Looking for some relief from the hustle and flow of urban living, husband-and-wife architect team Joseph Greif and Cynthia Nolting hit upon the idea of turning a humdrum portion of their back deck into a retreat. The idea for the outdoor room, seperated from the main house by a mere seven feet, fortuitously came about when the deck's dilapidated, pre-existing shed roof finally rotted through. With two daughters, and not much room to breathe inside their 1,500 square-foot, three bedroom house, Nolting began to fantasize about creating a one-of-a-kind getaway.
Within a week, she and Greif had drawn up plans and, three weeks later, the space was built. The resulting free-standing room-basically an 8-by-10-foot box illuminated by a translucent ploycarbonate roof and windows looking out onto the fern-lined rocky hillside--is not only a retreat for the spirit, but a treat for the eyes.
These days Nolting uses the space fore daily meditation and yoga. No doublt she finds it more conducive to "attaining stillness" that the dark bedroom closet in which she used to meditate.
"It is very restorative to sit in this space each day," she says. "To be alone and look at the only the greenery in the garden is such a contrasting experience to living within the limitations of a bungalow on a city-sized lot." Adds Nolting, "Even with a small floor area, the ceiling height and the openings to the light and garden allow the room to be uplifting to be in."
It just goes to show how even a little space can play a big part in making a happier home. (Written by Roddy Scheer)
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