I began designing The Griffith from a Mid-Century Modern concept layout, The Lisa, that I had done some time before. A Mid-Century Modern, being what it is, can be designed primarily for function (and coolness) without the limitations of convention. I thought that made it such a great layout that I would create a “tamed” version of it.
I always have goals when I start a design. Other than taming the Lisa, for the Griffith I wanted to create over-the-top interconnected outdoor and indoor living areas with the kitchen, of course, in the middle of it all.
A big part of that is the Bonus Room. I asked myself, why do they always have to be over the Garage? I know it’s a good place because the kids can be rowdy without disturbing those below. But there are other ways to create separation. Hence the over-sized downstairs Bonus Room in the Griffith II, separated by an outdoor living area or the Garage, depending on how you choose to get to it. This makes for a more grown-up Bonus Room. I built it around a suggested furniture/feature layout that serves that purpose. And without the hassle of stairs.
The corner sliding doors create an open connection to the main living area (which can also be opened up with its folding doors) through the outdoor living area in the back. This would not be possible with a traditional Bonus Room.
As you can see a lot of the house centers around this back outdoor living area, making sure it doesn’t get ignored. An outdoor living area that does not have good connection(s) to indoor living can be forgotten. This one is designed to be a hub of activity for entertainment, recreation, and relaxation. The built-in privacy creates the safe feeling of indoor relaxing, without being indoors.
My wife has influence on my design work, and she likes a cozy nook to unwind with a book. The Study/Craft Room was designed for that, and to do double duty as a place for homework or wrapping gifts, etc. And why shouldn’t working at the desk include a great view?
Another goal in this design was for every bedroom to be connected to a bathroom and a walk-in closet. The full bath in the Bonus is there for convenience and would also allow the Bonus to be used as a studio apartment (along with its large closet).
The Bonus Bath serves another purpose, too. It provides a place to clean up after outdoor activities such as yardwork or swimming, without necessitating a trip through the house.
I had several goals for the Owners Suite. One was to make it part of the outdoor vibe by connecting it to the main outdoor living area with large, glass doors. Another goal was to give it easy access to the Laundry Room. I also wanted it to have plenty of storage, which the bedroom-sized closet provides. And isolation from the other bedrooms and living area is achieved by connection through its own hallway.
The Griffith II shows a slightly larger Owners Closet with two separate areas. If you don’t need the separation, the more open design in the Griffith has almost as much storage and room for a dresser in the middle.
The highlight of the Kitchen is the huge island that can seat up to ten people. I wanted to keep it mostly uncluttered, so I put the cooktop and the main sink in other places. The small sink at the end provides easy food prep without encroaching into the eating area. Although the Kitchen is large, the size of the work triangle (refrigerator, sink, and stove) keeps steps to a minimum.
I’ve always been impressed with large windows over kitchen sinks. They create such an open feeling.
I designed the Pantry with the need for more upper wall cabinets in mind. I believe it more than makes up for the loss in the Kitchen created by the island and the large window over the sink. It also provides an out-of-sight storage space for the Kitchen.
Some pantries like this one include some kitchen appliances so that the Kitchen doesn’t need to be messed up to cook or stack dirty dishes. Though that is not shown here, the space is available.
All the windows in the Living Room connect to porches that limit the entrance of natural light. That’s why I created the vaulted ceiling with dormer windows above the front porch that let sunlight directly into the Living Room.
In The Griffith II, the Owners Bath, the Bonus Room, and the back Garage are larger than in The Griffith. These are the main differences. In the South a lot of people own boats, ATVs and RVs. I created the Griffith II to address this need with its large rear Garage.