Four Beautiful Houses–the Peachtree Battle Home Tour 2014

The Peachtree Battle Friends Spring Home Tour takes place today,  May 6th, and the houses this year are absolutely amazing.  This is my favorite house tour of the year, and and the funds raised go directly to  Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Here is a sneak peek of the four houses on the tour, with a description of each house (the house descriptions in italics were adapted from the write ups in the brochure).

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3124 East Pine Valley Road

This classic Colonial home was designed by the renowned architect Philip Trammel Shutze and built in the late 1920s. Upon purchasing the home in 2009, the homeowners promptly engaged friend and interior designer Kay Douglass to oversee the construction and interiors.  Although the home’s interior was virtually gutted during renovation, all of the original details were either kept in place or restored to their original state.

Interiors are awash with subtle shades of off-whites and grays, while bold fabrics and pops of color liven the house at every turn. Décor is minimal, but bold shapes and strong lines create the perfect family atmosphere. 

(As a side note, a fellow blogger told me that the interiors of this house were featured in Veranda in 2011).

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1230 Peachtree Battle Avenue

I love the gate of this house, which is flanked by perfectly proportioned Bevolo lanterns.  I had never noticed this house before, mainly because the property is so private and the gate further protects the property from viewing from the street. It’s also on a quieter section of Peachtree Battle, not the part that is on my usual dog walking route.

I selected this view from the pictures that I took, because it emphasizes how the house relates to the beautiful lot. The trees that define the property are mature and beautiful, which really enhances the feel of the property.

Built in 1950, this traditional Atlanta home was purchased by the current homeowners in 2012.  Immediately attracted to the serene, pastoral property with views of neighboring horses from the back patio, the owners knew they had come across something unique. The home had been expanded by previous homeowners, but before moving in, the mission was to give this traditional Southern belle a modern facelift that would appease a tendency towards minimalism while housing an active young family of five.

In order to achieve their goal for the interior, the owners enlisted the help of Kay Douglass and Dixie Peebles from South of Market. Known for their “clean-lined, less-is-more” approach, Douglas and Peebles were the perfect partners for the project.

In the interior, the floors were whitewashed and the and the walls were whitened, simple changes that yielded dramatic effects. The home’s floor plan was adjusted by moving the original dining room to the center of the house.  This not only created a better flow throughout the main floor, but also allowed the room to take on additional importance.  On the exterior, a unified color was chosen across the shutters and exterior brick to uphold a feeling of Southern elegance. The end result is an unexpected, clutter-free interior with a light and bright feel that opens up onto a tranquil, rural landscape.

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525 Manor Ridge Drive

This classically styled Buckhead home was purchased by the current homeowners in 2012. Since moving into the home, the homeowners have focused on utilizing previous renovations to the home as a canvas for creating bright and open spaces with a transitional style that compliments an extensive art collection. The homeowners relied heavily on two of their closest friends, Mary Margaret Nevin of Nevin Interiors and Blair Clarke of Voltz Clarke in New York, to help develop and curate their vision for the new home.

A more modern scheme for the home’s traditional floor plan was crated, and the designers reflected the homeowners young and energetic lifestyle by creating brighter and more casual spaces. The diverse art collection portrays multiple mediums and completes the home’s cheerful interiors.

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413 Manor Ridge Drive

In 2001, the current homeowners purchased this 1938 New England style home from the home’s original owners.  With the original architectural plans for the home in hand, the homeowners turned to architect Norman Davenport Askins to update the kitchena nd master bathroom and expand the footprint of the home with a new family room, while maintaining the architectural integrity of the original home. For the interiors, the homeowners worked with Lilla Costello, who helped capture their vision for a casual and relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.

In 2007, the homeowners again embarked on renovating their home to accommodate their growing family and turned again to Mr. Askins to design the addition. This phase of renovation included the addition of the downstairs master suite and an outdoor living area, complete with a fireplace.  An existing screen porch was also enclosed.

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It’s going to be a beautiful day – sunny and warm, the perfect weather for a tour of homes.  For more information on the tour, please visit http://www.choa.org/support-childrens/events/peachtree-battle-home-tour.  Tickets can be purchased at any of the houses. I hope to see you there!

Date:
Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Time:
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location:
Peachtree Battle Neighborhood
Tickets:
$35 per person day of tour purchased at any of the homes.

House Tour locations.  Note: You may begin at any of the homes.

1230 Peachtree Battle Ave.
3124 East Pine Valley Rd.
413 Manor Ridge Drive
525 Manor Ridge Drive

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Architectural design: Stairs over the door

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One of the top pinned images for the month of January was this beautiful entry, designed by J. Randall Powers.  The comment on the pin was ‘so thoughtfully designed’ – and given the number of pins this image received, clearly many agreed. The composition of the space is beautiful, and every piece selected for this space is just right. But something else that caught my eye was the interesting architecture of the space – how the stairs are placed to the left of the front door and wrap around over the door.  There is no picture of the front exterior of the house, so it is not easy to understand how the entry relates to the floor plan (and if this is even the front of the house – it might not be given that there are no windows above the stairs), but I like how the stair placement creates a two story entry that has nice proportions, and this is probably a very efficient place for the stairs in the house. To see the rest of the house, see the AD article here.

I came across this image from Luxe, not long after seeing the J. Randall Powers image, and I initially thought they were one and the same. Of course, I realized quickly that they were not, but this architecture has the same idea – the stairs are located to the left of the door, tucked to the side, and wrap over the front door.  There are windows over the stairs as this is clearly on the front of the house. This image was part of a thematic post on luxesource.com on entries, so I don’t know what the exterior of this house looks like.

This wonderful entry of a Palm Beach house, with interior design by Jack Fhilips, is a magnificent example of a staircase over a front door. I like how the placement of the stairs creates a niche for the center hall table and a small closet.

Given that this architectural feature intrigued me, I started thinking about the houses I have seen with this feature. 

One of the first houses that came to mind was on the Cathedral Tour of Homes 2011 (I wrote about the homes in a post here). It was designed by James Means in the Virginia Tidewater style of the mid-18th century, and was strongly influenced the design of the James River Plantation Carter’s Grove (c. 1755).  The entry goes from front to back, and the stairs wrap over the front door.

Here is a picture of the exterior of the house. The window above the front door is actually on the stairs. Photos by Emily Followill.

Here is a picture of the entry hall of Carter’s Grove, which has a similar stair location and design (clearly the spindles in the James Means house were inspired by the original).

A house on the 2012 Cathedral Tour of Homes was this beautiful house built in the 1930s (post about houses here).  Upon entering the home, the unusual and striking design and placement of the stairs is a defining feature of the entry.

Here is what the house looks like on the exterior. The window above the door is on the second floor. Photo credit: Emily Followill.

Yet another home on one of the Cathedral Tour of Homes came to mind, this one on the 2010 tour (see houses here). The house was built in the 1990s, and is a classically proportioned Georgian design, inspired by the John Brown House of Providence, Rhode Island (1786).  The grand staircase is a defining feature of the entry, and wraps around over the front door.

Here is the front elevation of the house; the entry area is defined by the front section of the house. Photo credit for this photo and the one above, Emily Followill.

A classic 1930s Atlanta estate that is on the market also has a stair positioned over a door (although I am not certain whether it is the front or back door). “Windcrofte”, was the home of former Coca-Cola chairman Robert Woodruff.

Here is the exterior of Windcrofte. Like one of the previous houses, the front door and window above (which is on the stairwell) create their own defined area of the front elevation of the house (this is where knowing the specific architectural terms would help!). The real estate listing has more interior pictures.

The Atlanta Symphony Showhouse in 2012 was particularly memorable as it was in a Philip Shutze designed house from the 1920s.  Note that the stairs wrap over the door.  This entry hall has a door on both sides of the hall.

This picture is from the ASO Show House in 2012, and the space was designed by Melanie Turner Interiors.  She had a flooring placed on top of the original floor so she could paint it – when the show house was over, the painted floor was simply removed.

Here is the south façade of the house – the side that faces West Paces Ferry.  The original property went all the way to West Paces Ferry, but the land has been sold through the years.  Although this could technically be considered the ‘front’ of the house, I doubt it was ever used as a main entry, but more as the beautiful façade facing the main road. 

Here is a good picture of the north façade.  This is the side that was used as the entrance for the showhouse, and I feel pretty certain that the stairs wrap over the door on this side (if anyone can confirm this, please leave a comment).

Interestingly, both the front and rear elevations of this house remind me of my sister’s house, which was designed and built in the same era as this house. My sister’s entry hall goes from front to back, with a significant entry on both the front and back of the house.

Another one of Atlanta’s famed architectural treasures is the Swan House, designed by Philip Shutze and built in 1928 as an ‘empty nester’ house for the Edward Inman family.  The entry is a beautiful space, with a floating staircase curved over the door.  I am not certain if this door is the official front door – it is the more special façade of the house that faces West Andrews, and is very impressive. But was it ever used as a front door?   Photo credit Atlanta History Center/Swan House.

The east elevation, through which all visitors enter now (and I feel pretty certain this has always been the main entrance), is quite beautiful.

I think about this classic view of the Swan House as the ‘front’ of the house.  The door seen here is the one seen in the image of the entry – the stairs curve and float above this door in the entry hall.

I couldn’t resist including this image that I found while researching this post – the Swan House was used for both interior and exterior scenes of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – it is President Snow’s house.  There are quite a few Hunger Game tours in Atlanta now, including one at the Swan House.  Image source.

So back to the topic of this post – what do you think of stairs that wrap around and over the front door? Do you see this architectural feature in your area?  If there are any architects or designers out there who can shed light on why this was a feature of certain homes from the 1920s and 1930s, I would be interested to hear about it. I speculate it was due to the face that many of the ‘front’ elevations were not truly used as entries, and designing the stairs in this manner created a dramatic and beautiful view for the door that was primarily used to enter the house. I would love to know!

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My house list and a great home tour

Living in a city with so many beautiful homes, I get a lot of gratification from driving around town (or walking my dog), and viewing the houses from the street.  There are some houses that capture my imagination more than others, and I have an informal ‘house list’ of houses that I would love to see inside.   Sometimes I get to ‘see’ the inside of a home on my list when it is listed for sale; I have even been known to go to a real estate agent caravan in order to get a peek into a home on my list.  Other times, I am lucky enough to be invited to an event at one of these homes.  But, my favorite way to see a home is through a tour of homes.  Atlantans are often quite generous in sharing their homes with fellow architecture and design fans, and various charitable organizations have capitalized upon this by organizing tours of homes that benefit a designated charity.

I recently learned that there will be a new tour this weekend in Atlanta (10/10/10), presented by Beacham & Company, REALTORS, and benefitting the Special Olympics of Georgia.  On this tour are five wonderful homes, all on the market, and several of them are on my ‘list’.  It is going to be a great tour!

1071 Foxcroft (click here to see listing for more interior pictures).  Listing price: $2,950,000

This beautiful house is located inside one of my favorite Atlanta neighborhoods, Kingswood, and is one of my favorite houses in the area.  It sits atop a beautiful property, sited perfectly on its lot; I have walked my dog by this house many, many times, and always stop to admire it.  When the house went on the market recently, I learned that it had been renovated by one of Atlanta’s premiere architects, Keith Summerour.

A glimpse of the interior, which is decorated in pale and soothing tones. 

The house is ‘L’ shaped, with a pool that is cleverly positioned to frame a central courtyard.  I can’t wait to see this house!  (Photo credits for this house: Blayne Beacham)

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981 Davis Drive (click here to see the listing), listed for $12,000,000 (photo credit: Rod Collins)

This splendid home, designed by Historical Concepts and described as Beaux Arts style, was the 2008 winner of the prestigious Shutze Award awarded by the Southeast Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture  & Classical America.  The house won for the 10,000 square foot and above category (it has about 16,000 square feet!).

I have been invited to two events at this home, but was not able to attend either.  I am looking forward to finally seeing this home in person! Photo credit for images above: Blayne Beacham.

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3418 Pinestream Road (click here to see listing).  Listing price: $3,500,000

The house I am most looking forward to seeing is ‘The Pink Palace’, built in 1923 and designed by Philip Shutze (recognized as ‘his first house’).  Modeled after Villa Cussano in Verona, Italy, this house used to sit on a huge amount of land, and faced West Paces Ferry.  Over the years, the owners have sold off much of the land, and the house address is now 3418 Pinestream Road.  

This magnificent Italian style estate is now on the market, and I have heard that most (if not all) of the original Shutze designed architectural features on the interior remain in pristine state, exactly as Shutze designed them.  The price of the tour ticket ($25) is worth the price alone to get to see this beautiful part of Atlanta architectural history. To see more pictures of the interior of this house, please visit the real estate listing.

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For more information on the Tour of Homes benefitting the Special Olympics of Georgia, presented by Beacham & Company, click here or follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/beachamspecialolympicstour. 

Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, 1:00 - 5:00 p..m.
$25 entry fee * per person to tour all 5 homes.   *Entry fee is tax deductible.  Tickets can be bought online or at any of the houses on the day of the tour. 

You may begin tour at any of the following locations:
1071 Foxcroft Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30327

2505 Habersham Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

3418 Pinestream Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30327

3240 Ivanhoe Drive
Atlanta, GA 30327

981 Davis Drive
Atlanta, GA 30327

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French Inspired Houses (aka, My Dream Home 2009)

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In January of last year, I did a post on my (then) favorite style of architecture, Georgian with Adams influence. So many of the house pictures in my inspiration files are Georgian, and I still love and appreciate this style. However, as much as I love Georgian style homes, over the past year I have found myself gravitating to homes with a French influence. It seems like more of a natural fit given the elements I like on the inside of a house: tall, large windows and doors, a light filled interior, high ceilings, and a neutral palette.

This is the house that was a turning point for me. I first saw it early last year on a Dallas realtor site, and just found it again on a new blog, Period Homes. I love everything about this beautiful house - the soft colors, the gray slate roof, the symmetry, the path to the front door, the wonderful proportions, the rounded dormer windows in the roof. It was built in 1929, yet its classic form is still beautiful in 2009. Also, it is not a dramatic departure from the Georgian homes I posted last year. I don't really see too many homes like this in my area of Atlanta; many of the two story French style homes in Buckhead seem to be much larger and much grander than this.

Although it sounds like my interest in French inspired homes suddenly formed sometime over the past year, in truth I have had an interest in French style architecture for years. I remember seeing this picture (above) in the Betty Lou Phillips book 'Provencal Interiors', and thinking it was beautiful. This is the back of a home designed by architect A. Hays Town of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A. Hays Town was called the "premier architect of the South" in his day.

I did a post of French Normandy architecture early in 2008 (picture above is from this post, Pak Heydt Architects), so already the interest in French architecture was getting reignited. As I learned while writing both the post on Normandy architecture and this post, French inspired architecture is an incredibly broad category. It is nearly impossible to categorize French style because it is so diverse.

So, what kind of French homes are inspiring me now? The ones I am noticing in Atlanta are 1 1/2 story symmetrical renovations; this style seems to be in vogue in the most established part of Atlanta. Many older red brick ranch and Georgian style homes are being painted white or cream (mostly one story houses, but some two story houses), large shutters and new front doors are being added, roofs are being reshaped, and large gas lanterns are being hung. The home pictured above was a 1960s ranch that was taken down to the studs and redone to a high standard; I was able to see the inside of this home when it was on the market last year, and it was eye opening how nice and fresh a well done renovation could look and feel.

Here is another high quality renovation, this time of a 1950s ranch home. I was able to go in this home many years ago on a tour of homes, and thought of it when I was writing this post. I love the shutters on the front and the rounded dormers on the roof, and the small round windows on the wings of the house.

I recently found another superbly done renovation in the French style (pictured above; one picture is the professional version (used with permission), the other is my iphone picture). It is a renovation of a 1950 ranch house, and the architect is Stan Dixon. This project won the prestigious Shutze Award (named for Philip Trammell Shutze, one of Atlanta's finest 20th century architects) in 2008 for a residence under 4,000 square feet. According to the notes for this house, it was a prime candidate for French provincial style given the existing home already had a steep pitched hip roof and French doors across the front. Among the many changes that were implemented were custom doors and windows designed and proportioned to reflect the French style, a new limestone entry portico, new dormer windows, and a dining pavilion in the front of the home. The inside of the house was taken down to the studs and renovated as well.

Here is a close up of the home. Architect Stan Dixon pays close attention to scale and proportion when designing his homes, and even the smallest of details are superb and historically accurate. I love the lanterns flanking the door, and the shape of the French door on the dining pavilion.

Another renovated house in Atlanta, done in French style. Many of the renovated French style homes I see have a central structure, then two symmetrical wings that jut out from the house. This house was always French inspired style (built in the 1960s) , and the architect who drew up the plans for the renovation redid the windows and emphasized the French elements already there. The landscaping was also redone to emphasize the French style.

This home is in an Atlanta neighborhood built in the 1960s, and most of the lots in this neighborhood are wide and at least 1 acre. Most of the original homes were a designed in a gracious ranch style, and many recent renovations in this neighborhood have a French flair to them.

This home was designed by James Means, many of whose greatest homes were designed in Atlanta in the 1950s and 1960s. The home is in the same neighborhood as the one in the previous picture. Means got his start working with another great Atlanta architect, Neel Reid, and worked at the same firm as Philip Shutze. This completely renovated home was on the market last year, and sold for $3.5 million. I wish I had saved more pictures from the listing! I remember that the cabinets in the kitchen were a beautiful blue-gray.

I pass by this home sometimes when walking my dog. This French style house is not very big, but it is charming.

This, on the other hand, is a new French style home in Atlanta that is enormous! It recently sold in the $5 million range. The landscape architects who worked on this property are among the best in Atlanta.

Another home in Atlanta that underwent a complete renovation, with the result being a charming French style home. I love the back of this house: 5 sets of French doors, and two small wings that make a 'U' shape to the house. I also love the rounded dormers on the roof in the front and back. I couldn't imagine having a back yard like this, though, with young children! Image courtesy DeLany Rossetti Construction.

This is the kind of lush Buckhead front yard that Tom Wolfe wrote about in his book A Man in Full. The home, built in 1955, was a standard ranch with a low roof. The current owners did a complete renovation; the height of the roof was increased and dormer windows were added, the front was redone, the windows lengthened and large shutters were installed. The result is a charming French style home.

This is new home designed by architect Stan Dixon. It is described as an 'elegantly proportioned French Country home', and is nestled in the midst of homes built in the 1920s through 1940s. It looks right at home in the neighborhood, a testament to the classic design and style of the home.

If I had to pick one, this is my favorite. It is more formal than the other homes I have shown, but I love the look of it. The elements I like are all in place: neutral color scheme, steep roof with arched dormer windows. I realize that many of the pictures in this post have those little wings on the side, which surprises me. This house has them too. I have watched this house being renovated for over two years (Pak-Heydt were the architects); the original house was also French in style, but quite a few changes were made to the roofline and the look of the house. It sits on a 3.2 acre piece of property, and is actually quite large; the house is U shaped with large wings off the back, plus a large garage to the left (visible if you look closely).

As you can see, French influenced style is quite prevalent in Buckhead, perhaps because so many older ranch homes "in-town" are renovated and lend themselves to this style. The cost of land is so high in Buckhead, and the property taxes are so high, that financially it often makes much more sense to renovate rather than tear down. I can't help but wonder if I gravitate to this because it is what I see so much around town. Or, maybe it is just what I notice; Buckhead has a tremendous diversity in home styles.

Do you ever see this style where you live? If you like this style too, which house is your favorite?

I started out 2008 with a love of Georgian homes, and am starting out 2009 with a preference for 1 1/2 story French eclectic symmetrical homes. Upon reflection, I am gravitating to houses that are not too big, but are very well done . It makes me wonder what 2009 will hold?

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