Back40House photos are now uploaded to the project site.
Check-out these initial shots and please check back later as the we refine and add to the story. We have a lot more to share about this project, which we’ll be doing regularly over the next several months.
For instance, feel free to check-out our Instagram page for interesting storylines/details.
One of our favorite publishers called this week, and will feature a story about modern lakehouse, “Esther” that they’ll release in April.
Concurrently, we had been planning a late winter trip to gather missing key shots. Equally important, we want to finish our own story about the project. Happily, we were able to get the missing information and share with the editors.
This was our second official collaboration with this most talented client – and we hope not the last!
Please check-back in late March, as we’ll plan to highlight the story at release! Indianapolis Monthly April 2019 – Home of the Month “Healing Waters”.
This master stair was sculpted from original roof rafters that were salvaged from the roof demolition to create the new master suite at the Classic Irvington Modern Tudor project. This shot is from the top looking down within the modern addition on the back of the home. Stairs are open riser to allow light to pass through the addition north to south. Acrylic guardrail cladding provides safety + diffused light to adjacent spaces. Bars at landing prevent one from tumbling into yard.
This Midcentury closet detail is one of many refined retro-modern features at Midcentury Modern Renovation 2 in Williams Creek area. Spring has sprung and Owner has moved-into the project even while mostly exterior work continues forward. Happy Earth Day!
Very nice article from Design Sponge about Broad Ripple Bungalow – A Vibrant, Playful Home for a Creative Family in Indianapolis.
Article by Kate Oliver
When San Francisco transplants Alan and Deborah Leerkamp decided to lay down roots in the Midwest with young daughter Samuelle, they knew they’d be hard-pressed to find an open-concept home in a neighborhood where the vast majority of homes built in the 20s and 30s have remained untouched. Instead, they focused their efforts on finding a house in the best location: a place close to school and work with a strong sense of community, where they could walk or bike just about anywhere they needed to go.
Just a few miles north of a vibrant, rapidly shifting downtown Indianapolis, IN lies Broad Ripple Village, a walkable community long known for its tree-lined streets and traditional homes with coffee, groceries, breweries, and a great spot to brunch right around the corner. After finding a 1920s Craftsman in the heart of the neighborhood, Deborah, an art director and designer, began planning and sketching an entirely new layout that worked for their family and lifestyle — although you’d never guess such a colorful, open space was behind the front door of the quaint bungalow.
With the help of a local architect, Deborah’s vision for a welcoming, modern home came to life. By opening up the attic, exposing beams, and tearing out walls, she created a unified space that invited conversation and quality time for the close-knit family of three; a lively home where Samuelle would love growing up. The couple added unexpected, playful elements they dreamed of having in their own childhoods: a secret treehouse loft accessed by a rope ladder and a big yellow tube slide from the main level to the basement playroom for Samuelle and her friends (and sometimes adults, too!). The main living quarters consist of the open-concept great room, two bedrooms, bathrooms, and an office that feels proportionate to their family on a daily basis, but their nest can expand when the family needs a little extra space. A creative room with soaring ceilings connects the main house to a private guest loft for visiting family and friends.
The Leerkamps have created a home that is honest, approachable, and so uniquely them — a home that not only serves their needs, but one that brings them true joy. Their home is a reflection of who they are: welcoming, genuine, and warm people who seek a life well-lived. It serves as a reminder to break the rules sometimes, to create homes that truly represent who we are and make us smile when we open the door after a long day. —Kate
See the article, 6 Great Built Ins for Kids Rooms, on Houzz.com. Classic Irvington Tudor Remodel’s custom bunk beds are featured in number 4, “Built-in Everything”.
Check out the project page here.
Creative Shared Bedroom Ideas Kids Modern Bedroom
Check out this article at Freshome.com which features HAUS custom shared kids’ room – project photo #15.
March 7, 2016
Laughing…crying…playing…fighting. A shared sibling bedroom is a beehive of activity and needs. And that means there’s a lot for parents to tackle when creating their kids’ shared bedroom. With twice the amount (or more) of evolving personalities and necessities, it’s often a daunting task for parents to accommodate storage, space and the individual style of each child.
Here are some helpful tips to overcome common design challenges and create a happy and functional room for your young roommates.
Designing a room for a brother and a sister doesn’t have to be challenging. In fact, it’s probably the easiest challenge to overcome when planning a shared room.
Your first step is to select an underlying color palette for the main elements of the room (walls, rug, furniture) that is gender neutral…and, if they’re old enough to chime in, that each sibling gives the thumbs up. Color combos such as white and grey, turquoise and white or a mix of primary colors work well for both boys and girls.
To complement your underlying palette, layer complementary colors and patterns on top of that. For example in a grey and white room, try accenting with yellow accessories. For patterns, lean towards stripes, chevron or solids with large geometric shape(s).
When selecting furniture, opt for furniture with clean lines and that’s non-themed (steer clear of the race car or sleeping beauty beds) and pair with neutral colored essentials such as lamps and window treatments.
The exciting part of creating a super fun bedroom for your young brood is accessorizing and customizing design elements to match their budding personalities. Select design elements that make the room feel like it belongs to both of them. Personalize accessories throughout the room such as wall art or coat hooks. Marquee lights with their names or first initial add a pop of energy and excitement to any space. Likewise, subtly add gender specific themes in one or two accessories, but keep them color coordinated. For example when accessorizing with red, try a throw pillow with a red fire engine for him, and a pillow with a red flower or heart for her. Storage that is complementary to the design scheme but specific for each gender (think charcoal for boys and yellow for girls) can also seamlessly pull a room together.
Sometimes its not just Jeremy and Sarah that you need to accommodate, but a 3-year-old Jeremy and a 4-month-old Sarah can definitely add another layer of design anxiety.
The first thing to tackle is the furniture layout. If you have a baby, chances are you’ll be in and out of the room at night to tend to the baby. If possible, place their beds in opposite corners or walls with the crib being most accessible to the door. Obviously structural elements such as windows and heaters can dictate otherwise but your design objective is to give each child the most comfortable night’s sleep without one waking the other.
Creating a play area that both siblings can enjoy, even simultaneously, is super helpful, especially for tired mommies and daddies. Floor mats, cushions and soft larger items like a rocking horse and tents are perfect to outline the area and fun for both to play in. Place your older child’s toys in accessible storage containers, but higher than the floor so your youngest can’t easily touch it.
For example, whether it’s a bookshelf, storage cube or wall unit, place baby friendly toys and items on the lower shelves. Your toddler or older child can stand and reach for the basket of Lego.
Incorporate elements that show your children their growing family. Photos of the kids together, framed handprints of when they each were newborns encourage them to appreciate their younger or older sibling while adding a warm family atmosphere to their bedroom.
Finding the space in one room for twice as much furniture and storage is one of the most daunting tasks when designing a shared room. This is where your resourcefulness and editing eye need to kick into high gear. Less is definitely more in a shared bedroom, as is multifunctional and shared design.
As a baseline, selecting streamlined furniture is essential to keep the room feeling as spacious as possible and allow for storage and playing. If your kids are old enough, bunk beds are always an excellent choice. Whether L-shaped or vertical, a bunk bed is an efficient use of space and oftentimes has built-in storage underneath.
Speaking of…under the bed storage such as rollaway drawers is always helpful in creating more space and can hold seasonal or limited use items. Storage chests with cushions can be used as a seat to a play table as well as conceal a mountain of toys. A wall unit with drawers can pull double duty as a dresser and desk.
Shelving is super convenient for toy organization as it doesn’t take up a lot of space and can be placed above dressers, desks, even above the door for hardly used items. Similarly, placing a bookshelf at the foot of the bed doesn’t take up valuable wall space and may even give you another surface near the bed for a lamp or nighttime book.
For clothing, wall and door hooks are helpful for every-day go-to items. In the closet, install two rods (i.e. double hanging) so each child can have separate hanging space.
Regardless of your design challenge, when creating a shared room for your little ones if you stick to resourceful, efficient, fun and creative choices, you’ll no doubt create a bedroom your kids will love!
How are you going to design your kids’ bedroom?