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Saturday, October 9, 2010

Architectural surprises

When looking through some pictures for a post I am working on, this particular picture caught my eye:
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I have seen this house in person on several occasions, and I was the one who took this picture.   However, I never noticed how the middle window has an arch over it (in the stucco), whereas the area around the windows on either side are squared.  To me, this is a mark of special architecture – when a house slowly reveals itself over time, with unexpected surprises along the way.  (Architecture by Stan Dixon)

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29 comments:

  1. I love it when a house slowly reveals itself over time, with unexpected surprises along the way.

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  2. What a stunning home, and I love that little detail. Take Care, Carrie

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  3. Between the cedar & copper roof, copper gutters & subtle wall colors I would be lost in this image for a while as well.

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  4. You are so right, it's all in the fine details. Something might catch our eye and at first we don't take in all of these details but subconsciously it's what attracted us in the first place!
    Nancy

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  5. That house is full of welcoming surprises. I saw it many times too before I realized the window in the powder room replaced the traditional location of a mirror. In fact, I think I realized that when you posted about such. Did I tell you about the hvac venting being hidden in the master bedroom? It is cleverly concealed in the border of the vaulted ceiling. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture. It's a combination of architectural and engineering marvel.

    I wholeheartedly agree that excellent architecture slowly reveals itself. I can't wait to hear about what surprises you discover in your new home. The question is will you know about all of them or will you slowly discover them as you live there.

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  6. Yes to what Nancy (Marcus Design) said. I find that the longer I stare at my favorite houses, I find more and more subtle details I hadn't noticed originally but that likely attracted me in the first place.

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  7. So true! I love noticing something new about a home that I love and falling in love all over again.

    P.S. I am dying to see some pictures of your new house. I don't care how rough the carpentry is I just want to get a glimpse of it!

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  8. It is the materials, the details that make this house stand out. The stucco wall, clean inviting architecture make this house so appealing.

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  9. Hi Holly
    I agree with all of the above. Like good art, great design continues to reveal itself in subtle, delightful ways over time. I think that is why we love the houses we do. I hope your new home is coming along and that you are enjoying every minute of the process!

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  10. What I like about these things is that the eye surely notices even before we become conscious of it. Right now I'm imagining that wall without the little arch. It would still look great but not the same. I love the plants that frame the windows.

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  11. Don't you just love those "a-ha" moments! It's all about the details. franki

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  12. I love the copper roof mixed with the cedar, the difference in pitch. The rafter tails on part of the overhang. The smooth stucco. Subtle colors. Peaceful. I am with the rest of the gang. when do we get to start seeing pictures of the new house. I have just started the process of designing our new home. It is such a labor of love.

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  13. I am addicted to beautiful stucco window frames. They are quite elaborate in Austria, especially on Baroque architecture. I took a ton of pictures recently, for a future blog post. But even the simple ones like these are very beautiful.

    As always, good design is about details.

    Cheers,

    Claudia

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  14. I love the roof! I will definitely keep it in mind for my next home, the mix of cedar and copper is beautiful. I also love how the molding curves outwards at the bottom of the middle window. Another subtle touch waiting to be discovered!

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  15. Another carefully thought out detail I love is that the windows in the (assumed) breezeway are the same scale -but done with wooden panels below them and not stucco. They're also the same size/scale but appear to be one fixed sash rather than an operating french casement. Really lovely -it's all in the details.

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  16. Great observation on the windows in the breezeway. I hadn't noticed that!

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  17. Lovely and beautiful. Hope you are well.

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  18. Ahhhh...not sure I would have seen that. I love reading your observations, as we are working with an architect right now to "tweak" the house and do a little add on. I feel like it's my opportunity to really add a little interest to certain areas of my house!

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  19. The beauty of architecture. Subtle items that may not always catch your eye the first time.

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  20. I love this home, both before and after it was recently featured. Such an elegant space, with no detail overlooked.

    Cheers, Alcira

    thenerochronicles.blogspot.com

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  21. Yes, it's the details like that, that make architecture!

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  22. I finally got to meet Stan this weekend at the Pink Palace! What an amazing man! Wow... his work is just incredible, and he seemed like such a down to earth guy.

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  23. Gorgeous architecture indeed! Love that shot.

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  24. It's definitely the little details such as this that make a home so very special.

    joan

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  25. What caught my eye when I first looked at the picture is the circular cut-out above the gate on the left. I love circle motifs, so I guess I was sub-consciously drawn to that detail first!!

    Attention to subtle details really is the difference between good and great design.

    Kelly

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  26. This house is incredibly charming. Love little details like the one you pointed out. Great photo btw!

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  27. A tip for you: keep in mind that if you choose to add flower boxes to the exterior of your home, casement windows that swing out will drag across the plants and flowers, likely causing damage. It makes it difficult to water the containers. I know because I made this mistake. It's especially difficult to water the flower boxes outside the gorgeous arched casement windows in our second floor master bedroom because there's no other way to get to them.

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  28. I am getting overwhelmed at the thought of all of your decisions!

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