On the market: a Bobby McAlpine house in Atlanta

When my husband and I were designing and building our house, I kept tabs on the various custom house construction projects going on around Atlanta. In particular, I closely watched a house being built on Argonne Drive, a charming street in the heart of Buckhead.   Since the construction schedule of this house tracked fairly closely to ours from a timing perspective, I made sure to walk my dog by the project on a regular basis to check on the progress.

Here is the finished house, an original Bobby McAlpine design; it conforms perfectly to the lot and sits comfortably in its environs, and is a beautiful addition to the architectural narrative of the street.  Note the quality of the materials used on this house – real stucco, cedar shake roof, copper gutters and downspouts, chimney pots, fully articulated shutters, soaring windows, a significant front door – all features that speak to great design and craftsmanship.  Although it is hard to tell from this picture, the setting is somewhat hilltop (very common in Atlanta because of the hilly topography), which creates a sense of privacy and great views from the many windows in the house.  The house was built by Benecki Fine Homes, and the landscape architecture was by LandPlus. Photos are used with permission, from the real estate listing (unless noted).

Quick snapshot with my iphone - the shutters are a charming part of the fascade of the house

The house is for sale, listed by Bonneau Ansley of Harry Norman – the listing can be seen here.   When the listing went up, I was very excited to see the pictures – the house is in a private setting, only partially visible from the street, and getting a glimpse inside the house was a special treat.  However, nothing can take the place of actually seeing a house in person, so when the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Southeast (ICAA SE) held a members only event in early June at this beautiful home – featuring an intimate lecture by none other than the home’s architect, Bobby McAlpine – I was excited to get the chance to actually see the inside of the house and get an understanding for how the floorplan worked (I can rarely get a feel for a house from pictures alone).

What an experience it was, seeing this house!  I had heard that McAlpine houses are designed to be not only beautiful, but also elicit an emotional response from visitors to the house.  Based on my own experience, and the reaction of the ICAA members attending the event, I can tell that the house certainly had a great impact on the group and proved to be an excellent setting for McAlpine’s ruminations on architecture.    

 

The guests were given full permission to explore the house, and it was fascinating to see the spaces and how they related to one another; each room has its own character and feeling, created by architecture, space, and decor.  I wish I could have taken some pictures of the inside, but it was not really the time or the place.  I have been given permission to use the real estate photos for this post, and I will try to give a sense for how the house fit together. 

 

The first room encountered in the house is this study/TV room, tucked to the side off the intimate entry. It is a private space filled with comfortable seating and a prized collection of dog drawings.  Interior design in the house by Melanie Turner; there were some beautiful and unusual lighting selections throughout the house that particularly caught my eye.

 

In contrast to the entry and the study, which are both intimate, the main space of the house has two stories and a majestic feel.  The room was filled with light on the beautiful June evening of the event. I thought about the words from McAlpine’s book as I entered this great room: “I’ve always loved the sequence of entering a compressed, protective space before finding release in the loftiest room in the house”. The lecture took place in this room, and although there were more than 80 people present, it did not feel crowded (a few attendees even took folding chairs up to the balcony, which connects the two sides of the upstairs space).

 

A vignette from the great room, which highlights the varying ceiling heights in the room.  The fireplace and sofas are positioned under this space, creating an intimate space within the large room.  The entrance to the master bedroom is on the right.

A view of the spectacular steel windows in the great room, which also functions as the dining room.  This seems to be a preferred design in McAlpine’s houses – in his book, describing one of his own houses, he notes that “the dining area becomes an integral part of the living space, rather than a room set apart and rarely used”.  This chandelier was my favorite lighting piece in the house.

The kitchen is an airy space, with white marble countertops and white cabinetry.  The quatrefoil window with a custom marble surround is beautiful and quite unique.

The other side of the kitchen. Note the door pulls.  In the center of the kitchen (not seen in this photo) are two islands.

There is a family room adjacent to the kitchen (the windows of the room can be seen to the right outside the window in the picture above) – it is decorated in a very chic style, with bright shades of blue and gold – but there is not a picture on the real estate listing.

The formal powder room – the vanity has great lines, and custom art can be seen in the reflection of the mirror.

Off the kitchen, facing the courtyard, is the outdoor room – a favorite feature in new homes in Atlanta.  This one is particularly well done, with a fireplace and a TV, comfortable seating, and outdoor curtains to frame the views.  This space was a popular place during the cocktail hour!  Note the ‘fire balls’ in the fireplace.

A view of the outdoor room from the courtyard highlights the private views, and the connection with the kitchen.

The pool is on axis with the center of the house, creating a view that takes the eye to the three trees lining the edge of the property.  During the ICAA event, the lounge chairs were removed and a bar was set up on the left, creating an excellent entertainment area that connected to both the great room and the outdoor room/kitchen.

A view from the back of the property to the house.  The left wing is the outdoor room, the right wing is the master suite bathroom.

The master bedroom was my favorite room of the house.  Everyone who walked into the room commented on its beauty and serenity.

A collection of ink and charcoal sketches artfully anchors one of the walls in the master bedroom. An antique table filled with some of Melanie’s favorite books and objects elevates the elegance of the room.

A light filled master bathroom forms one ‘wing’ of the house.  The real estate pictures did not contain shots of the ‘his’ bathroom that is nearby, or the beautiful closets that contain custom shelving, drawers, and a vanity.  I thought the design of this space was very pretty– and I am intrigued by the window above the sink, an unusual feature in a master bathroom.

Upstairs are three bedrooms (2 of which are in the real estate pictures), each with its own large sitting area/play area.

The three upstairs bedrooms are well positioned, two on one side of the house, one on the other, in an arrangement that creates a great deal of privacy for each of the rooms.

Many thanks to the hosts of the evening –the homeowners, Stan Benecki and Melanie Turner; and the sponsors –the ICAA SE; Alec Michaelides, ASLA; Ludowici Roof Tile; Insidesign; Parc Monceau Fine Antiques; Marmi Natural Stone; and Bonneau Ansley of Harry Norman.

Members only events like this, featuring top architects and designers discussing their inspirations, will be a regular part of the ICAA SE calendar. The next event (scheduled for the fall) is with architect Gil Schafer, author of the new book The Great American Home (available for pre-order on Amazon).  It is members only event – so be sure to join the ICAA SE if you live in the Southeast! Click here for membership information, or visit http://www.classicist-se.org/membership.html.

To read Kyle from Well Composed Home's review of the evening, please click here.

Bobby McAlpine’s book: The Home Within Us – click here to purchase on Amazon.

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Astor Courts – a magnificent estate (and possible location of Chelsea Clinton’s wedding)

Rumors are swirling about Chelsea Clinton’s impending nuptials; a recent article in the New York Times intimated that the likely location of the celebration will be at Astor Courts, a 40,000 square foot estate in Rhinebeck, NY. Astor Courts was built for John Jacob Astor IV and completed in 1904 (designed in 1902); the estate is described as Beaux-Arts style, and was designed by American architect Stanford White (1853-1906), who was partner in the firm McKim, Mead, and White.

Although I am not particularly interested in Chelsea Clinton’s wedding (doesn’t every bride deserve a little privacy if she wants it?), I am happy to be introduced to Astor Courts and Stanford White. Astor Courts is a beautiful house, with stunning architectural details. It is also on the market for $12 million (although the NYT article indicates that it was suddenly taken off the market in early July). According to the New York Times, the house was designed to evoke the Grand Trianon at Versailles. (Image source)

On the top: Astor Courts. On the bottom: Grand Trianon.

Astor Courts, after decades of neglect, was thoroughly restored in recent years.

The restored living room, with its herringbone floors and ionic columns, measures 35’ x 60’. The domed skylight is my favorite feature, although I also appreciate that the scale of so many elements in the room match the size of the room: the fireplace is 9’x10’, and the crown molding is 30”. Note the lampshade on the hanging light; it is a copy of the shade that was original to the home. Image source.

The herringbone floors continue in the hall. Image source.

During the recent renovations, the house was brought back more in line with the original plan, but with modern updates such as a new kitchen. This is a pretty solution to the sink on a wall dilemma I discussed in a post earlier this year.

There are some exquisite architectural details in this house, restored after many decades of neglect. Image source.

The home also features an indoor pool with a groin vault ceiling, painted in a serene shade of turquoise, and views out a series of arched windows.

A detail shot of the ceiling and columns in the pool room. Image source.

The house also boasts as an indoor clay tennis court with an industrial style ceiling. I love the fretwork on the railing; this room has a Gothic feel to it.

A New York Times feature from 2008 indicated that when the bathrooms were redone, the fixtures were copied from the original plans. (Image source)

For a time in the 1960s, Astor Courts was used as a nursing home after Brooke Astor donated the house to the Catholic Church.

Stanford White was considered to be the best-known American architect of the late 19th century, although his career and his life were cut short when he was murdered over a love triangle gone wrong.

A Stanford White designed Palazzo in Manhattan.

Washington Square Arch (New York City) is attributed to Stanford White; it was built in 1889 to celebrate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration.

Stanford White designed my favorite house in Newport, Rosecliff. When I first saw an image of Astor Courts, it reminded me of Rosecliff. No surprise, given that Rosecliff was also modeled after Grand Trianon. Rosecliff was completed in 1902, several years before Astor Courts. Image source.

The inspiration: Grand Trianon (source) was constructed in the late 1600s, and designed by architect Jules Hardouin Mansart. Yet another case of Americans being enamored with the French architectural tradition!

I came across several good articles while researching this post:

A Fixer Upper to End Them All, NYT , 11/6/08

Astor Courts, Estate of the Day, Luxist.com 9/27/09

It will be interesting to see whether Chelsea does indeed celebrate her big day here – reported to be the weekend of July 31st. What do you think of the house?

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A magnificent Lutyens design

I lived in Washington, DC as a child, both in Georgetown and near the National Cathedral, and was surrounded by beautiful and interesting architecture; when visiting as an adult, I have a newfound appreciation for all of the character filled houses, striking embassies, and inspirational buildings (the National Cathedral in particular) that were part of my old neighborhoods. Perhaps being surrounded by such architectural inspiration at such a young age had a formative impact on my love for architecture as an adult.

My sister recently moved to Cleveland Park, a fantastic area of DC that is a stone’s throw from the Washington National Cathedral. I took a very brief and last minute trip to DC last week, and loved the location of my sister’s ‘new’ house (it was built in the 1920s, so new to her). Houses and buildings that I had previously only driven by are now easily accessible on foot; during my visit, I spent hours walking, grateful for my iphone, which makes it so easy to take surreptitious pictures of the houses on the walking route. On one of these walks I finally saw a landmark building that has been on my list of things to see: the British Ambassador’s residence, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944). The house was built in the late 1920s, and it is the only building designed by Lutyens in the United States.

Apparently the building was originally designed to be both the Ambassador’s residence as well as office space for the British Embassy. The height of the wings in front was increased by two stories during the design stage as there was a need for more staff quarters. However, in the late 1950s the need for additional space was pressing, so a new building (quite block like, not seen in this picture) was built for the office space.

The chimney stacks on the front of the wings are a design Lutyens used to employ in many of the country houses he designed. According to the British Embassy site, “the present building on Massachusetts Avenue, built of red brick with stone dressings and high roofs crowned with tall chimneys, suggests an English country house of the Queen Anne period”.

The limestone carvings on the chimney caught my eye. The limitation of an iphone is that detail from a distance is not easy to capture, so I might need to go back on my next trip in order to get a better picture.

Beautiful designs abound, even from the street: the unicorn and lion atop limestone pillars were particularly interesting.

The South side of the residence can be seen here – this is the private side not seen from the street (Source). According to the British Embassy site, Lutyens always insisted on materials of the highest quality. The bricks are a custom size and were hand made in Pennsylvania to Lutyens exact specifications; they were designed to look like bricks used during Tudor times. Indiana limestone was used for contrast.

I also had the chance to see a house that I admired ever since seeing a picture on Architect Design’s blog last year. It was designed in the late 1930s by Paul Cret (1876-1945), a French-American architect. The house is so beautiful in person – the colors of the house, the slate roof, the interesting shapes of the windows – all have great appeal to me. Seeing the house within its neighborhood, I was surprised at the small lot! The house is in a prime area of DC, so there is a trade off between land and location.

It is always a thrill to get to see buildings designed by some of the greats of architecture!

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