Monday, January 30, 2012

This folk Victorian will get major love

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan and Knick of Time Tuesday #24 {Vintage Style Link Party}

Dan Souther from Round Here Renovations wrote me about renovating this Folk Victorian in Grant Park. Thanks to Dan we can have a look at the "before" pictures.


The records say Year Built: 1920, Living Area: 1,552, Acres .1791.

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It's not so hot from the sidewalk. Dan said they'll un-enclose and liberate the porch.

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You get a better perspective from across the street. It has a handsome shape and familiar Grant Park proportions.

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It's bigger and taller than it looks from the street. I count 3 chimneys.

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The house wears a solitaire on it's gable.

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My architect and sailing friend, Tim Cent, bought one of these in the late 70's for about $4,000 (Tim, where are you man, we'd love to see you) .

The house on the right is "new." It's ironic that this house, as beat up as it is, has survived to be renovated rather than torn down. It must have stayed livable for most of it's 90 years.

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A bit of work to do first.

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Imagine sitting on the big front porch.

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I'm sure Dan and crew expect surprises. I'm sure they've taken a long look as the sills.

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How good will this look? Whenever I see one of these as an art piece, I wonder about the house it came from.

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The west side wall and windows are very nice.

Dan says, "The lovely faux-brick peel and stick rolls will also be removed to expose the original cedar lap siding (that looks to be in great condition courtesy of the peel and stick)."

This 360 video will shows the street:



I'll report.

Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Architects' bookshelf at Historical Concepts



We toured Historical Concepts' Glenwood Park studio yesterday. (That would be "Historical Concepts Architects, Planners and Place-Makers.")

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The ICAA put it on. (That would be the Southeast Chapter of the for Classical Architecture and Art.)

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Honestly, I think they do these tours just for me.

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David VanGroningen (blue shirt) and Clay Rokicki (@clayrokicki gesturing with his left arm) spent an hour or so showing us around while the rest of the architects kept right on working.

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The books caught my eye, Classic Cracker tops this stack.

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Post-its mark the right pages.

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These books were helping a big house look less intimidating.

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I met Peter Pennoyer at another ICAA event. Cool.

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There is a bit from those books in these renderings.

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The iPad is atop Palladio in Paul Knight's right-hand stack. (@PaulLKnight)

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There are a couple of oldies in Paul's left stack and he pulled them down to show me.

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The Practical Exemplar of Architecture (1907) by Sir Mervyn Edmund Macartney, 1853-1932 is in several volumes. It has pictures with measured drawings.

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American Landscape Architecture, Edited by P.H. Elwood, Jr is from 1924.

We had a big time. Thanks to David, Clay, Historical Concepts, ICAA and fellow tourists.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Top popped - adding 2nd floor in Morningside.

Built in 1930, 1730 square feet on 1/5 acre, it's getting taller.


This wasn't it's prettiest day.

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I caught this one before they started demolition.

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The houses on either side have already be done; they are big now.

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This was in pretty good shape, it was holding it's on.

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That was then.

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This is now.

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They've added a foundation for a big front porch. Looks like they are keeping most of the front. Good idea.

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There's going to be some 3rd floor living space.

I'll report.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Teardown Complete: door shutters, stone, french doors, small panes

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan!

It's by Rutledge Alcock Architects, Decatur, Georgia. It's all done. I like it. The old house had looked sick for a long time, probably an estate issue. It was on .2072 acres, built in 1920 with 2,264 square feet.


The door shutters and lantern are the finishing touches for the new one.

It's on one of Atlanta's great streets, half a block from "Dean Rusk's House."

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The new house has a smaller profile than the original. How often does THAT happen in a teardown?

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The old house was taller, amazing.

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The new one has a watchtower. Everybody wants a watchtower.

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Nothing wrong with the old one's style or proportions though, nice little porch too. They still build them like this as well they should.

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It was a goner in this neighborhood even in this economy.

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Off we go.

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The new one gets its 5000 square feet by going deep on the lot. The slope allows light into the terrace level.

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The windows fascinated me most, the small panes, the different sizes.

These windows will admit wonderful northern light and flood the narrow house through and through

I wrote ''Window pleasures, window design patterns" about them.

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I liked it just fine in its white wrapping, the black checkerboard of window panes.

The woody French doors intrigued me too, a balcony maybe?

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I was surprised when the stone went up. There aren't any neighborhood houses with full stone facades. But many have stone detailing.

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I was a bit wary. But I hadn't "read the last page of the book." It didn't come together in my head.

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But now I get it.

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Fine work I think.

It's unique; it makes a statement; it doesn't look brand new in style or finish.

It makes it neighbors look good.

Congratulations.


Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Heather's House Portraits of Cabbagetown

You should consider commissioning Heather to do a house you love.

Full disclosure #1: Heather McPherson is Sam's daughter. Sam McPherson is my friend, my daughter's too. Katherine and I are especially devoted to Sam as only music students can be devoted to a favorite teacher.



So of course I went to Heather's first solo show at Get This Gallery last Saturday. I've followed Heather and enjoyed her work for a couple of years. If you are an in-town architecture tourist, you've probably seen her work. She's getting somewhere.

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Here's Heather, coat on her arm next to my tall son, getting a lot of attention at her opening.

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Full disclosure #2: I was and I am touched by her house portraits, plywood cut to shape, drawn and painted. The houses are all in Cabbagetown.

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But they are familiar to anyone from a Southern mill-town, including High Point where I grew up.

Full disclosure #3: I am impossibly sentimental. Heather's houses made me remember.

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My mom preferred the clothesline even after she got a dryer.

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This summer I searched for my grandfather's house in High Point. I couldn't find it. It may be gone and the neighborhood isn't so hot now.

If Heather could have painted it's portrait, maybe his great great grands could know him a bit better.

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Cabbagetown is a going concern, a real community in a house museum.

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Folks put their yard waste on the curb every week.

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This end of the house has some stories to tell.

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You can do color in Cabbagetown.

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Heather shows them as they are today, modern living in a century old setting.

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Not all evolution is elevating.

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It's uncanny to see them this way. The real houses are shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors. Cut out and separated, these could be anywhere in the rural south.

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But this is how they look. Heather's paintings ring true to me.

Full Disclosure #4: You should consider commissioning Heather to do a house you love before it's gone. Architect: This would be an extraordinary gift for your clients.

Contact Lloyd Benjamin at Get This This Gallery. See Heather's work there on 11th Street across the from Six Feet Under.Link

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