Design snapshot: A roof-type reverie

I’m partial to hipped gables.  My parents’ bungalow has them and so too does this c. 1890 work-building-turned-pottery-studio.  Hipped gables typically reduce the apparent height of end walls, keeping them from towering over passersby.  They lend an intimate scale, and the hip, which is almost forehead-like, helps suggest a familiar and friendly countenance.  Surely, whoever created the plaque to the left of the entrance was familiar with the truncated profile’s appeal.  Chamfered-edge shingles (which also recall the end-wall profile) above the door-head trim, and barn-style doors with integral windows, along with a complementary-color paint palette add to this building’s charm.  If a small child were to emerge from within and pause between the flag and hydrant, this slice of Americana might be worthy of Norman Rockwell.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Brick paving pointers

The texture, color, and subtle reflectivity of old brick patios and paths can enthrall. Green grass, moss, and even weeds sprouting between red bricks often soften the look, while complementing it. Those who conspire to eliminate such interstitial growth speak of using vinegar, boiling water, or worse, something toxic to stem the opportunistic green. It helps to install pavers over weed cloths, but even those succumb to nature’s will over time. Go ahead, weed tall or ungainly interlopers, and occasionally trim, but otherwise enjoy a brick patio or path that interacts with the natural cycle. Over time, it will become all the more integral.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Victorian dormer

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery. Since one House Enthusiast reader noted at Things That Inspire how I really have “a thing for properly designed dormers,” I thought I’d prove him right with another dormer post.

This dormer with Victorian detailing adorns a mansard slate roof. The chamfered pilasters on either side of the 2/2 double-hung windows add depth and interest, as well as significance to this rooftop jewel. The main roof eave brackets are echoed in the mini-me styling of the dormer eave brackets which receive the eave overhang. Thanks to the dormer’s low-pitch gable with flat-roofed extensions, it resides below the transition trim between the mansard’s two roof slopes. Window head trim punctuated with circular nodes further animate the tableau. It isn’t difficult to conjure an abstract face within the composition.

Maybe you too will develop “a thing for properly designed dormers.” I can only hope.

Click here, here, here, and here to see some more of my writing about dormers.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Sliding shutter doors

These unique, oversize, sliding doors are double-duty assets. From the inside, they provide filtered privacy when closed. From the outside, they add textural interest whether open or closed. The alternating slat dimensions help reduce their scale, and the clear finish draws attention to them as accent features. The sliding track is cleverly concealed by a shallow rooflet, which, with the help of full-width stairs, suggests a porchlet. I’m a fan of oversize, barn-type sliders and featured them in the Manchester Garage/Garden Room and wrote about them for Fine Homebuilding. Consider such sliders for breezeways and three-season rooms too.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Award-winning window garden

Last year, I stumbled upon stunning window boxes in Salem, Mass. which I touted here. The other day, I found some to rival last year’s discovery.  These won first place from the City of Salem and Salem Garden Club this year. Now that I know there’s an official award to be won, my competitive drive is sparked. So, next year look for my entry. This is the same kind of motivation that got Pearl Fryer, topiary-artist-extraordinaire, started. Dream big.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast