When a giant cherry tree died years before, the owners were dismayed. But it wasn’t a total loss because its location was where a great room addition had been planned to go. The Owner, who was also the builder, had the tree carefully cut down, milled, and dried on site. The Architect’s task was to design the addition in such a way that the inherent beauty of the cherry wood was displayed to its best advantage.
Before & After: The great room addition on the left is a scaled down version of the original house, the design taking its cue from replicating certain aspects of the original home. There’s no mistaking that the great room addition has the same genes as the original house, but successfully reconciles its single-story presence in relation to its 2-1/2 story forebear.
Cherry wood was used for window seats that double as storage, bookshelves, and operable paneling for concealment of a TV over the fireplace. Spatial relationships were emphasized with the aid of wood beams & columns to reinforce the geometry of the design.
Clerestory windows allow daylighting to highlight scissor trusses and wood ceiling.
Clerestory windows allow daylight into the breakfast space.
Geometry of the cherry wood beams, coved plaster and lighting make the window seat a special place.
The television can be concealed by operable cherry wood paneling when not in use.
Screened porch addition.
