By Pat Allin

How do you create a home that feels right for you, one that fits your lifestyle now and one you will enjoy for years to come? A group of architects, headed by Christopher Alexander, made a study of successful "patterns" people have historically used to design for themselves. The book these architects wrote was A Pattern Language, published in 1977. They came up with over 250 patterns.

Recently, two of the architects who worked on this project, Max Jacobson and Murray Silverstein, with Barbara Winslow, produced a book, Patterns of Home, the Ten Essentials of Enduring Design, that reduces these 250 patterns to the ten most critical to the design of a well-crafted house. These patterns address both the inside and outside of the house.

Patterns of Home is a wonderful book if you are in the planning stages of a new home. If, like most of us, you are already where you are going to be for the foreseeable future, you can still make use of these patterns to improve your home. Although you cannot change the siting of your house, you can always enhance your landscaping and add a patio or porch.

What you are after in designing your home goes beyond the structure and the quality of materials used. In some ways, you intuitively know what you have to have to make your house a home. Perhaps you just have to have a fireplace in the living room or space for your mother's table in the kitchen. But look at some of the patterns in the book (the Montrose Library can get it for you on Inter-Library Loan).

I have talked about two of these patterns in previous issues of "The Monitor": entrance transitions and sanctuary. In future issues, I will talk about others.

Now that it is summer, think about creating rooms outside and in. Use the walls of your house and pathways leading to it to create outdoor places that act as a transition to rooms inside. How about a deck outside your kitchen or an enclosed patio outside your bedroom? Link your patio or deck to the house by covering it with a sheltering roof.

If you are building a new home, remember that a house is more than the sum of its parts. Decide what the major parts are. How big should they be? How should they relate to each other? Is there good traffic flow? Are there spaces linking rooms you could make more memorable? Try changing the ceiling shape or material. Try creating an alcove with a desk, or a window seat. Add interesting lighting.

Choose your materials carefully. Use a variety of textures: smooth white walls, for instance, with wood ceilings. Think about balance and proportion. Too much dark wood on a low ceiling would be oppressive, but wood trim on walls or countertops would add interest. Choose the best quality you can afford, remembering that in some cases less is more.

Studying patterns will raise questions and help you evaluate ideas. The essence of home is a timeless quality that goes beyond style or taste. We recognize this quality when we see it in old buildings: when we see something that makes us say, "Ahhh." Sometimes it is hard to figure out just what this quality is. Reading a book like Patterns of Home or consulting a professional will help you get there.

Published in The Monitor, Montrose, CO. Copyright © 2004 by Pat Allin