Library Love – Like Mother, Like Daughter

As part of a family room project, a young family was stumped a former owner’s choice to enclose a screened-in porch, creating a narrow dark office, separated from the family room by what were exterior doors. Their craving was for a beautiful library/home office to support some weekly work-from-home days for mom (and sometimes dad) while also giving their adorable and craft-loving daughters some “office space” too. Truly a “family togetherness” library.

The Challenge:

• Room was bowling alley narrow.
• Large drafty exterior windows interrupted the necessary wall space needed to optimal work space.
• HVAC duct work did not allow for cabinetry height originally hoped for.
• Exterior doors used internally were an eyesore.
• Dark stained moldings further narrowed the room to a bowling alley squeeze.
• Doorway to kitchen was in the way in the kitchen and did nothing to help this small narrow room.

This floor plan maximizes every inch for highly functional workspace and storage to hide the clutter. We do have to lose a little window but we will use window treatments to create the illusion of more window then less.

Cabinetry Elevation with my notes to the cabinet maker and to my clients.

Finished room – mom’s desk.

Finished room – view from family room

This room packs high function into charming & fresh. Cabinetry’s glass detailing continues the motif from the adjoining family room. Interior doors are replaced with large square columns and knee wall separation. The small door to the kitchen is eliminated to accommodate the children’s desk area, which now is used for arts and crafts, but soon enough will host dual lap tops for homework time. Twin lanterns further increase the sense of glass/window in the room, while lifting the eye toward the skylight and ceiling vault. Mom and daughters can happily “work side by side” in high beauty and function. So long bowling alley…..Strike!!