Room of the Day: A New Art Studio Paints a Perfect Picture
http://www.decor-ideas.org 10/12/2014 22:13 Decor Ideas
Artist Elise Marshall has been painting since she was 10 years old. And throughout that time, she’s always relied on spare rooms or crowded garages to make her art. So after living in a small house with her software engineer husband, Edward Domning, and saving for a long time, they began looking for a property with a backyard big enough to build an entire art studio just for her.
They found that in Orinda, California, where they recently worked with architect Lara Dutto to build a picture-perfect studio that has inspiring views of the Oakland hills and plenty of space in which to move around. “I’m able to work in larger scale,” Marshall says. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Photos by Paul Dyer
Siting the studio was the biggest challenge. Dutto chose a spot on a hill that capitalized on the views. She then studied the sun’s path to create a structure based on passive solar design principles. “I knew I didn’t want her to get blasted with south light. That’s bad for art,” Dutto says. Deep overhangs block the intense southern sun. “When it’s 110 degrees out, it never gets hotter than 70 in there,” she says.
Solar panels provide enough energy to run the studio and cut the main house’s energy bill a little. Rain-harvesting systems also are in place.
Marshall, an avid gardener, planned the landscaping leading up to her studio, arranging it so she can take a break from painting, take a few steps down, do some gardening and return if inspired.
The overhangs create a shaded wraparound porch that Marshall can use to paint outdoors if she wants to. But with five French doors, that’s not necessary. “With all the doors open, it feels like I’m outside anyway,” she says.
They chose not to go with oversize doors or large sliders. “For this house and site, it felt more appropriate to use the scale of traditional patio doors,” Dutto says. “Having 6-foot by 8-foot patio doors open creates a really nice connection when lined up like this.”
The 760-square-foot studio gives Marshall plenty of room for painting large-scale abstract expressionism works, and for hosting art classes and artist friends on the weekends. “The vibe up there is really good,” the artist says. “Everybody just loves it. It’s a bit of a walk up the hill, but nobody minds, because it’s got such a good feel in there.”
The tongue and groove cedar ceiling was an “aha” moment for the team. They had originally talked about having a mocha-colored floor with a tongue and groove ceiling painted all white to reflect light throughout the studio. But when the contractors showed up with planks of gorgeous cedar wood, Dutto knew they shouldn’t paint it.
The downside was that this created a light-sucking effect. A white, fly-ash-concrete floor helps mitigate that, as do three skylights on the northern side of the roof. The skylights line up with the south-facing French doors. This symmetry and order were intentional, Dutto says, to establish a calm atmosphere.
Still, lighting is a work in progress in the studio. Marshall experiments with different lighting methods to supplement the pendants and track lighting. The cross beams have come in handy for this. Marshall is able to clip and hang various lighting fixtures over the beams for different task lighting. “She’s done Christmas lights, clamped-on spotlights, everything,” Dutto says.
“Not many places can you get away with picking purple for a front door,” Dutto says of the Dutch-style front door.
A nearby niche is set up for reading and doing research. There’s a small powder room in the corner, where the artist can wash supplies. Shelves and a small loft space above the powder room provide storage for canvases and brushes.
Door paint: Darkest Grape 2069-30, Benjamin Moore
Shelves and a closet on the other side provide more storage, and Marshall can use magnets to hang artwork on the perforated metal sliding door.
But perhaps the biggest benefit now is that she doesn’t have to clean up a spare room or garage after she’s done for the day. “I just close the door, which has been a godsend,” she says.
Design: Lara Dutto, Laraarchitecture
Architect of record: Burton Architecture
Structural engineer: Yu Structural Engineers and Strandberg Engineering
General contractor: Kasten Builders
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