The house that keeps on inspiring (amazing architecture by Peter Block)

Photo credit: Erica George Dines

Peter Block is an incredibly talented architect who designs houses around the country, but calls Atlanta his home.  His houses strike me as modern interpretations of traditional architecture and design concepts (the work of Lutyens often comes to mind when I see Peter’s work), and Peter’s houses always have an incredible amount of creativity and inventiveness in the design.  In Peter’s words, “design should be simply conceived, well proportioned, nimble in terms of spatial functionality, and built of permanent materials…Intuitive design reigns.  This is true in every facet of good design”.

I had the good fortune of seeing a house that Peter designed as it was being built (seen above), back in 2009.  Reflecting upon it now, the house was in the exact stage that my house is in right now – trim work and floors going in, cabinets about to be installed – and it was fascinating to see the end stages of a house build just as I was starting the design process for my house.

It was gratifying to see that same house featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles in October of 2010, fully decorated (Beth Webb was the interior designer).  AH&L beautifully captured the feel of the house in the introductory paragraph to the article (which can be read here): “There are a lot of new houses in Atlanta that are built to look old, but there are few that actually exude an air of permanence and a sense of longevity. [This] new Buckhead home is one that succeeds at both”.  In a further testament to the beauty and classic design of this house, Peter Block won the prestigious Shutze Award for this house in the Romantic Classicism category (single family 4,000-10,000 square feet).

Photo credit: Erica George Dines

The outdoor room has particular appeal to me (I wonder what the homeowners call this space? It strikes me as a loggia).  It is the space that connects many of the ground floor rooms together, opening to the kitchen/family room/breakfast area; living room; dining room; and master bedroom.  One side of the room (seen in this picture) has an outdoor dining area with grill, and overlooks the pool.

Photo credit: Erica George Dines

The other side has a seating area arranged around an outdoor fireplace.  Note the ceiling fans in the space, made by Aria Ventilatori, based on Italian design. These fans seem to be taking Atlanta by storm - their products are sculptural, beautiful, and also highly functional.  I might have to look into getting one of these fans for my new outdoor room!  Visit their website here: http://www.aria-ventilatori.com/.  These fans are currently available through Grizzel & Mann in Atlanta, and McRae & Company in San Francisco (both to the trade).

And now, in 2011, here is the same room, styled by Ballard Designs for their recent catalog cover.  I didn’t know that catalogs used ‘real’ houses for their photo shoots, but it makes sense!

Peter Block has some exciting things going on right now.  He just launched a caseworks collection; according to the website, the collection was three years in the making,  combines “innovative details and unexpected nuances into historically based standards”.   The website notes that the Belgian collection has just been launched, and will be soon followed with the American, English, Mediterranean, and French collections.

For more information on Peter Block, please visit his web site: http://www.peterblockarchitects.com/
For more information on Peter Block caseworks: http://www.peterblockcaseworks.com
Peter Block Architect on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PeterBlockArchitects
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