best to consider that the Hearth Room (Living Room) on the home’s Main Level is interpreted as Adult territory, and the Family Room on the Basement or Loft Level as Kid Country.
That way, the space can be oriented to function properly and conveniently. This also provides much needed separation between adult and young person spaces. This is important acoustically. Why? Because kids can be rambunctious and noisy. It would be nice if the adults did not have to shush their children or grandkids every 15 minutes to retain their sanity. Better to have an architect that understands these things and plans for this separation.
Here you can see the interior of one of the company’s bunkrooms. A huge arched window provided plenty of light during the day. Wide plant heart pine clads the floor, with exposed old-fashioned cut nails. If a client wanted to, these sleigh beds could be replaced with 2-level bunk beds, providing room to sleep 8, if desired.
Most of the multi-level houses designed by this company feature such a space. If you might be interested in such a room in your residence, you are welcome to contact:
Rand@HomeArchitects.com
1-828-269-9046
Skype: HomeArchitects
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