living rooms

The open living room is anchored by a large fireplace and connected to the dining room and kitchen.

Instead of peering into the homes of neighbors, residents revel in nature.

The ideal cabin feature: a fireplace.

In the living area, a muted palette takes cues from the outdoors.

Two smaller, adjacent structures house autonomous bedrooms, each equipped with a full bathroom.

Design-build firm StudioMET helped Sunil and Shelly Patel create a multigenerational home in Houston. The brick wall in the living area is accented with bricks salvaged from the original house on the site. The lounge chairs, sectional, and ottoman/ table are from Article. In the dining area, a pendant from Avenue Lighting hangs above a custom copper table. The draperies are from The Shade Store.

The home's main level observes the surrounding gardens. Perched at mid-canopy height, the glazed walls completely soak up the greenery that surrounds them.

Using architectural-grade materials and AAMA-certified low-profile wheels, the flush-stacking, multi-slide door panels operate effortlessly and can be hidden away into a pocket in the wall.

Since the clients wanted to host large social gatherings, the architects designed an open-plan living room and dining area that expands seamlessly to the outdoors.

The interior furnishings were all chosen by the homeowners to complement the home's modern design and building materials.

“Creating efficient space is valuable, but for us, rooms that offer visual and spatial continuity with nature are also important,” architect Julie Dowling explains. “When the sliding doors are open, the living room and kitchen double in size.”

A glass-walled bridge links the master bedroom with the office on the upper floor. The layout creates a double-height space for the living area and keeps the drama of the exposed concrete ceiling visible from the ground floor.

Large sliding glass doors provide a seamless transition from the indoors to the outdoors.

Not only does the slanted roof allow for the parrots to fly around, but it also brings in light from one side to counteract the potential glare of water on the other. A Kelston 95

Radiant floor heating, a high-efficiency boiler, a heat recovery ventilator, and a convection wood stove work to conserve energy.