Karmous-Edwards Residence  Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Completion Date: 1998 Project Team: Frank Harmon  Problem
Statement  Our clients wanted to build a new house in an
existing 1950s neighborhood where most of the neighboring houses
were small bungalows and ranch houses. Although the new house
would be larger than other houses nearby, we wanted it to fit
comfortably in its context.  Our Design Response  We designed
the house to be long and trim, with its small, two-story gabled
end facing the street. The 2300-square-foot house is covered in
wood shingles and takes its place as a good neighbor on the
street.  Inside, the heart of the house is the kitchen, with its
lima-bean-shaped island of Brazilian granite that also serves as
a dining counter. A dining alcove, beyond the main living room,
and a niche for listening to music complete the great room,
which is open to a family office situated in a loft overlooking
the space. A “sleeping porch,” once common in North Carolina, is
perched above the trees ne