Movable Walls

Feb. 21, 2007

It’s an idea that is catching on with architects across the nation. A novel way to open up your home to the Great Outdoors, it’s a unique approach that is quickly moving from what might be considered low-brow into a home designer’s “Eureka!” moment.  And what better place to integrate the outdoors with the home than in beautiful Northern Michigan?
Picture this:  eliminate one of the walls of your favorite room in the house – your living room, a den, or a bedroom that is calling for more luxury
elements or additional light.  And substitute... a garage door. Yes, a garage door – you read that correctly. 
Garage doors aren’t what
they used to be. A new generation of glass-paneled garage doors can function as a moveable wall in the home, and constructed with more eye for detail and are less bare utilitarianism. You’ll barely notice a difference – until that gorgeous June day makes you want to be outside. With just a quick tug – steel garage doors are balanced so that they’re easy to roll up and down – you’re there – and so is the rest of your living area.
LET THE SUN SHINE
Consider them a substitute for an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows – which can be prohibitively pricey – or perhaps an alternative to a set of French doors, rolling upwards and out of sight instead of off to the side.  Several garage doors can be installed next to each other to make for 30, 40, 50 feet of “wall” that can suddenly be eliminated at whim, letting in fresh air, sunlight, and a patio feel without having to actually build one.
It’s especially gorgeous if, say, you’re an avid gardener –
imagine your garden being part of your living area – or if you live in a lush forest, or perhaps right on one of Northern Michigan’s lakes – it’s the outside in, the inside out, and it’s a new and unique way to live with nature while still maintaining the civility of your house.   If you want to add a little artistic touch to your wall as opposed to having a completely clear wall, you can also opt for custom colored panels to make a Mondrian-inspired look, or you can have the glass tinted or frosted for yet another completely different ambiance.
Several Caribbean resorts have already picked up on the concept, and are using garage-door-like glass doors to roll down over the front of each beachfront pavilion suite when their inhabitants want a little privacy.  Cafes from the East Coast to the West are adopting the doors in order to create easy outdoor cafe seating that can be quickly rolled down while barely disturbing their diners, should rain start to fall. And HGTV used the idea to spectacular effect in one of their recent Dream House projects, opening up one entire wall of a dock house to make it seem as if the living room was sitting right on the lake once the doors were rolled up.
 
GETTING PRACTICAL
But what of the practical sides of this somewhat whimsical idea - such as maintenance or security?  Well, maintenance basically consists of keeping the moving parts properly oiled (most people who do this project opt to use a non-motorized door, to avoid the unsightly motor itself);  and there are generally integrated stops in a garage door’s design (to which you can also add additional locks if you so choose) - so you’re basically not any less secure than if you had gone ahead and installed that entire expensive bank of large windows.  You can of course hang wall-long curtains inside for visual privacy, and, if you choose, shutters can be added on the outside for yet another layer.
With the trend for outdoor living spaces moving up - especially as the planet itself warms - chances are we’ll be looking for more unique ways to get outside, but still stay somewhat protected from the elements, the sun, and, of course, the cost of building an entirely new patio or deck (and furnishing same.)   It can also be a way to get that patio/deck-type space in areas where the building codes won’t allow the addition - because you’re not adding, you’re just opening one side of your house to the possibilities that are already there.