Bill Fry Construction – Wm. H. Fry Const.Co. This family enjoyed the coziness of their cottage, but they knew they needed more space. “Our little ones were living in one room, which was pretty cramped,” says one of the owners. “We needed some extra space for the kids and guests.” The owners noticed a large garage filled to the brim with various junk. “We wanted some freedom, since the house is small and we have two growing kids,” says the owner. “We also dreamed of a bathroom closer to the pool and a sheltered, comfortable space in the backyard where you can hide from the weather and sit with snacks. We needed a quiet place to spend free time together.” As a result, they hired architect Bill Fry, who was recommended by friends, to implement the idea. Dear readers, today we invite you to get acquainted with a wonderful project in an entire block, including unique functional spaces. The hangar is elongated. It has enough space for a living room with a small bar and a bathroom. However, some unexpected complex work was required to ensure the structure would withstand new uses. The space provides a place for the family to enjoy socializing, play, read, have movie nights, store snacks, and shower indoors or out. Location: Los Gatos, California Size: Approximately 25 square meters Year Built: 2011 The living space is filled with natural light thanks to large sliding glass doors that are reminiscent of a tranquil Japanese tea house. Looking outside, the space is bright and open, with a sliding partition in the bathroom.
Shelves behind the sofa provide ample spacefor board games, magazines, towels, DVDs and books. “Sometimes I’ll read or watch movies here,” says the homeowner. “My kids also love watching movies, reading and playing with their friends in this cozy corner.”
A sloped ceiling crowns the area where the living room furniture is located and offers the possibility of adding a skylight and fan.
Cleverly placed wall niches are used forstorage and display of items. You can safely stomp through this space with wet feet - the floors are warm. They look like wood, but are actually porcelain tiles.
The sink and bar area has open shelves andShelves keep things in sight and visually expand the surface. “If we host friends in good weather, we try to serve food in the yard, and we organize a table inside our new premises, which is very convenient,” the owner of the house shares.
There is never any disorder here, and that isprimarily because of the open shelving. “It’s nice that this little unit serves as an ‘escape’ spot for us all – we don’t use it every day like other areas of our main home, so it’s not cluttered or messy. The shelves are smooth and easy to wipe clean, so it’s always clean, even when the house is in chaos!”
Another alcove provides storage for dishes. The mosaic tile backdrop can be admired through glass shelves. The elegant quartz countertop was found at a yard sale.
We move to the bathroom.The shower cubicle made of transparent glass creates a feeling of openness, which visually makes the room larger than it actually is. The bathroom is equipped with a steam shower from ThermaSol. The upper glass tilts to keep the steam inside the cubicle.
A low partition provides additional privacy in the toilet area. The bathroom is finished with a border of mosaic tiles that decorate the entire perimeter.
Well-placed niches provide storage for towels. Tip: When using open shelving in the bathroom, you really can't go wrong with white towels.
Another niche in the shower room is for shampooand decorative shells. Tip: When planning recesses, make sure they are tall enough to accommodate your favorite products. If you prefer to buy tall bottles, design the size of the shelves according to their dimensions.
The mosaic elements continue onto the shower floor. A bench and ledge provide additional space for bath accessories and seating.
When there is no time for a steam treatment, an outdoor shower will provide a quick rinse.
The homeowners went a little overboard whenIt was time to lay the tiles inside, but the outdoor sprinkler system benefited from it. “I fell in love with too many types of tiles, and the designer tried to create a pattern with them all at once. It looked good on paper, but when we started laying the tiles, we realized it was too complicated and didn’t work at all,” explains the owner. “After losing sleep over it, I decided we needed to remove some of the tiles that were already installed and go with a simpler pattern. Every cloud has a silver lining: we installed the extra unused tiles in the open shower area, which ended up being more elegant than originally planned. It’s a great use of material.”
Finally, on the other side of the garage there is aa large play area in the form of a giant chessboard. “The idea for the chessboard space came from combining something similar I had seen in a landscape design book and in an upscale shopping mall,” says the owner. “My kids were just starting to get into the mind game, and I thought it would be fun to put these elements in the yard. I wanted to do it subtly, as a surprise, and our architects did a great job.”
Reconstruction of the garage under the dwelling - photo of the implemented project
