Designing Our Japandi Seashore Home Media Room for Connection

We’re formally within the thrilling a part of our Malibu renovation—concrete has been poured for the addition, framing is finished for the unique footprint, and we’re at the moment framing out the brand new nice room/kitchen. Each week, it’s feeling a bit extra actual (observe together with real-time updates on my Instagram.)

Right now, we’re diving into an area I’ve been excited about since we first started this journey 5 years in the past: We’re calling it the “Media Room” and it’ll function our comfortable household room area. This room would be the web site of film nights, plus all of the stress-free and hanging out collectively as a household. It’s “Operation: Cozy,” and right here’s how we’re designing an area that feels related and design-forward.

Vaulted Ceilings for a Extra Spacious Really feel

One of many greatest transformations on this room would be the ceiling. I keep in mind after we first toured the home with our realtor—all of us agreed that its greatest detrimental was the low ceilings which made your complete area really feel a bit cramped. So, certainly one of our first design selections was to vault the ceiling, and the change shall be dramatic. Once you stroll into the brand new area, it’ll really feel expansive and ethereal—while not having to extend the sq. footage of the room itself.

The Earlier than—and Our Plans for the After

Constructed-Ins Made to Be Stunning and Purposeful

The center of the room shall be a full wall of built-ins—open shelving, drawers for storage, and a Body TV. This would be the solely TV in the home, which is an intentional selection (sorry, children!). Our imaginative and prescient for this home is that it fosters a life-style round time spent open air, gathered across the desk, or sharing sluggish mornings collectively—not continuously on screens. This room shall be the place we pile on the sofa for film nights, to play board video games, or curl up with a guide on overcast days.

The open cabinets are designed for extra than simply storage, although we undoubtedly want it. It’s additionally the place we’ll show favourite books, sculptural items, vessels, and picked up finds. I need the built-ins to really feel refined and built-in into the house’s design, moderately than overly utilitarian. We’ll be incorporating closed cabinetry alongside the decrease half for issues like board video games, further blankets, and gadgets.

Oak vs. Cane: Selecting the Cupboard Fronts

For the built-in cabinetry, I explored two instructions: stable oak and cane-front panels. Cane brings such lovely texture, and we modeled each choices within the area to match facet by facet. In the long run, we determined to go together with stable oak for its simplicity and timelessness. The aim is for this area to really feel heat and welcoming, and I needed to keep away from something too stylish that we would tire of down the road. Listed here are the visualizations so you may see each choices. Which will get your vote?

Framing the Doorway With an Arch

Initially, the design plans confirmed a normal door opening connecting the Nice Room to the Media Room. I instinctively knew it may have extra character and architectural curiosity, so we modeled it with an arch and cherished the replace. It’s a small change that provides a lot character. I really like how the curve softens the transition between areas and brings an elevated, customized really feel that nods to the Mediterranean influences all through the house.

Blurring the Traces Between Indoors and Out

As in the remainder of the home, we would like as a lot indoor-outdoor circulate on this room as doable. To attain this, we’re putting in two units of glass pocket doorways from Marvin that can totally open to the yard and ocean view. These doorways will enable us to utterly blur the boundaries between indoors and out—once they’re open, it’ll really feel like one massive indoor-outdoor area.

So as to add softness and filter the pure mild, we’ll be utilizing Graber’s floor-to-ceiling material. The observe shall be recessed into the ceiling for a seamless look that doesn’t distract from the structure.

Making Area for What Issues

I’ll be trustworthy, at first I used to be nervous that this area was going to really feel extra utilitarian than the remainder of the home. I didn’t need it to revolve across the TV or storage wants. I’m so pleased with our remaining designs, which really feel simply as design-driven as the remainder of the plans and match proper into our Japandi Seashore Home aesthetic. I can already visualize the recollections we’ll make on this room—board sport tournaments, cozy film nights, and the straightforward pleasure of being collectively. Each design resolution we’ve made, from the vaulted ceilings to the curated built-ins, helps that feeling of consolation and intention.

I can’t wait to see this area come to life—and share the completed end result with you quickly!