The crisp air at the onset of fall is best partaken of and savored in one place – the porch. Traditionally, the porch is the anteroom of the house; an architectural purgatory that is neither the street nor the foyer. The welcome mat of rooms, it’s where you sat in … [read more]
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a romantic site for a nuptial rite
I recently attended the wedding of a client and friend’s son. The setting was the Blount estate, a grand, old Georgian home where we were commissioned (some years ago) to design a private chapel on the property and an English conservatory addition to the house. These proved to be a … [read more]
seating group dynamics
This question is often asked of us. Some assume we visualize the house as an object in the landscape and begin there. Some architects do work this way; they see buildings as sculptures meant to be inhabited. We, however, design from a different perspective. We approach the creation of a … [read more]
no white after labor day?
Historians think this maxim stems from class divisions at the turn of the century when lightweight clothes were a symbol of the well-to-do. Back then, Labor Day marked the time the affluent returned from vacation, stowed the summer clothes and went back to school and work. Whether or not you … [read more]
an author’s kitchen
“That chandelier is very phallic. Or maybe it has just been a long time for me!” “Wait, someone actually wrote that?” Joanna, a writer, asked me during a recent interview for a USA Weekend article. “Yes, when my not-so-usual kitchen was published in House Beautiful magazine’s February 2010 issue, it … [read more]
for the love of dogs
Selfish is the love of dogs Selfish of me that is To wade in their gaze Drunk in love They teach me Teetering on an older person’s lenience They watch and forgive me fluidly And do not ever really waiver in their hearts Erratic circumstance is ridden through Skewered by … [read more]
chairman
Bobby began collecting them (chairs, not shirts) as a teenager. His personal tastes lean toward the small open chair or stool – the chess piece that can be arranged at will when intimate conversation is called for. Chairs are the most characterful pieces one can own and require different behaviors … [read more]
barn raison d’être
While researching the architectural styles of barns, I became mildly amused by my current scholarly investigation. In rural North Alabama, where I grew up, no architect ever laid a genteel creative hand upon a barn; they were humble agricultural necessities. Standing quietly like a cow grazing in the field, these … [read more]
a tale of two cottages
We recently completed construction on a unique commission in Aspen, Colorado’s bucolic West End. This desirable little neighborhood is adjacent to downtown Aspen and is comprised mostly of narrow urban type lots. Our client had bought a lovely piece of property which was burdened by a very ugly 1970s … [read more]
a sole witness
The lone window is always the heartbreaker of the composition. It can be as sexy as a facial beauty mark or as calmingly beautiful as a framed simple still life. Its larger siblings, the bay window and picture window, may well be brighter and more dramatic but the isolated aperture … [read more]
