Progress on the lakefront

This winter my sister, Christi, moved into lakefront room in a home in St. Joseph, MI.  The view is AMAZING, and the space is very open, but required a little planning to make it a usable, efficient, and attractive space.

When I met with Christi, we discussed what the space would be used for, and determined she would need a place to sleep, space and seating to entertain up to 8 guests, a living area that doubled as a guest sleeping area, and a dining space that doubled as workspace.

There are no built-in storage units, or closets in the space, so finding adequate places to stow things was an issue.  We decided on a decorative coat hanger near the entrance, and other smaller tables with drawers.  We also used the larger dresser that had been left behind by someone as a stand for the television, and for the majority of her storage needs.

This room is still a work in progress, with a need for more lighting (there is one main light to fill the space).  We are also still planning window treatments for the exterior windows in the room, since the existing blinds are in disrepair.

Here are some pictures to show you how it's coming along! :)

Before

Because this room was a four-seasons room added onto the back of the house, there is a sliding glass door, which is the entry-way for the room.

There is also a window between the master bedroom and this bedroom (another result of this room being an "afterthought").

For privacy, and aesthetics, I installed curtains in front of both the window and the door wall.  To liven the room and create visual interest, I chose a bright green color for the window treatments. 

The view outside is Lake Michigan.  We chose a light blue-grey, soothing tone in an eggshell finish for the walls, to mirror the color of the sky, and tie into the theme of water surrounding the home.

 The wall color, being a cool finish should help to create a relaxing environment.





After

You see here, the bedroom area in the background, and the living room in the foreground.  Not shown is a small dining set, near the entry way of the room.

Once we sat down to discuss and plan, the layout of the room became clear-- entry, dining, living, sleeping.

The sleeping area would be furthest away from entry, for privacy and safety, with a dressing mirror close to the bed. 

Seating and an entertainment area would be central to the room, with the seating positioned so that guests could easily view the television, as well as the view outside.  The tan sectional is a used freebie I found a few years back, and is perfect as multi-functional, movable seating, as well as a sleeper for guests (when all sections are pushed together in a row).

The dining area would be closest in proximaty to the entryway of the room which is almost adjacent to the kitchen.  We positioned the dining here for ease and convenience, and to keep food and beverages far away from the bedding.

As I said, this is a work in progress, with much to be done!  I will keep posting updates of the space, for your enjoyment!