SPECIAL SPACES

Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

After wrangling the exterior of the Point Breeze house, we were invited back to add and re-work spaces inside. Each has its own character and makes for a unique respite in an already attractive, low-key interior.

The wine room was carved out of the back of the extra-long garage. With a capacity of 1200 bottles the owner is slowing filling it up. Maryland field stone was used to clad the existing chimney breast. The floor is bluestone from New York. And the racking and ceiling are rift and quarter sawn white oak from Venango County, Pennsylvania. All fitted on-site.

The original ensuite bathroom looked ok but was tight and awkward. There was a platform mounted jetted tub that saw no use and took up a lot of space. Too much going on in a room that was large but not that big. The space was replanned with the perimeter and vanity location remaining the same. The bathing area was flipped with the WC; a cast-stone free-standing tub given its own alcove and set askew from the other elements. The shower is a reflective glass box that helps in making the room bright and lively. The floor is a honed basalt, the walls a dappled glazed Dutch tile and the millwork American black walnut. It is a bright, peaceful and relaxing space.

The exercise room was originally an open roof terrace on top level that was not often occupied. We were asked to design a work-out space that would retain the expansive view of the neighborhood, Shadyside and East Liberty. Designing something that blended with the character of the brick Victorian house and tied-in with the converging roof hips, pitched gables and chimneys was a challenge. And building all of this at the third-floor level in an occupied home was another wrinkle. Once that was figured-out, the windows were arranged to maximize the view and to be an element themselves. The corner-mulled fixed-glazed unit defines the space without screaming I am spectacular. Cantilevering the flush-framed roof structure over the open corner required some finesse but was certainly worth the effort. The ceiling is beech from the same source as the wine room material and the flooring cork. Another gentle but not timid space.