Pattern 136
Couple's Realm
Context The Family75 · House for a Small Family76 · House for a Couple77 · Intimacy Gradient127
Problem
In a household with children, the couple's time together easily slips to the margins — there is rarely any place that belongs to the two of them alone. Without such a retreat, the couple's closeness gets lost among the demands of family life.
Solution
Set aside a sheltered realm of its own within the house for the couple, apart from the children's rooms and the shared spaces, where the two can be together without interruption.
Usage Sitting Circle185 · Light on Two Sides of Every Room159 · Marriage Bed187 · Sleeping to the East138 · Dressing Rooms189 · Bathing Room144 · The Shape of Indoor Space191 · Low Doorway224 · Closets Between Rooms198