A holiday drive to the Carolinas, offered a plethora of beautiful houses for inspiration. While certainly not the largest (or widest!) or imposing house we saw in Charleston, this one nonetheless impressed me with it's proportions and simple adornment.
Notice the shutters done right, the front door with its transom and canopy, and the pleasing texture of the siding.
Strolling through this neighbourhood had me wondering why our new housing developments can be so poorly planned and full of absolutely ugly houses... we only have to look back to find our inspiration.
Anyone know of any narrow lots available?
We swung thru Pennsylvania to visit two gems by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Kentuck Knob, an example of one of his Usonian homes (affordable for the "common" person) which was built into a hillside. This residential home, built in 1956, was one of FLW's last designs.
Only 4 km, from Kentuck Knob is the iconic,
Fallingwater. Designed and built in 1935, it is listed in the Smithsonian's Life List of 28 places to visit before you die. It was so impressive, I would say, see it twice before you die.
Traveling is a great opportunity to enjoy the local architecture and take a few ideas home. We found riding our bikes was the best way to slow down and not miss any details.
Here are a some snaps from a recent trip to Savannah, Georgia, of the abundant array of detailed ironwork. Savannah is a place with an incredible history, apparent in it's amazing old houses.
One for the plumbers out there. Two water lines cut off without being capped, right at face level just ready for the new homeowners to turn that valve and get a blast of hot water. Same house, not four feet away is this drain line with an upside down clean out fitting that has been leaking for some time and the "handyman’s friend", duct tape sealing off an opening.
Ah shutters. If there is one architectural element that looks out of place it's a poorly proportioned or executed shutter.
These babies were originally intended to actually open and close so you must make sure the size and placement mimics that function and makes visual sense. These are too tall, too skinny, too few, the wrong shape and they are upside down.
Another senseless cover up.
In the photo you can see how the texture of the brick is about to be covered over by a flat and lifeless layer of styrofoam and stucco as the wall to the right already has. Dull, bland, ugly and boring.
Please, all old building owners: when you contemplate leaving those wonderful brick arches exposed please take it one step further and leave all the brick exposed. Stucco is not as attractive, durable or architecturally correct as what you already have!
There has been a trend for the past decade or two to try and mimic the look of stone at a better price point than stone. It rarely works.
This retaining wall system is made up of precast concrete blocks that are intended to look like six individual "stones" but the modular joints are a dead giveaway. The "stacked marshmallow" appearance of this wall is absurd!
A simple poured in place concrete wall that is honest about what it is would be much more pleasing. The fake stone veneer on the building itself isn't much better...what would be wrong with a nice brick?
The Ontario Building Code requires wood to be a minimum 6 inches from the ground, to prevent rot. This addition was completed less than a year ago (not by us!), there is less than 2 inches of clearance.
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