Blog

10/11/10
“Make No Small Plans”

Daniel Burnham architect and city planner (1846 to 1912) continued on to say, “make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men’s blood.”

Today small home plans are exciting, but what is it that makes them magical. The following eight steps to successful small plans will reveal their magic, layer by layer.

1- Honesty- Work with the home’s smallness by using simple forms and details that are in proportion with those forms. The charm will emerge without effort.
2- Engage the Outdoors- Patios Porches and Courtyards are additional rooms that will come to life when involved with the design of the floor plan. Start with outdoor cooking and dining and move on to other daily uses.
3- Multiple-use Rooms- It’s no longer just the bedroom that shapeshifts into a media room or office, nearly any room can be used more than one way, even bathrooms and kitchens.
4- Multiple Use Furniture- Couches have long held beds hidden beneath their formal exterior, but now tables become beds, kitchen islands change into dining tables, and what can you imagine is hidden within that wall of storage cabinets?
5- Use Restraint with Materials and colors- stick to one basic light color for walls, and ceilings with accents of color or contrasting material at terminations of long views through the home. Flooring that will function in most rooms will unify the interior and a similar material outside will bring it all together.
6- Flood the interiors with natural light, numerous large windows, skylights, and multiple sliding glass doors will all bring the light level up to equal that outside.
7- Eliminate steps from inside to outside- in addition to being more accessible it also unifies interior to exterior.
8- Provide ample maneuvering room- around furniture, through doors and in turning spaces. It’s easier and spaces seem larger.

There is more but you get the idea. Keep it simple, it’s best for a host of reasons and the magic will come effortlessly.

Can I build an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), Granny Flat, or Carriage House on my property? The number of residential zoning districts in the new Denver zoning code and the lengthy regulations complicate the answer to this question, but if you can respond positively to the following questions it’s likely that you can add that little house in the back yard:
1- Does the zone name for your property end in a 1, for example U-SU-H1, or -----
2- Does it have a TU or RH in the middle of the name, for example U-TU- B?

You can find this information about your property and more by searching for “Denver Assessor real property”- then select Denver Assessor’s Real Property Records-City and County of Denver- Search for your address in the “Real Property” page that comes up- when your name and address appear just click them to display the details.

I’ll not suggest you attempt to go deeper into the regulations unless you are familiar with finding your way through complex zoning ordinances. The positive thing is that many Denver residents may now build an ADU on their property.

For more information you can contact Mike at mike@kephartliving.com or visit our website< http://www.kephartliving.com>.

Labels: Accessory Dwellings, Carriage Houses, Granny Flats