Small Super Artsy Home and Garden in a Gated Community

This is the second of 2 properties that we have from StudioLocal, who are a husband and wife design and construction team. This small home was designed for one of their Moms, 13 years ago. It is located in an upscale gated community where the majority of homes cover the entire lot with 2 full floors and keep just a small sliver of exterior space in the back.

The design approach of this unique home placed far more value on the garden, as the house only needed 1 bedroom and an office, and thus the home lives inside a simple shed roofed form, low on the back end and high on the street side for 2 floors of space. One enters through a solid wood door into a narrow hallway, with a powder room and small laundry to one's right. To the left sits the end of a red painted plywood wall, and one can either go straight up into the great room, or use another hallway on the other side to privately access the office, or to go to the pantry to store stuff.

The main area is clearly the high ceilinged kitchen with its bar style concrete island open to the adjacent family room area, with a large hardwood and glass window wall system that has two custom sliding glass doors to open the interior to the exterior. The kitchen sink sits in an alcove within a red box, that also hides the fridge and storage cabinets. Above that cube, ascending up a narrow stair, sits an open concept office with an ample corner window with a nice view which also acts as an alcove for chatting or for comfortably reading a book.

On the other end of the house, one enters a private master bedroom connected to a very open and light filled master bathroom, with a closet along one wall. Outside, when it rains, all the water spills off the roof into a water garden. I can imagine the effect is quite exhilarating. On a current downside, one also looks at a drab grey concrete block wall, but this designer thinks a colorful mural on this entire tall back wall of the property would be amazing.

Outside, the garden includes plantings along the neighbors wall, a lawn area, an open deck for tea and chats, and a wood fence of horizontal wood battens providing privacy from the entry and street. It is a cozy space where multiple birds have also created their homes.

The home could use some small fixes and maintenance, but overall its doing good. It is priced high if one only looks at cost per square meter of interior space, like the majority, but as a unique work of art, its the price that the retiring Mom needs to move into the next phase of her life.

For garden lovers that no longer have kids, or anyone seeking a second home in the City, this could be a lovely choice unlike any other. It is located in a safe area, close to good shopping, restaurants, and entertainment.