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More Articles by Karla J. Nielson  More Design Perspectives

Drawing a Crowd
No matter the size of the home, there’s always one area where people tend to gather.
by Karla J. Nielson, Allied ASID, WCAA

Dateline: 2005—The room in a home that everyone gathered in used to be the kitchen, then it was family room, then the great room. Here’s the latest on how and why 2005 has seen an evolution in residential space planning and the creation of an area where (almost) everything takes place.

GATHERING SPOT

In today’s busy world, families are more fragmented, busy and laden with demands from work, school and community involvement than ever before. Compared to a generation or two ago, we find less time to simply be together. As this direction gained momentum, families and home designers found that the old way of formal living—with formal dining and living rooms, isolated kitchen, butler’s pantry and separate den or office and family room (also known as the recreation room or rumpus room just a few years ago)—created spaces that were not used by all family members on a daily basis. The great room was the answer and it made sense, but there were still spaces in a home that were seldom used yet somehow deemed necessary, such as the formal living and dining rooms, for example. The result was that the entire house became a McMansion—unwieldy in scale, vast in size and isolating to all family members.

Many people have discovered that there just is no real need for spaces that were so often unused, those just for show and demanding of resources and maintenance. In other words: wasted space.

Perhaps pathfinder credit goes to Sarah Susanka, architect, whose national best-seller “The Not So Big House” stated that the ideal home for this new way of life was a modest home where each room was in use every day. Further, a room that housed kitchen, dining, relaxation and conversation with places for gatherings as well as work and study stations made a pleasant environment.

She was quick to add, however, that there are times when a person needs a place to be alone, so she recommended the “away room” as a quiet, intimate space for reading, personal conversation or for individual media time.

Many people had already been on this track, finding that a multi-purpose room adds another advantage: if the philosophy of “dump the den, perish the parlor” is adhered to, then more square footage is available for the gathering space. Plus, the expenses saved by eliminating unused space means resources can be spent on details such as beautiful cabinetry, custom finish work, upscale fireplaces, lighting and, of course, furnishings.

WORKING TOGETHER

The days of formal family dining may be close to extinction. Surely, some clients do carry on the tradition, but the majority of Americans, even in the well-to-do class, are opting more and more for the dining-in option.

In today’s informal gathering space, sit-down dining areas demand beautiful tables and chairs and lovely pendant or chandelier lighting. When the table setting is lovely, no one cares that the stovetop is close by, within sight even. There is a familiarity that is comforting and encouraging in dining in or next to the kitchen.

In contrast to the history of the world, today’s cook no longer needs be isolated and the kitchen no longer poorly equipped. Rather, the kitchen portion of a home has become a place to be admired and enjoyed. It’s now sophisticated, gorgeous and shows off equipment and features that have exacted the lion’s share of the budget.

Cooking in a home’s gathering place is an event that accommodates all helping hands. Interaction that takes place as the meal is prepared somehow makes the meal itself more enjoyable. It’s a time to reconnect to loved ones, to listen to and to share what’s going on in our individual lives, to problem solve and give encouragement, and to celebrate successes.

Further, as a society we’ve loosened up and begun to simply enjoy food from the preparation to the cooking to the serving to the dining to the cleaning up. If we’re feeling particularly creative, just pull up a selection of recipes online from any corner of the world, and try your hand at something new. Computers that flip up (or down) from under cabinetry or countertops are marketed by IceBox, and computers now can be found in refrigerator doors (a new way to leave messages) and even in the microwave.

Cooking with these kinds of exciting high-tech conveniences adds to the fun when there are guests and becomes part of the family experience where time together can be productive and enjoyable. “Stay in touch and stay informed” might be the catchphrase of today’s residential gathering place.

Features found in homes that make working together a bonding experience include:

• Increased square footage for all welcomed helpers. Traffic patterns and workstations are planned so that overcrowding is a thing of the past.

• A variety of workstations, including two sinks, one often in the island; a large range plus ovens, warming drawers and microwaves; a large, strategically placed refrigerator and perhaps refrigerated drawers; various countertops in various heights that are functional, durable and handsome; and upscale, furniture-like cabinetry.

• Specialized lighting from clear work lighting to lower wattage mood and dining lighting. A variety of lighting types gives greater flexibility to the workspaces beyond food preparation. The beauty of designer lighting turns the kitchen into a work of art itself—from dimmable overhead downlighting to directed canister lighting, exciting pendant lighting and undercounter lighting—one room can have many moods.

• Pantries for food and cabinetry for beautiful place settings add to the elegance of today’s kitchen. Many upscale rooms have an adjoining butler’s pantry, always convenient and sometimes doorless, where serving dishes and place settings are stashed and where often can be found a second refrigerator, a second or third sink and a second dishwasher. This augments the ease of accommodating larger gatherings without visually overburdening the kitchen.

• Media and computer technology.

WORK @ HOME

Today’s gathering place or hub must have at least one computer desk—some even incorporate a portion of the room as a home office. There are several major advantages to merging the home office into the kitchen. For example, work or projects can proceed while the soup is simmering. When family members come and go they can greet each other and touch base about schedules and events. The open proximity of a computer helps parents monitor what sites the children (and adults) visit and gives them the opportunity to protect their children (and loved ones) against unwanted solicitations and inappropriate sites.

The computer can be a connector to family, friends and the outside world. The No. 1 hobby in America is gardening, but the No. 2 hobby is genealogy and family history, connecting families by learning about our roots. This can take place right in the room the immediate family gathers. Of course, family finances, calendars, meal planning, banking, investing and e-mail are all a part of the computer station.

A remarkable development in these beautiful gathering spaces is that they are stages for great events. These rooms can, and often do, accommodate family events: welcoming a new baby, celebrating graduations and religious open houses, hosting weddings, informal receptions, business functions, family reunions or other social gatherings.

When the kitchen space is beautiful, the dining space gracious for sit-down dining or buffet serving, and the seating arrangements welcoming and comfortable, it is no wonder these rooms are where everyone wants to be. The simple rule is: when people meet, we like to eat, and when we eat, we enjoy one another’s company more.

DECORATING THE HOME’S HUB

These multi-functional rooms need to be furnished with more durability than other spaces in the home because of the heavier use the furniture, flooring, cabinetry and fixtures receive. In some cases, the use may rival nonresidential settings where durability standards are set much higher.

Fabrics should hold up beautifully under repeated abrasion on upholstered furniture and be easily cleaned.

Crypton, the company that created Super Fabric, a fabric that offers stain, bacteria, odor and moisture protection, published the results of a survey revealing how designers specify fabric for high-use nonresidential settings. These ideas may form guidelines for furnishing the home’s gathering place:

• 61 percent of designers surveyed reported they use darker colors to hide wear and tear in hotels.

• 63 percent said their clients request stain-resistant fabric.

• 65 percent see a trend in altering designs because of pets in hotels.

• 69 percent say the worst hotel guests are smokers followed by kids (20 percent) and dogs (11 percent).

• 70 percent are asked to create hospitality designs that accommodate dogs and kids.

• 90 percent of designers would use lighter, brighter colors if they had a stain-resistant fabric. Most designers consider the worst problem stains to be wine and ink. (Source: Crypton postcare mailing to designers, February, 2004; www.cryptonfabric.com.)

As this area is the one room in a home that draws everybody, it may be wise to consider the ages, interests and capabilities of those who will use it, the type of spills and abuse the furniture may receive as well as the possibility of staining by beloved pets.

Look for materials that will withstand foot traffic—hard flooring and high durability in carpeting (perhaps nonresidential) and area rugs. Area rugs that are multi-colored and patterned often hide foot traffic and spills. They are easier to clean because they hide soil better. A patterned carpet also lasts longer because it hides the wear as well as the soiling.

Wall coverings and window treatments are especially important features because they often are the link between what used to be disconnected spaces. Now the continuity of theme, color scheme and wall treatment and fabric make the room a single space, bringing the elements together in ways they make sense. An elegant treatment over the kitchen sink is perfectly appropriate if the same or a similar treatment is used in the dining area and the conversation or media area of the room.

Be unafraid to suggest that the client indulge in the furnishing of this room. It is, after all, where they will spend most of their waking hours at home. It surely should be the most well-equipped, the most beautiful and the most enjoyable room in the house!