1. .
 UTILIZING E VERY S QUARE FOOT HO L ID AY I S SU E 2 0 1 0
ORGANIZING A HOME INTO SEPERATE
ZONES (UTILITY, PUBLIC, AND
PRIVATE) HELPS AVOID THE CREA-
TION REDUNTANT SPACES …... 2
 UTILIZING E VERY S QUARE FOOT
A HOME’S UNIQUENESS COMES
THROUGH WHEN EACH SQUARE
FOOT IS CAREFULLY THOUGHT
THROUGH…….…………....... 3
Macklin Design
 APPLIANCE CONVENIENCE
IF YOUR APPLIANCES NO LONGER
MAKE YOUR LIFE CONVENIENT
THEN NOW MAY BE A GOOD TIME
TO CONSIDER UPGRADING ....... 4 DRAWING
PERSONAL INSIGHT
INTO DESIGNING Y OUR
FINE HOME
interests
Daylighting
Utilizing every square Door
To
foot you own Mud
Hall
TV
We have decided to dedicate our first annual Holiday issue to help- Eating Food Prep
ing you utilize every square foot you own, both inside and outside.
By walking through the design process of a new residence it will
help you identify those underutilized spaces in your existing home. Great Circulation
Room Kitchen
Far too often, when we are first Efficiency and well-
approached by a potential remodel/ proportioned spaces are key This photo shows four functions that take place everyday
in your own home (eating, food preparation, circulation,
addition client, they come with the elements in this home. The
and tv viewing) all combined into one shared space.
expectation of adding square homeowners brought with them
footage to a home that doesn’t a realistic expectation of a home
even need it. Poor layout of existing that would fit the two of them. They
spaces leads to much unrest in our did not want to pay the price of
COMING
homes, and many times the designing and building out rooms
problems can be solved simply by that would be used only a few
reworking the interior rather than times each year. Holidays and NEXT ISSUE
punching through an exterior wall. dinner parties would simply have
Unfortunately, many of our homes to be fit into the spaces that
 Changing up a room layout,
have largely unused rooms and were designed for two. Instead,
circulation areas that we feel we they opted to invest in quality subtle changes make a big impact
need to hold on to. In this new materials and fine craftsmanship  Remodel vs. Addition
home we kept circulation and that resulted in beautiful and
 Timing IS everything
unused rooms to a minimum and, pleasing spaces.
as a result, the homeowners live in
and utilize the entire residence.
14165 N. FENTON RD., STE. 203A MACKLINDESIGN.COM
810.714.0000 CHRIS@MACKLINDESIGN.COM
FENTON, MI 48430 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1

2. drawing Utilizing every square foot
conclusions Utility Public Private
editorial by chris macklin D
Price, Quality,
Time & People Entry
Decorative Finish Lndry Foy Office/
Bath
Driveway Kit Guest
Bed
Throughout Bed
P L
dn
Hall
Mud Hall
Covered W/I
Eat Bath Master
Car Port/ Pdr Clos.
E Bed
Breezeway
Q fp
ws
ws
In the last issue we dis- Great C
Patio/Driveway
cussed that we need to be Room
Courtyard
PRICE-conscious; not only Detached
3-Car B
for ourselves, but also for the Garage
other people involved. In this
issue I will cover the second
point, QUALITY, which can
Afternoon
be confusing because it dif- Shade Area to
Covered
fers greatly from person to ws er
Patio Vie dflow
il d
person. W Fiel
Views to Riding Stable & Distant Woods A
Most of us would agree that
we have expensive taste... Three distinct zones are found in It is worth mentioning that the home-
until we see the price. Then this fine home—utility, public, and owners do not drive large SUVs—if
we try to convince ourselves private. As you can see in the they did, this particular space would
that we aren’t really asking illustration above, none of the zones not have ended up being as quaint
for much...only mid-grade. At bleeds into the other—each is as it is. Human beings like the
that point, we either end up distinct and is connected to the next feeling of being in a proportionately
with a lower quality product, logical space. Because of this scaled space. We enjoy not being
or we end up frustrated that simple massing, there are no squished and oppressed as much
we paid a price that we feel redundant spaces. as we enjoy not being overpowered
was too high. Sometimes we by too large of a surrounding.
just need to be encouraged In Utility, there is a Mud Hall, Laun-
that it’s okay to invest in dry, Storage and Powder Room. In Public, the Kitchen—with
quality. The flooring is a durable resilient tile attached Pantry—flows easily into
that stands up to the snowiest the Eating area that is bedecked by
In this newsletter’s featured grandkids’ boots. Additionally, the the rugged elegance of a double-
home, quality—not quan- adjacent location of the covered sided fireplace. The fireplace helps
tity—was everything. The carport makes the detachment of to delineate the Great Room from
homeowners were not look- the garage inconsequential. The the Eating area, as well as providing
ing for a large home, but homeowners use it as a convenient a sound buffer between the rooms.
they wanted beautiful materi- ―valet‖ area that makes carrying in As a daylighting feature, clerestory
als applied with superior groceries a breeze. windows were added to the core of
craftsmanship. They also this space to provide indirect lighting
wanted each space to be Pulling the garage away from the and to add more depth of interest to
meaningful—no room should house not only allowed the house to an otherwise flat ceiling (see cover
go unused. remain a comfortable scale, but also page for a photo of this space).
it provided an outdoor courtyard
Continued on page 4 space that is the homeowner’s
favorite spot on hot summer days.
FACEBOOK.COM/MACKLINDESIGN TWITTER.COM/MACKLINDESIGN MACKLINDESIGN.SMUGMUG.COM
2

3. In the Great Room, a long clerestory
spans the length of the room to pro-
the need for extra circulation space
to the bathroom, but also provides a
project
vide a dramatic daylighting feature.
The vast amount of glass in this
necessary sound buffer for the early
riser. Views of the wildflower sketchbook
space is anchored by the warm field are captured through the
tones of Douglas Fir, so that even stair-stepped windows at the
on the coldest winter day the room corner of the bedroom (see
feels cozy (see photo B, at right). photo C, at right).
As you step through the French
doors out onto the covered patio, Another unique characteristic
you get a sense that the patio is a of this home is the use of
true extension of the Great Room large armoires in lieu of built-
with the regularity of the columns, in closets in the second and
as well as the matching tongue-and third bedrooms. The benefits:
–groove Douglas Fir ceiling. it conserves space, it is more
economical, and it also
provides a wonderful esthetic in the B—Great Room
rooms. Additionally, we were able to
C—Views to Landscape
A—Shade Courtyard/Covered Patio
In keeping with the concept of utiliz- specify each detail of the armoires D—Covered Entry
ing every square foot, the Great to flow with the craftsman de-
Room window seats were made into tails that are found throughout
storage benches for the the home.
grandchildren’s toys, and the
decorative pilasters that help order We hope this has inspired
the space visually also house the you. If you need fresh ideas
return air grilles for the HVAC sys- and help identifying redundant
tem. areas, or if you are
considering a new home that
In Private, the ceiling height comes utilizes some of these con-
down and the Bedrooms and Office cepts, we would love to be
have a very comfortable and restful part of that process with you.
scale. The master suite features a E—Kitchen
walk-thru closet that not only deletes
Builder: Patrick Widing Custom Homes—810.750.8855
HTTP://MACKLINDESIGN.WORDPRESS.COM HTTP://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/PUB/CHRIS-MACKLIN/22/A49/704
homeLIFE BLOG 3

4. Quality, continued...
Appliance convenience
It’s important to remember If your appliances are no longer making your life convenient, then now is a
that our ―quality of life‖
great time to consider upgrading. More efficient technologies, substantial
should be a high priority.
Wasted spaces in our homes manufacturers rebates, and a local expert can make your decision easier.
nag at us. They nag at us to
clean them, they nag at us to When appliances work correctly
use them, and they nag at us they can be a wonderful conven-
to pay for them to be heated ience in our lives. However, when
and cooled—even when they they are inefficient and problematic
aren’t being used. they become a major source of frus-
tration. If your family finds itself in
So, what is quality to you?
It’s going to look different in the ladder situation then we have
each of our homes, and in good news for you. Currently, most
each of our lives. Maybe you appliance manufacturers are offer-
value quality materials, or ing substantial rebates on many of
maybe you’re a sentimental their models.
person, and family heirlooms
and precious tokens of
memories are of highest im- A well respected distributor of many
portance to you. Maybe you major brands in southeast Michigan
value a quality process—one is Specialties Showroom. However, To find out more about the increas-
in which price, quality, time they don’t just sell the products ingly efficient technologies as well
and people are all held in a (although they do that very well at as the latest manufacturers rebates
balanced proportion. It’s
extremely competitive prices to even you can go to the Specialties
worth setting aside some
time to evaluate your per- the big box retailers) but they also Showroom website at
sonal priorities before you use their knowledge and expertise www.specialtiesshowroom.com.
step into any new project. to find out what will best suit your You can set up an appointment by
Then you can confidently, needs. We have teamed with Tim calling 248.548.5656 or emailing
and much more enjoyably, tim@specialtiesshowroom.com.
Priest, the sales team leader, on
engage in the process. Their showroom is located at 2800
many projects because of his atten- West Eleven Mile Rd. in Berkley, MI.
In the next issue for this seg- tion to detail and timeliness. So
ment we will discuss how when you need help, contact Tim so In case you didn’t get the memo,
TIMING is truly everything. he can make the process more en- gas appliances are no longer the
joyable. ONLY best option.
What we do ...
Founded in 2001, Christopher S. Macklin Design, Incorporated is a residential design firm
that specializes in the design of fine new homes, renovations and additions. Our focus is to
provide each client with creative and personal solutions for their unique needs. Each client
is distinct; therefore each project should reflect this by being one of a kind. Throughout the
design process, we work to polish our client’s dreams and ambitions to arrive at a func-
tional and aesthetically pleasing home.
Design Services Scope of Services
 New Homes  Pre-Design & Planning
 Remodels & Additions  Preliminary Design
 Facade Renovations  Zoning Board Submittals
 Feasibility Studies  Schematic Design w/ Cost Estimate
 Existing Conditions Analysis  Construction Documents
 Universal & Aging-in-Place Design  Bidding & Negotiating
Chris Macklin
 Interior Design  Construction Observation
 Renderings (Concept & Character Drawings)  Project Management
14165 N. FENTON RD., STE. 203A MACKLINDESIGN.COM
810.714.0000 CHRIS@MACKLINDESIGN.COM
FENTON, MI 48430 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 4