Blank Check

May 14th 2015 Comments: 4

Even though Mlle. Chanel’s sage advice pertained to fashion, I think it’s a valid point for all types of design. I can’t count the times I’ve referenced this quote in terms of architecture or interior design. Seeing a blank wall, the natural tendency is put something there. I say leave … [read more]

Rights of Passage

May 7th 2015 Comments: 7

Transition has been on my mind a lot lately. Perhaps it’s because this week marks my sole child’s final stretch of high school. Soon, she’ll be moving off, starting a new life far away from us as a college freshman. Or, it could be because my wife and I are … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Column

Still Life Living

April 30th 2015 Comments: 2

With origins in the Middle Ages and Ancient Greco-Roman art, still-life painting emerged as a distinct classification and professional specialization in Western painting by the late 16th century and has remained a significant artistic genre since then. Can we, though, integrate this type of frozen artistry in our daily lives? … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Horrell Home

the prints of egypt

April 23rd 2015 Comments: 11

As far back as I can recall, mine has always been Egypt. Back before there was Google or Wikipedia, there was this thing called “The World Book Encyclopedia”. This bulky compendium inevitably sprawled over an entire shelf in everyone’s rumpus room in the ’60s and ’70s. The “E” book (no, … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Travel

grecian yearn

April 16th 2015 Comments: 3

This year, the immortal city of Athens, Greece was the setting for the assemblage. Considered the cradle of classical architecture, Athens was an apt backdrop for our annual convocation. The city of Athens has always been one of my “bucket list” items. How can one possibly call oneself an true … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Travel

collaborative efforts: page duke landscape architects

April 9th 2015 Comments: 4

On our design paths, we sometimes meet similar souls; recognition sparks and at once, our efforts are made better. Such was the case 20 years ago (wow, time flies) when we met Ben Page and Gavin Duke of Page Duke Landscape Architects. Ours was such a natural marriage, we immediately … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Exterior

manhattan project

April 2nd 2015 Comments: 5

We’ve been playing a design ping pong game where he will send me a real estate floor plan (these are common in New York apartment listings) and I quickly do a renovation scheme. This allows him to evaluate the potential of the apartment before he makes an offer.  It’s a … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Floor Plan

burden of roof

March 26th 2015 Comments: 1

No, like most historic architectural elements, these devices have their roots in good old-fashioned practicality. Heat rises, which tends to build up in attic spaces creating a hot, damp and mildewy environment. Back before houses were hermetically sealed and insulated within an inch of their life, monitors and dormer vents … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Clock

a conservatory of hope

March 19th 2015 Comments: 10

When I arrived at the meeting, I was surprised to see a fellow not normally associated with the zoo. Dickie Blondheim and his exuberant wife, Joy, are the founders and heads of The Joy to Life Foundation, a dynamic organization promoting hope and awareness in the field of breast cancer. … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Watercolor

ice box tops

March 12th 2015 Comments: 15

Over the years, we’ve come up with a number of ways to beautifully and gracefully accommodate this unwieldy frigid casket. Following are a few of our adroit solutions. Here, the unit is paneled in a stained pecky cypress.  It’s mass is balanced with a matching pantry cabinet which mirrors the … [read more]

McAlpine Journal: Kitchen
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