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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Tudor and English Style Houses

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As much as I love the symmetry of a beautiful Georgian style house, I also find myself myself drawn to interesting and often asymmetrical Tudor and English style houses. Given the diversity in architectural styles in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, there are quite a few examples to illustrate my fascination with this style!


When I think of Tudor style, I immediately think of decorative half timbering - strips of wood framing which form patterns on the masonry. This lovely example of a Tudor style home in Buckhead was taken down to the studs over the past few years, and lovingly put back together. I heard that there was a lot more damage and rot behind the walls than anticipated, so even though it was a renovation, virtually every bit of the house had to be replaced. Harrison Design Associates was architectural firm on the project. I love the part in front with the castellation and the Gothic motif in the stonework. The round decorative pot on the chimney is also a feature that is characteristic of Tudor style homes.

This Tudor style home is around the corner from the previous home, and was the winner of the 2009 Shutze award for small addition/renovation. The architects on the project were also Harrison Design Associates. The steep pitched roof is another characteristic feature of Tudor style homes. I think the brick pattern surrounding the door and downstairs window is so interesting.

This beautiful Tudor style home is on a gorgeous lot just shy of one acre. The house has been meticulously renovated, and is on the market; the kitchen in particular struck me as spectacular (see below).

The kitchen from the Tudor home renovation; there are no overhead cabinets, so the pantry on the right serves as the main storage area. I love the vaulted ceiling with beams to emphasize the shape of the vault. The window overlooks a beautiful backyard with a pool.

An unusally light Tudor style home in Buckhead, perhaps because there is no brick with the half-timbering.


This Tudor style home has a very steep pitch to the front gable, and a characteristic small arched front door.



Another light Tudor style home - the wood work in the half timbering has been painted a taupe color, which strikes me as unusual for this style home. I like the effect, though, as I tend to gravitate to light trim.


This Tudor style home has a detailed limestone door surround, and although there is some half timbering, the intricate pattern in the brick is what catches my eye. I love how this home is sited on the lot - at the top of a gentle slope.


Although I appreciate the characteristic Tudor style homes that I see around Buckhead, the homes that really capture my eye have some Tudor influence in shape and form, but are probably characterized more as English Revival (according to my fellow blogger Architect Design, my (much appreciated) resource when I have questions about architectural style). I had always thought of homes like these as Tudor, but apparently the term 'Tudor style' is overused and has become very broad and encompassing. This home was on the market last year, and I did a post on it; I occasionally look back to that post for interior design inspiration. Although Tudor and English Revival style homes are often quite dark inside because of use of dark wood panelling and small windows, this home is light and airy. It sold very quickly due to the beauty of the home, the interior design, and the desirable location in Buckhead (plus, it was before the financial markets crashed!).


This home is about 10 years old, and although the lot is quite deep, it is 100 feet wide, which is considered on the narrow side in this area of Buckhead (it's all relative, I know - in most places 100 feet wide would be a double lot!). These English Revival with Tudor influenced homes seem to work well on lots like this because part of their charm and beauty lies in the slight assymetry of their fascade. I went into this home on a tour of homes a few years ago, and one of the most charming parts was the piano room, which is the section on the left that sticks out a bit. Brian Bethea Smith was the architect for this home.



The English Revival/Tudor influenced home seems to have been a popular choice for new homes in Atlanta over the past 10 years. This home was built a few years ago, on one of Buckhead's premiere streets. Although it is large, it is also on a very large lot, and it is quite beautiful and impressive to see it in person. Look at that lawn - it looks like a golf course! I don't know who was the architect on this home; if anyone knows, please share.


This home is currently on the market, and was built on the same foundation as the ranch house that it replaced a few years ago. It was modeled on some of the many gracious English style homes found around Buckhead, but on a smaller scale. I love how the home has such a large sweeping front lawn.



I have driven or walked by this home countless times over the years, and was thrilled to be able to see the inside on a tour of historical homes in Buckhead. Built in 1923, it is one of the older homes in Buckhead. As is characteristic of homes of this style, some of the rooms were quite dark because of the wood panelling, but many of the rooms along the back had a nice light feel.



And finally, last but certainly not least. This house is one of my all time favorite houses in Altanta; I think it is so incredibly charming with its winding driveway and gas lantern, the two gables, the limestone surrounds on the doors and windows, the arched front entrance, the ivy that covers part of the fascade, the old slate roof. I have heard that the home is a bit dark inside, but the curb appeal is unbeatable.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of Tudor and English style homes in Buckhead. Do you have a personal favorite?



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62 comments:

  1. Oh, I adore the last house! So cozy and charming!

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  2. Those homes are just breathtaking! I love the one that was an award winner. I was in Atlanta several years ago and I could have spent days walking the streets and observing the lovely homes. Thanks for sharing all of these beauties.

    Charla

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  3. I love all of these! So quaint, such eye candy. I really like the first house and the last house, I am in love with tudors, something so charming about them, big or small.

    It's amazing all these houses are in Atlanta-you'd think they'd be located somewhere the English countryside or something.

    xoxo,
    Micaela

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  4. I love a true Tudor style (like the first house), but unfortunately there are precious few of these in Houston -- which is interesting because there are actually quite a few Tudor style homes in central Dallas. Instead, the older homes in Houston are either Victorian or Craftsman with newer homes either in a Spanish style, English Revival or Georgian (the latter being ubiquituous in the late 80s and 90s). Of course, the 60s and 70s in Houston was blighted by ranches...but we'll forget about that. :)

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  5. Thank you for the comments!

    Averill, interesting. I seem to recall a few Tudor style houses on North and South Blvd, but I also lived in Dallas for a few years and I might be thinking of University or Highland Park homes.

    Many of the 'classic' English Revival and Tudor style homes were built in the area of Buckhead that was developed in the 20s-40s, when there was a big Tudor interest in the US (according to my architecture book). Atlanta was also swept by the ranch craze in the late 50s-early 70s, most of which are being gradually torn down and replaced with both the good and the bad.

    I took a class in college on literature and architecture, and I remember reading about all of these kinds of things...too bad I don't still have the textbooks!

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  6. * Altho each home is wonderfully appealing, I too find THE LAST ONE to be MY PERSONAL FAVE!!! All the luscious greenery surronding it just takes my breath away, especially the vines on the house!!!

    A "SUPERDELICIOUS" POSTING here~~~ most sincere thanks for the treat!!!

    Linda in AZ *

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  7. I like the last house best, not sure why. I think it looks a bit more like a home rather than a castle. The ivy helps soften and link it to the landscaping. The are a bunch and a wide variety of smaller Tudors and English style houses in Morningside and some particularly fine ones in Druid Hills.

    When I was little, we called half-timbered houses "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs" houses.

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  8. I really enjoyed that tour...this is one of my favorite house styles. French Country is my other favorite!

    My favorite house is that last one...the ivy makes it looks so cozy and inviting!

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  9. My absolute favourite type of house! Lovely post!

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  10. i have to agree, i do love that last one a LOT!

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  11. Our town in NY is a mix of both these styles you mention, like you I gravitate towards the lightness and balance of the Georgians, the tudors always feeling too dark and foreboding both inside and out. But I love to stare at them, something so deeply mysterious and classicly intimidating abou tthe style, no?

    Be well.

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  12. Tudor style homes are my absolute favorite style - whenever I see one it catches my eye, whether in person or in pictures. Love the pictures you've shared here. I like how in the second picture, the mailbox looks like a tiny tudor house!

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  13. If I am not mistaken the kitchen that you pictured is the kitchen of Designer, Kay Douglas that was featured in May 2007 issue of Traditional Home magazine. Keith Summerour of Summerour and Assoc. was the architect. I saved this in my kitchen file. Her inspiration was a French bakery - the article is lovely and includes pictures of the breakfast room as well!
    xx-Gina

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  14. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. I love that style most.

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  15. That last house is perfect! The ATO house at Georgia Tech is the same era - a brick tudor - very similar in features to the last few.

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  16. God- the BEAUTY of them! The older homes have a certain presence that the newer ones can't duplicate perfectly...I am from Shreveport, La, and we have similar older Tudor homes.Pray that a developer doesn;t knock them down for one of their hideous replacements! That Buckhead neighborhood is breathtaking.Thank you for taking those photographs...

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  17. OMG, that last home is breathtaking -you did save the best for last! Some may see dark -I see cozy!
    I have to agree with everyone else -it's partly the effect of the ivy but also the materials of the home that you point out. That slate roof makes the home!

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  18. Gorgeous! Your blog makes me want to move to Atlanta - so much style in Buckhead.

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  20. Great Post! Over the years I've become quite fond of English Manor / Tudor syle homes (so warm and inviting). Your post has included several of my personal favorites (3,8,11)! Thanks so much for the lovely post.

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  21. That last house is beautiful but also looks so inviting and cozy. Have you seen the inside? Of all the pictures you posted the last home is my favorite and definitely belongs in the top 10 of my all time faves!

    Thank you!
    Amy

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  22. The interesting thing is that though beautiful this style goes back to a time in America - late 19th and early 20th century - when immigration from non-anglo countries was very high and the English-descended east coast elite felt threatened enough to retreat behind its Tudor battlements.

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  23. Beautiful home tour- I do love tudor style houses!

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  24. 2










    2...love love your blog...i too am an atlantan...lived here all my life...do you have access to any interiors of neil reed houses...they are wonderful...

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  25. When I think of Tudor style, I think of functional half-timbering! It wasn't just there to pretty up the brick, it was the whole frame of the house. Take it away, and there is no building.

    And the whole wooden-frame thing is earlier than Tudor - my parents' house, for example, is a wood-framed house from about 1320, and it was covered in brick in about 1550 to look more modern.

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  26. Sometimes it strikes me as funny that a home built in the 1920s is considered old for Atlanta...and Londongirl mentions that her parents home was 'updated' in the 1500s to make it look for modern!

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  27. The flat we live in now is the newest building I've lived in - it was built in the 1920s.

    My parents' various houses over the years were built in 1910, 1885, 1490 and 1320.

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  29. Thanks for the tour...I'm a house stalker, so this was just wonderful. I love Tutor with a touch of cottage, which is most likely why my favorite was the last house. The setting was perfect for the house. I love the ivy...I have a twenty-year growth of ivy on my house.

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  30. If we got together to look at houses, we'd be in hog heaven! My goodness, what lovely selections you have made. These truly are beautiful, warm and inviting homes.

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  31. I've never been a huge fan of Tudor homes, but these are beautiful!

    xo,
    cristin

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  32. Love that white kitchen. Not having overhead cabinets makes it feel so open!

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  33. The last 2 are my favs, but the house in picture #1 has such an air about it, standing so regal with the trees behind. Awesome. Jane T.

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  34. These houses are all pretty incredible. I gobbled up every single photo. But that last one with the ivy--be still my heart! I think I gasped out loud.

    Another great post!

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  35. I noticed the trees behind house #1 too...the city of Atlanta is fiercely protective of trees, and there are huge fines if you cut them down without permission, and huge fees to cut down any trees (based on circumference). If you cut a tree, you have to replace it with 6 trees - either on your property, or through a donation to the local parks. Although this is largely beneficial, the side effects can be seen when there are big storms - there are so many older trees with weak root systems, particularly since we are emerging from a multi-year drought - and there are always lots of downed trees everywhere when a fierce storm rips through.

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  36. I wasn't expecting to like these that much...but you found exceptional homes! Love them.

    Tudor has never been a favorite but really, these are great!

    Have a happy weekend.

    Becky K.
    Hospitality Lane

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  37. Such gorgeous homes ...

    Tudor Styles are really great to look at but very expensive to build and maintain. The last house is my fave it looks inviting and warm.

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  38. Oh my word. The first trip to Normandy, I was blown away by the light. It stays light in summer til midnight! There is something about the light, the pale ness when I would have traditionally thought tudors would be dark....You inspire a whole new light.
    I love the lightest of them all!
    pve

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  39. Such gorgeous homes and I love that kitchen!

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  40. Beuatiful accumulation of photos of homes! Love the ivy blankets and coats. I was at Swan House last week and was so impressed with the manse and grounds.

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  41. Amaaaaazing kitchen.

    I've had the fortune of visiting Hampton Court Palace outside London - Henry VIII's main residence - and you definitely see the similarities between that style and the style in the all brick homes.

    Really beautiful post, as always!

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  42. That last, ivy-covered house is to-die-for! Do you know if any famous people live in any of these houses?

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  43. That kitchen is absolutely gorgeous!

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  44. BEAUTIFUL homes! I love the last one with ivy climbing up it... FAB!!!

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  45. The second one reminds me of Hansel and Gretel's home. I really like the last one the best! Must be all the ivy that gives so much character!

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  46. These homes are stunning. The last home is my favorite. I agree, it's so charming. I wish there were more English homes in my neighborhood.
    Unfortunately we have height limits, and the English Revival/Tudor style with its high pitched roof is impossible to build here.
    Wonderful post!

    xo
    Brooke

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  47. Tell me again, why you are not a designer dear Things that Inspire! You certainly have the vocabulary of one! Beautiful post, as usual! THank you!

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  48. A treat to see so many Atlanta houses at once.

    Surprised at most having nothing espaliered on the home. Gertrude Jekyll, Englishwoman, world's 1st landscape designer said, When I design a landscape the first thing I consider is what to put on the house.

    It's not surprising the last home, covered in vine, was the favorite of many. Vines or espaliered plants tie a home to the landscape. They also add lushness with little effort or cost.
    .
    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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  49. Thanks for coming by today! Made me come back here for another look...

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  50. An amazing round-up TTI! I like them all, and have always had a fondness for Tudor-style. In fact, it was the first house style I recognized. When I was a girl, probably 11 or 12, I noticed a grand Tudor style home in a city nearby us, and my mother told me what the style was called. It was my favorite style for years unti I lived in Toronto, in an old part of the city where there were a lot of Tudor homes. I got a little tired of the look, and was inside a few and they were all very dark and gloomy inside. A nice reno can really open these houses up inside and make the lovely facades match up with equally lovely insides!

    The only thing I didn't like about Tudor style was the little small arched doorways. The doorway always seemed like an afterthought - I prefer a more gracious entrance! So I loved the images you posted of the houses with the doorway surrounds and whatnot, to add a bit of celebration to ones arrival.

    The last house is exquisite...

    Great post. Your dog walks must be wonderful. I am coming to Atlanta some time just so you can take me out for a dog walk with you. Starbucks first, and then we are off...

    ; )

    xo Terri

    P.S. Thanks for playing along with my Hired Help post. I love seeing what people do/don't do. I think you deserve a full-time housekeeper with 3 kids and a dog! I travelled for work one year and lived in a company condo where they hired a housekeeper once a week, and it was heaven. Came home every Monday to a spotless house. Loved it. I should hire one now but I am too cheap. haha. ; )

    Good luck with the catering. I'm sure you will do your research and get someone amazing. Hope it goes swimmingly!

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  51. What a great houses of the life time. All of them was so captivating and you can't resist not to look every built of it. The interiors could be more of a glitch if there have some area rugs at naturalhomerugs.

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  52. Your favorite is my favorite too! Wow, I would love to see inside. D you have any photos of the interior? All the homes are really lovely! Thank you for sharing them with us!

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  53. That KITCHEN! And I love the last one as well- the ivy ties it all together. I forget how many great Tudor options we have around Buckhead.

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  54. I love that last house! its so charming and has a fun mysterious kind of look to it. Thanks for all your posts! I've just discovered you and I'm definitely enjoying your blog! Ive

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  55. I love the way this owner designed the curved arbor gate. It gives a beautiful frame to a gorgeous view. How clever!

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  56. wow - thank you so much for these pictures! i am remodeling my own home's facade and was looking for photos of tudor exteriors - this is just perfect! these homes are breathtaking.

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  57. I built a tudor styled home in the early 90's. I wanted to be diffrent. I was so tired of seeing nothing but the vinyl sided boxes that plague the northeast. I HAD to have gargoyles and suits of armour ( not real of course) to complete that entire tudor feel.. Although, my furniture is Victorian. I am so pleased with the way it all turned out! Talk about a labor of love. My husband whom I was not with me at the time of the building of the house, finds, himself, "checking out" tudors that he finds in his travels. I would build another tudor in a heartbeat, they are diffrent!

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  58. Hello TTI,
    Thanks for the nice Buckhead tour. I too am a huge fan and historian of Tudor architecture - these were really known as "Early English" back in early 1900's when allot of these homes were built. Thanks also for the very nice words you folks have blogged about our website (TudorArtisans.com). All of us here are passionate about this classical design pattern that never ceases to intrigue and amaze. Its interesting that a few brand new homes in the historical "Tuxedo Park" area are being built that are "Tudor" style, including one beauty on Habersham a couple of years back and now one on W.Paces as well. Tudor remains one of the six classical styles and will always be at the top of even that small list in my opioion. Please keep up the wonderful postings!!! Best, David Hiers, architectural designer, Tudor Artisans, Atlanta

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  59. Hi- I'm a new reader! I love this post. I think about 5 of my houses could fit inside one of those. What a beautiful area!

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  60. Wow, these are beautiful! Thank you for sharing the Buckhead section of Atlanta with the rest of the world. It is such a treat to see the majestic beauty of a Tudor home. I live in a section of Western CT that is flooded with New England colonials. It is refreshing to see the charm of a Tudor style home with its inspiration drawn from medieval cottages and palaces.

    Jeanne B.

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  61. Beautiful!! love your collection! The house built in 1923 looks just like my house that I bought last April,I love it! my home was built in 1939 and is in great shape .

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  62. It is nice to find a site about my interest. My first visit to your site is been a big help. Thank you for the efforts you been putting on making your site such an interesting and informative place to browse through. I'll be visiting your site again to gather some more valuable information. You truly did a good job.

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