Living
and
Dining
Joined by graceful archways, the entry vestibule, living room and dining room flow together into a warm and inviting whole while each still retains its individual character.
Watch any DIY or home improvement channel for longer than seven minutes and you're likely to hear the buzz word most lately beaten to death by the so-called experts: "great room."
Also more warmly and fuzzily referred to as the "family room," this invention of the very late twentieth century has become increasingly de rigeur for today's smart real estate shopper.
Really?
What, we've often pondered, is so darn great about this so-called great room and thus the reason for its curious moniker?
Expansive square footage, no doubt. A great big box to fill up with idle toys and errant Cheetos.
At least, that's all we've been able to come up with.
Bigger, apparently goes the logic, is better.
Not so, we would argue, if the average American waistline is any indication. But seriously, folks.
We, of course, prefer to take our cue from the richness of the past, when homes were composed of distinctly individual rooms, each with its own purpose, personality and character.
These homes never felt cramped nor claustrophobic.
Why?
Because each room naturally flowed into the next, often through large openings, sometimes cased, sometimes not, sometimes arched, sometimes square.
Besides adding a note of fine high style, these passageways often provided an element of functionality, too, as when a large rectangular opening was flanked by built-in bookcases.
But back to the present and our Tudor Revival cottage.
Here we chose to use a simple rounded arch for our openings and not, as you might expect, the knee-jerkingly obvious Tudor arch.
And a quick peek in the living room will tell you why.
Notice that the radius of our arches exactly mirrors both the mahogany plank front door as well as the curved pewter-toned surround of the unique "coal-fired" propane fireplace that is the centerpiece of this charming living room. Perfect!
And speaking of built-ins (roll back a few paragraphs), both the living room and dining room come fully equipped.
First, in the dining room, twin custom cabinets feature beaded-board backs with lighted glass shelving.
What better location than this for showcasing all your fine crystal—or, better yet, a colorful collection of vintage Carnival Glass?
Capping off this cozy dining space is an antique reproduction chandelier done up in brushed nickel and glass.
Like all the rest of the antique reproduction lighting used throughout our tidy cottage, this one is fashioned in our favorite style, the always fun Art Deco.
Second, we turn our attention back to the living room, where we find an entire wall of custom built-in cabinetry flanking our English-inspired fireplace with its gently-curving solid-fir hearth.
Each bookcase cabinet features open shelving on top, with deeper shelving beneath, behind closed doors.
While cutting-edge electronics are definitely way cool, we find they're best secreted away, so as not to spoil the old-house ambience.
Lighting the mantel as well as the staircase is a set of matching (you guessed it!) Art Deco wall sconces. A closer inspection of these fixtures will show that their black enamel and pewter tones repeat the composition of materials in the fireplace surround. Subtle and sweet!
Tones in black are repeated again in the wrought-iron balustrade of the lovely Gothic staircase.
And finally, over the stair landing, a stained glass window, just because.
