Whether you are designing an iphone or a country home, keeping it simple is harder than it looks. Instead of relying on flash and dash, a simple design relies on substance, proportion, and details. Most people cannot tell exactly what is wrong with a home when the proportions are off, but they know a beautiful home when they see it and good proportions are always the key. In the eighteenth century, nails and bricks, as well as most [...]
Nothing says summer like kids splashing around in a pool–except perhaps an adult party centered around a pool on a balmy summer evening. In either case, a pool house makes everything easier.Whether the pool house is small and simple or includes a full kitchen and guest quarters, having a place to store cold drinks, towels and refreshments makes summer entertaining a lot more fun. A pool house can be a place to access only the absolute necessities [...]
The first of my articles on house sizes(Small Home-Big Dreams) featured a home with 2200 square feet of heated living space. We explored the strategies which are critical when designing a smaller place to live. A medium sized home in our office runs between about 3000 square feet and 5000 square feet of heated space. As the size of the home increases, shared spaces are still desirable but are not as critical to the overall perceived [...]
We have designed new homes which are very small(under 1000 square feet) as well as homes which are very large. Regardless of scale, each home reflects the vernacular detail of the region and the careful study of proportion and light as well as the needs and desires of its owners. This will be the first of several articles exploring projects of various sizes. This home was designed as a weekend home for a couple who were professionals working [...]
About half of the work in our office is new construction and half renovations and additions. When designing a home from scratch some of the most important elements to study(besides the clients wishes) are views, site features, sun and wind direction, and the approach to the site. The most important single element in an addition/renovation is the existing building. Sometimes the portion you save and restore is key to the rest of the project. Although it is almost [...]
 It's hard for me to believe it has been almost 7 years since the publication of 'On the Porch'.  Sandee Mahoney and I wrote this coffee table book at the request of Taunton Press, and I have to say we are as proud of it today as we were in 2006.  What follows is the text of a article written just before release of the book but after we had seen authors' copies.  It begins with a [...]
As far as we know, the Dutch door originated in the Netherlands during the 17th century and was very popular with the settlers of Dutch and English origin who colonized what is now the United States. The door worked well to keep farm animals out of the home while keeping small children safe.  The families enjoyed additional light and fresh air when the upper half was open. One of the major advantages of the modern Dutch door is [...]
In an age where family time has been shortened by screen time, and we eat most our meals on the go, a formal dining room can bring us together. A dedicated dining room can change the atmosphere of a meal and provide a special grace to dinner time. I have a large dining room in my own old farm house, and we do enjoy more formal meals there. In our house, the dining room is so much more [...]
The way you approach a room can often be as interesting as the room itself. When designing a hallway, we sometimes take the opportunity to create a sense of movement by changing materials, exploring natural and artificial lighting, varying the ceiling height, and establishing beam patterns. A long hallway is ideal for displaying family photos or can be a perfect art gallery. Lighting is critical for both comfort and the proper enjoyment of the art work. [...]
A Few of Our Exhibitors Saturday, September 24th, 2011 From 10:00am to 5:00pm Four years ago we gathered friends and colleagues in a huge tent to showcase their craftsmanship, their technology, and their art; we called it Fine Home Source. The organizational feat is overseen by  our office manager and event planner, Lois.  Meanwhile, everyone else in the office does their part to make this a wonderful show, while maintaining our day jobs. In one place you can talk to [...]
