1. Modestly nestling the home into the site rather than building “on top of” the ground feels better. It keeps the proportions of the home to a more natural scale and creates a more comfortable setting. It’s also a considerate way to design that affords your neighbors more view and day light. Part of this strategy involves keeping much of the landscaping; this allows certain trees or plants to become view points from inside the home, or while you’re standing on the terrace, it gives you something to look at astutely while you sip your gin martini.
2. Keep it simple. It’s a consistent rule of thumb in MCM design. Roof planes tend to be simple shed roofs which offer plenty of daylight and view at the high side; the low profile on the opposite side maintains the privacy and low horizontal proportions. They’re straight-forward to frame, handsome visually, and cost-effective.
3. Good design creates a progression between privacy and transparency. Often, upon approaching a MCM home, the entryway is solid and private. Once you enter the home the interior becomes increasingly transparent, until you reach a common area like the living room where the interiors open up to the view and landscaping. This sequence of experiences accomplishes several things; it maintains the privacy of the home toward the street, it creates a pleasurable experience moving through the spaces, and it rewards the viewer with a delightful view at the end (be it of a mountain, a forest or simply a well manicured back yard).
4. Connecting the inside to the outside creates harmony with the site. One of the subtlest, albeit most pleasing, design moves in MCM design is the intentional move to extend the material of a wall from inside to outside (or vice versa). This could be an exterior brick wall that extends into an entry area or an interior cedar wall that continues out to frame a courtyard.
7. Outdoor rooms are just as important as indoor rooms. In a temperate climate, like the Pacific Northwest, you can spend a great deal of time outside. Extending the home’s roof out further is a cost-effective way to keep the rain off your outdoor dinner party in addition to defining the space. With a few intentional design moves, a sense of place is created and the outdoor room quickly becomes one of the most treasured areas of a home.
8. Screen walls offer privacy without cordoning off the interiors. Well designed houses are typically open and spacious (regardless of square footage); one of the best ways to maintain privacy, without jeopardizing the quality of the spaces inside, is by using architectural elements that don’t touch the ceiling. These could be screens, cabinets or panels that frame views and conceal other areas. Etch-matte glass panels make for great screens because they let light in; when backlit they also tend to glow. When depth allows, cabinets provide screening and additional storage. Simple panels also allow for new materials and textures to compliment the home. The same applies at the exterior; a strategically placed privacy screen can eliminate the temptation to encircle the entire yard with a 6 foot high fence, bleck!
9. Let nature do the work. MCM design is very clever about using the inherent characteristics of materials as finishes within the home. The MCM design philosophy is all about authenticity and once you put on your authenticity thinking cap, materials like CMU blocks, plywood, and car decking look beautiful; they look exactly like what they’re doing. There are a couple of additional benefits here; it limits the “decoration” of a project and simplifies the decision making process, most of the materials also warm up the interiors, and lastly, it’s typically more cost-effective to leave materials just the way they are.
10. Quality of light is more important than the light fixture. Nothing bothers us more than lights that are overdesigned. While it’s appropriate to have a couple of special, well-designed lights within the home (often above the dining room table or at the kitchen island) for the most part we want the light without having to see the light fixture. MCM design is brilliant in this regard; lights are often tucked into soffits and softly wash light over a wall, or they’re hidden on top of a bank of cabinets to highlight an exposed wood ceiling.
1. Modestly nestling the home into the site rather than building “on top of” the ground feels better. It keeps the proportions of the home to a more natural scale and creates a more comfortable setting. It’s also a considerate way to design that affords your neighbors more view and day light. Part of this strategy involves keeping much of the landscaping; this allows certain trees or plants to become view points from inside the home, or while you’re standing on the terrace, it gives you something to look at astutely while you sip your gin martini.
2. Keep it simple. It’s a consistent rule of thumb in MCM design. Roof planes tend to be simple shed roofs which offer plenty of daylight and view at the high side; the low profile on the opposite side maintains the privacy and low horizontal proportions. They’re straight-forward to frame, handsome visually, and cost-effective.
3. Good design creates a progression between privacy and transparency. Often, upon approaching a MCM home, the entryway is solid and private. Once you enter the home the interior becomes increasingly transparent, until you reach a common area like the living room where the interiors open up to the view and landscaping. This sequence of experiences accomplishes several things; it maintains the privacy of the home toward the street, it creates a pleasurable experience moving through the spaces, and it rewards the viewer with a delightful view at the end (be it of a mountain, a forest or simply a well manicured back yard).
4. Connecting the inside to the outside creates harmony with the site. One of the subtlest, albeit most pleasing, design moves in MCM design is the intentional move to extend the material of a wall from inside to outside (or vice versa). This could be an exterior brick wall that extends into an entry area or an interior cedar wall that continues out to frame a courtyard.
7. Outdoor rooms are just as important as indoor rooms. In a temperate climate, like the Pacific Northwest, you can spend a great deal of time outside. Extending the home’s roof out further is a cost-effective way to keep the rain off your outdoor dinner party in addition to defining the space. With a few intentional design moves, a sense of place is created and the outdoor room quickly becomes one of the most treasured areas of a home.
8. Screen walls offer privacy without cordoning off the interiors. Well designed houses are typically open and spacious (regardless of square footage); one of the best ways to maintain privacy, without jeopardizing the quality of the spaces inside, is by using architectural elements that don’t touch the ceiling. These could be screens, cabinets or panels that frame views and conceal other areas. Etch-matte glass panels make for great screens because they let light in; when backlit they also tend to glow. When depth allows, cabinets provide screening and additional storage. Simple panels also allow for new materials and textures to compliment the home. The same applies at the exterior; a strategically placed privacy screen can eliminate the temptation to encircle the entire yard with a 6 foot high fence, bleck!
9. Let nature do the work. MCM design is very clever about using the inherent characteristics of materials as finishes within the home. The MCM design philosophy is all about authenticity and once you put on your authenticity thinking cap, materials like CMU blocks, plywood, and car decking look beautiful; they look exactly like what they’re doing. There are a couple of additional benefits here; it limits the “decoration” of a project and simplifies the decision making process, most of the materials also warm up the interiors, and lastly, it’s typically more cost-effective to leave materials just the way they are.
10. Quality of light is more important than the light fixture. Nothing bothers us more than lights that are overdesigned. While it’s appropriate to have a couple of special, well-designed lights within the home (often above the dining room table or at the kitchen island) for the most part we want the light without having to see the light fixture. MCM design is brilliant in this regard; lights are often tucked into soffits and softly wash light over a wall, or they’re hidden on top of a bank of cabinets to highlight an exposed wood ceiling
1. Modestly nestling the home into the site rather than building “on top of” the ground feels better. It keeps the proportions of the home to a more natural scale and creates a more comfortable setting. It’s also a considerate way to design that affords your neighbors more view and day light. Part of this strategy involves keeping much of the landscaping; this allows certain trees or plants to become view points from inside the home, or while you’re standing on the terrace, it gives you something to look at astutely while you sip your gin martini.
2. Keep it simple. It’s a consistent rule of thumb in MCM design. Roof planes tend to be simple shed roofs which offer plenty of daylight and view at the high side; the low profile on the opposite side maintains the privacy and low horizontal proportions. They’re straight-forward to frame, handsome visually, and cost-effective.
3. Good design creates a progression between privacy and transparency. Often, upon approaching a MCM home, the entryway is solid and private. Once you enter the home the interior becomes increasingly transparent, until you reach a common area like the living room where the interiors open up to the view and landscaping. This sequence of experiences accomplishes several things; it maintains the privacy of the home toward the street, it creates a pleasurable experience moving through the spaces, and it rewards the viewer with a delightful view at the end (be it of a mountain, a forest or simply a well manicured back yard).
4. Connecting the inside to the outside creates harmony with the site. One of the subtlest, albeit most pleasing, design moves in MCM design is the intentional move to extend the material of a wall from inside to outside (or vice versa). This could be an exterior brick wall that extends into an entry area or an interior cedar wall that continues out to frame a courtyard.
7. Outdoor rooms are just as important as indoor rooms. In a temperate climate, like the Pacific Northwest, you can spend a great deal of time outside. Extending the home’s roof out further is a cost-effective way to keep the rain off your outdoor dinner party in addition to defining the space. With a few intentional design moves, a sense of place is created and the outdoor room quickly becomes one of the most treasured areas of a home.
8. Screen walls offer privacy without cordoning off the interiors. Well designed houses are typically open and spacious (regardless of square footage); one of the best ways to maintain privacy, without jeopardizing the quality of the spaces inside, is by using architectural elements that don’t touch the ceiling. These could be screens, cabinets or panels that frame views and conceal other areas. Etch-matte glass panels make for great screens because they let light in; when backlit they also tend to glow. When depth allows, cabinets provide screening and additional storage. Simple panels also allow for new materials and textures to compliment the home. The same applies at the exterior; a strategically placed privacy screen can eliminate the temptation to encircle the entire yard with a 6 foot high fence, bleck!
9. Let nature do the work. MCM design is very clever about using the inherent characteristics of materials as finishes within the home. The MCM design philosophy is all about authenticity and once you put on your authenticity thinking cap, materials like CMU blocks, plywood, and car decking look beautiful; they look exactly like what they’re doing. There are a couple of additional benefits here; it limits the “decoration” of a project and simplifies the decision making process, most of the materials also warm up the interiors, and lastly, it’s typically more cost-effective to leave materials just the way they are.
10. Quality of light is more important than the light fixture. Nothing bothers us more than lights that are overdesigned. While it’s appropriate to have a couple of special, well-designed lights within the home (often above the dining room table or at the kitchen island) for the most part we want the light without having to see the light fixture. MCM design is brilliant in this regard; lights are often tucked into soffits and softly wash light over a wall, or they’re hidden on top of a bank of cabinets to highlight an exposed wood ceiling.
1. Modestly nestling the home into the site
rather than building “on top of” the ground feels better. It keeps the
proportions of the home to a more natural scale and creates a more comfortable
setting. It’s also a considerate way to design that affords your neighbors more
view and day light. Part of this strategy involves keeping much of the
landscaping; this allows certain trees or plants to become view points from
inside the home, or while you’re standing on the terrace, it gives you
something to look at astutely while you sip your gin martini.
2. Keep it simple. It’s a consistent rule of
thumb in MCM design. Roof planes tend to be simple shed roofs which offer
plenty of daylight and view at the high side; the low profile on the opposite
side maintains the privacy and low horizontal proportions. They’re
straight-forward to frame, handsome visually, and cost-effective.
3. Good design creates a progression between
privacy and transparency. Often, upon approaching a MCM home, the entryway is
solid and private. Once you enter the home the interior becomes increasingly
transparent, until you reach a common area like the living room where the
interiors open up to the view and landscaping. This sequence of experiences
accomplishes several things; it maintains the privacy of the home toward the
street, it creates a pleasurable experience moving through the spaces, and it
rewards the viewer with a delightful view at the end (be it of a mountain, a
forest or simply a well manicured back yard).
4. Connecting the inside to the outside
creates harmony with the site. One of the subtlest, albeit most pleasing,
design moves in MCM design is the intentional move to extend the material of a
wall from inside to outside (or vice versa). This could be an exterior brick
wall that extends into an entry area or an interior cedar wall that continues
out to frame a courtyard.
7. Outdoor rooms are just as important as
indoor rooms. In a temperate climate, like the Pacific
Northwest, you can spend a great deal of time outside. Extending
the home’s roof out further is a cost-effective way to keep the rain off your
outdoor dinner party in addition to defining the space. With a few intentional
design moves, a sense of place is created and the outdoor room quickly becomes
one of the most treasured areas of a home.
8. Screen walls offer privacy without
cordoning off the interiors. Well designed houses are typically open and
spacious (regardless of square footage); one of the best ways to maintain
privacy, without jeopardizing the quality of the spaces inside, is by using
architectural elements that don’t touch the ceiling. These could be screens,
cabinets or panels that frame views and conceal other areas. Etch-matte glass panels
make for great screens because they let light in; when backlit they also tend
to glow. When depth allows, cabinets provide screening and additional storage.
Simple panels also allow for new materials and textures to compliment the home.
The same applies at the exterior; a strategically placed privacy screen can
eliminate the temptation to encircle the entire yard with a 6 foot high fence,
bleck!
9. Let nature do the work. MCM design is very
clever about using the inherent characteristics of materials as finishes within
the home. The MCM design philosophy is all about authenticity and once you put
on your authenticity thinking cap, materials like CMU blocks, plywood, and car
decking look beautiful; they look exactly like what they’re doing. There are a couple of additional benefits
here; it limits the “decoration” of a project and simplifies the decision
making process, most of the materials also warm up the interiors, and lastly,
it’s typically more cost-effective to leave materials just the way they are.
10. Quality of light is more important than the
light fixture. Nothing bothers us more than lights that are overdesigned. While
it’s appropriate to have a couple of special, well-designed lights within the
home (often above the dining room table or at the kitchen island) for the most
part we want the light without having to see the light fixture. MCM design is
brilliant in this regard; lights are often tucked into soffits and softly wash
light over a wall, or they’re hidden on top of a bank of cabinets to highlight
an exposed wood ceiling.
