“The inglenook really became the heart of the house,” says architect Barbara Brown. “Everything circulates around this area.” Brown placed the nook in the approximate center of the footprint and organized the entry, stairwell, living room, and kitchen around it. The 7-foot-long benches are constructed of solid cherry to match other cabinetry and millwork in the house. Rough-sawn cedar planks, also used as exterior siding, demarcate the ceiling just above the nook to give the area distinction without closing it in. Detailing in the terra-cotta floor tile pattern also helps to define the recess while allowing it to integrate freely with adjacent rooms. The fireplace surround of sage green ceramic tiles interspersed with real copper accents enlivens Brown’s understated design.
Builder: Doyle Construction, Larkspur, Calif.; Architect: Barbara Brown Architects, Sausalito, Calif.; Photographer: Mark Trousdale.
