apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Play House: Kid-Friendly Adult Decor, or Vice-Versa
Sunset Magazine

2-9-09-bungalow.jpg

Kim Clements and Joe Schneider are a husband and wife design team with three young boys. Their Seattle bungalow is a colorful, bright showcase of how to live abundantly with modest space.

2-9-09-bungalow-thumbs.jpg

 
 

2-9-09-bungalow-02.jpg

They've designed their dining room with the now-ubiquitous chalkboard wall, but continue the industrial inspiration with a covet-inducing dining table made from bowling lanes. Check out the positioning of the rug under the table; we like how it leaves the floor bare right under the chalkboard (imagine the chalk dust), and extends the carpeted area into the room for a bit more play space.

2-9-09-bungalow-03.jpg

The article also includes some good color tips from Clements, such as:

• Use artwork to choose your color palette
• Don't try to use every color
• Choose a base color that really changes in different light, so that it is dynamic and constant at the same time
• Use bold color in small splashes

2-9-09-bungalow-04.jpg

The family also makes the space work by sacrificing one area designated for clutter, rather than spreading it through the whole house. It might seem hard to offer up a whole room, corner or nook for this purpose when you're already squeezing the most out of a small space, but compartmentalizing clutter is worth it.

2-9-09-bungalow-05.jpg

2-9-09-bungalow-06.jpg

View the Slideshow at Sunset

Images: John Granen and Kimberly Brown Seely

Tags

inspiration

Related Links

Share

Comments (16)

This is so bright and cheerful while remaining adult and, in a surprising way, sophisticated.

I am in love with the bathroom sink and counter. Also, does anyone have a guess as to the teal/green colour that runs through their dining room?

posted by ahickman on February 11th 2009 at 4:41pm
view ahickman's profile

Square footage? "Small," and "modest" are subjective terms and these images, while pleasant, don't appear to be packed with space-saving solutions.

posted by amed studio on February 11th 2009 at 4:47pm
view amed studio's profile

I, too, LOOOOOVE the bathroom sink. It wouldn't fit mine, but it is gorgeous.

In the article it says, "Choose one dynamic base color “Look for a color that functions in different ways under different light, and use it liberally,” Clements says. Her blue-green-gray wall color (Russian Olive by C2) is used throughout the house but looks distinct in every room."

posted by kav122 on February 11th 2009 at 4:47pm
view kav122's profile

i am so in love with this beautiful, airy, light-filled space.

posted by abigailbelle on February 11th 2009 at 5:20pm
view abigailbelle's profile

I love the bathroom and you could change out the color of the base when you want.

posted by LoriSF on February 11th 2009 at 5:26pm
view LoriSF's profile

I love it. The colors and the light are fantastic.

posted by kelleyk on February 11th 2009 at 5:27pm
view kelleyk's profile

this makes me want to have children.... D8

posted by frozenemotion9 on February 11th 2009 at 5:34pm
view frozenemotion9's profile

amed studio: I think that before we scoff at the word "modest," we have to remember that 5 people are living in this space.

I'm a Seattle resident myself, and these Craftsman bungalows are quite abundant in the area. Though comfortable, with big windows and gorgeous built-ins, the floor plans can be extremely limiting. I actually live in the top half of one right now... my boyfriend and I love it, but we have struggled to make the most of the space.

posted by shockthebourgeois on February 11th 2009 at 5:42pm
view shockthebourgeois's profile

where is that rug from in that picture with the shelves and hanging coats??? i think i like.

posted by lab director on February 11th 2009 at 6:13pm
view lab director's profile

One thing to think about, having lived in a typical 60's era split entry w/ 4 bedrooms and 2 baths and 6 of us (3 older sisters and myself, both parents and at least 2 dogs if not a cat or two) living in what my Mom says was 2200SqFt total between both floors and yes, it was a tight fit but we managed and most bungalows typicaly are 1.5 stories to begin with so most of the space is actually on the ground floor w/ the basement unfinished.

And more than anything, it's the inefficient use of that space in those old homes that makes fitting a family of that size comfortably a challenge and with young active boys too.

But I love what they have done even though their style isn't quite my style, it's how they used color to help keep the space cheery and kid friendly while keeping it in line for adults too.

posted by ciddyguy on February 11th 2009 at 7:51pm
view ciddyguy's profile

I'm not scoffing shockthebourgeois. I'm just saying that a key detail is missing from the description both here and at sunset.com. What one family of 5 considers 'modest,' another might consider either 'luxurious' or 'cramped.' We can't make up our own minds unless we have all of the information.

posted by amed studio on February 12th 2009 at 12:40pm
view amed studio's profile

I loooooove that marigold yellow garden stool...sigh.

posted by marie516 on February 12th 2009 at 2:19pm
view marie516's profile

I second Lab Director. The rug in the picture with the shelves and coats looks like it would be cute. I would love to see a bigger picture / know a source.

posted by kr60201 on February 14th 2009 at 1:36pm
view kr60201's profile

I thought I had seen the rug before, but turned out to bea different one at Garnet Hill. The colors are not as bright and the scale is different, but the idea is similar.

posted by libraryhead on February 14th 2009 at 3:38pm
view libraryhead's profile

It's very airy and cheerful and well-organized. LOVE all the accessories.

posted by evany on February 15th 2009 at 4:33am
view evany's profile

I think it's very pretty, but I was a bit shocked that it was 2200 sq ft and they were calling it modest. After seeing so many teeny tiny spaces on AT, 2200 sq ft seems positively gargantuan.

posted by BadJuJu77 on February 16th 2009 at 4:49pm
view BadJuJu77's profile