traditional design | On the Drawing Board

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10 Dream Outbuildings That Transform Everyday Living

Pool Cabana It is getting close to summer, and we are all itching to get out of the house. Some of our lucky clients have structures on their property that become destinations. Some structures are primarily for the homeowner, like a potting shed, and others are great for friends and family, like a pool house/guest house. We have designed outbuildings that are strictly utilitarian, such as storage barns, and others that are just for fun, such as a golf pavilion. [...]

By James Crisp|2026-04-19T12:26:51-04:00April 19th, 2026|Categories: Accessory Buildings, Garages, Gyms, Miscellaneous, Pool House, Pool Houses, Pools|Tags: Millbrook Pool house, Millbrook pool house-guest house, traditional design|0 Comments

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Under Construction March-2026

Sandisfield Major Renovation This is a muddy March like so many before it. We always have a mix of projects in the design and construction document phases, but those under construction are dealing with the mud season. Our first project, shown above, in the Berkshires, is very close to completion. If you would like a taste of summer, please take a look at the Breathtaking Berkshire Pool House, which was our original project on this property. Berkshire Family [...]

By James Crisp|2026-03-25T20:03:04-04:00March 23rd, 2026|Categories: Additions, Miscellaneous, Renovations|Tags: Boothbay, Dover Plains, Dutchess County, farmhouse, Kinderhook, Kitchen, millbrook, porch, renovation, Renovations, Sandisfield, Shefield, traditional architecture, traditional design, Ulster County, Under Construction|0 Comments

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Simple Home(Revisited)

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2014-06-06T13:31:08-04:00January 7th, 2014|Categories: Design|Tags: home design, simple design, simple home, traditional design|1 Comment

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4 Pool Houses(Revisited)

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:45:55-04:00May 21st, 2013|Categories: Accessory Buildings, Fireplaces, Miscellaneous, Porches|Tags: adirondack chair, blue paint, blue stone, exterior fireplace, exterior shower, landscaping, large window, outdoor dining, outdoor furniture, outdoor umbrella, patio dining, pool area, pool house, porch, shade, stone fireplace, traditional architecture, traditional design, vertical siding, white columns, white trim, wood furniture|0 Comments

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A Home in the Middle

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:46:44-04:00May 19th, 2013|Categories: Construction, Design, New Homes, Porches|Tags: brick chimney, expansive porches, exterior, home, landscaping, large porch, metal roof, stone steps, stone wall, traditional architecture, traditional design, white columns, white home, wrap around porch|7 Comments

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Small Home-Big Dreams

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:47:19-04:00April 16th, 2013|Categories: Construction, Design, New Homes, Porches, Renovations|Tags: blue house, blue paint, brick chimney, front porch, open porch, screened in porch, skylights, traditional architecture, traditional design, white columns, white trim, white windows|9 Comments

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Adding On (Revisited)

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:48:05-04:00April 10th, 2013|Categories: Additions, Construction, Design, Fireplaces, James Crisp, Kitchen, Miscellaneous, New Homes, Porches, Renovations, Stairs|Tags: addition, country home, country kitchen, entry, historic home, landscaping, large fireplace, large home, porch, renovation, stone fireplace, stone wall, summer home, traditional architecture, traditional design, white cabinets, white kitchen|3 Comments

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The Reluctant Authors(Revisited)

OnThePorch It's hard for me to believe it has been almost twenty 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 an article written just before the book's release but after we had seen the authors' copies. It begins with a description [...]

By James Crisp|2024-11-07T16:51:42-05:00March 12th, 2013|Categories: About Us, James Crisp, Miscellaneous, Porches|Tags: Authors, back porch, country side, front porch, James Crisp, On The Porch Book, porch, Sandra L. Mahoney, sitting porch, traditional architecture, traditional design|1 Comment

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4 Dutch Doors

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:49:18-04:00February 13th, 2013|Categories: Design, Kitchen, Miscellaneous|Tags: back door, dutch door, entry, historical home, history, kitchen door, mudroom, traditional architecture, traditional design|1 Comment

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5 Formal Dining Rooms

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 [...]

By James Crisp|2021-03-26T18:51:52-04:00December 1st, 2012|Categories: James Crisp, Miscellaneous|Tags: formal dining room set, formal dining rooms, green paint, traditional design, traditional rooms, white wainscoting|4 Comments

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