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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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]
half bath, whole hog
The simple pedestal sink and squeaky medicine cabinet of old has been replaced by garden urns, stone troughs and ornate gilt mirrors. The modern powder room is a miniscule exercise in set design, evoking everything from scared baptismal fonts to the natty English yard man’s garden room. As designers, it’s … [read more]
granger carr: remembered
David Granger Carr (pictured left and in front in a 1996 McAlpine Tankersley staff photo) worked alongside us for many years. His wicked sense of humor and Southern gothic charm kept us in smiles and tears for a youthful period in our firm’s history. He began working as an assistant … [read more]
built on the fourth of july
Like the can opener, the credit card and musical theatre, these styles are distinct American inventions. The following houses are are some of our designs which represent our rich American history: CARPENTER GOTHIC Carpenter Gothic, also called Carpenter’s Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an … [read more]
changing hands
This is not the rule; it’s actually a rare exception. Over the past 30 years we’ve had hundreds of our houses trade hands and it’s always interesting to watch into whose hands they fall. In the early 1990s, we designed a large, contemporary home for a couple on a difficult … [read more]
