Symmetry, perspective and the eye of the beholder

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So this week, Chris Hanley (my contractor) began the process of building out the triad on the west wall of the brownstone. At the end of the living room and opposite the stair, we have a structure that houses the coat closet, the new powder room and the cleaning closet. This will be the counter point to an open stairwell into the new kitchen.

The first thing that Chris noticed was that if we started the wall where the architect had originally drawn it to create alignment with the winding stair, we were really taking a big bite out of the living room. So we pushed it back a bit. This was a good move in that the fireplace is now actually centered in the room.

However, this raised the issue of how to create doors that were equally centered in the space which Chris was really worried about.

We called Paul Coughlin the architect and asked him to help us refigure the space based on shrinking the coat and cleaning closets, while preserving 65" for the powder room  and  reclaiming that space for the living room.

Paul came right back with a plan. The dimensions looked good, but I didn't like the big doors opening out, into the path. It was feeling like the potential for a "whack a mole" gauntlet, on the main path into the kitchen.

More texting and emails back and forth to Paul and he gave me a split door solution on the coat closet and cleaning closet and a pocket door for the bath. This would give us symmetry and framing on the sides of the powder room and on opportunity to leave the powder room door open most of the time peering into a small lovely space without seeing the toilet.

But I still had a problem, because for me the thing that would make me happiest would begin with the view I would have coming down the stairs every morning. To be greeted by half wall, have doorway was not going to work for me.  So the objective became to figure out how to deliver that pleasing visual. So I stood on the stair for quite some time trying to figure it out. 

Finally, we realized that if we flipped the toilet to the opposite wall and then either add a small sink or lovely corner sink, we could serve all masters. 

Now, when I will come down my stair I will look into a lovely little space that might have a little chandelier, some wonderful wall paper and maybe a mirror — all framed by a doorway that is i line with the stair.

With that decision made, framing, electrical  and plumbing commenced and we are back on track.

We will close this up by Friday and start thinking about finishing tile and fixtures next week.

And then it is on to the kitchen in the garden apartment...