Subtle moves, like increasing the spacing of the upper gable battens from the batten spacing below the demising horizontal trim, add interest to the pattern and differentiate the tippy-top from the middle-top. Both batten  arrangements are centered on the ridge and set up their own rhythm.

In addition to the siding pattern, the diagonally placed square window animates the peak. The finial and large overhanging rake outfitted with a decorative rake truss create compelling shadow lines and shapes. The color scheme of ochre siding, burnt red trim, and faded-green accents makes for a warm, sunny, yet sophisticated look.

I find the combination of Scandinavian and New England vernacular influences on this gable design irresistible.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Hancock Shaker Village Laundry and Machine Shop

I've written here about several notable New England house museums, like Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass. (which is shown above); Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, Conn.; Gropius House in Lincoln, Mass.; and Yin Yu Tang in Salem, Mass., which I mentioned in my last post. I expect to explore and share with you additional compelling regional house museums in the coming months. Meanwhile, consider those I've already featured. You might be surprised by the unique architecture and history not far from your back door.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

The intersection of architecture and the lives of those who inhabit it fascinates me. This is why I'm a fan of house museums. Merge your Film Fest visit to the Peabody Essex Museum with a tour of Yin Yu Tang, the Museum's remarkable example of Chinese domestic architecture from the rural village of Huang Cun, originally built more than two centuries ago. I wrote about Yin Yu Tang here. Wouldn't it be fascinating if the PEM produced a film about life in rural, southeastern China through the stories of the lives lived within Yin Yu Tang? Every building has a tale to tell. Imagine yours.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.

I don't often mention specific products in these posts, but if you're not familiar with C2 Paint, it's worth a look. The C2 color palette is dreamy and, according to the C2 website, it's created from 16-colorant tints, rather than the more standard 12. C2 offers oversize (18" x 24") sample swatches coated with paint, not ink. Or, if you prefer, you can ask for a 16 oz. Color Sampler to paint a test wall at home. C2 carries a Low-VOC line called "C2 LoVo". Turns out C2 has an unusual business model too; it was recently featured in Inc. magazine.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with C2 Paint. Nor do I make any claims to your potential satisfaction or dissatisfaction with C2 Paint.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Walk Score enumerates six factors which contribute to a walkable neighborhood: a discernible center, compact density, mixed income and mixed use, convenient parks and public spaces, pedestrian-centric design, and nearby schools and workplaces. All make for a vibrant neighborhood with positive environmental, social, and economic impacts. I sang the praises of my condo’s interior neighborhood amidst my exterior, walkable neighborhood here.

Walkability should be a primary factor in awarding “green” status. It’s only common sense. Read more about Common Sense Green here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Image excerpt from Fine Homebuilding Drawing Board column about inglenooks

Visit the KHS publications page to see other magazine columns and articles I've written.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Photos (and drawings) provided by Susan and Ryan Hayes.A couple builds a smaller, affordable, “green” house

When I called Susan Hayes to talk to her about her new, affordable, “green” house in Williston, Vermont, one of the first things she said was, “We really wanted to respect the local vernacular…” She and her husband Ryan created what they call a “Modern Farmhouse”. The exterior was inspired by the farmhouse Ryan’s dairy-farming great grandparents’ owned, and “the inside is really sparse which is more of a Modern feel,” explains Susan. Their hybrid aesthetic is unusual for a “green” home.  The fact that it’s smaller is a “green” hallmark.

Smaller and greener
I found Susan and Ryan through their blog Building Green in Vermont in which they have documented their home’s “green” evolution. “We really weren’t that enlightened when we started,” admits Susan. But thanks, in part, to a lengthy local permitting process, they had time to research and educate themselves in efficient and sustainable design. Susan discovered that “size is absolutely critical.” After estimates for an initial design proved too expensive, she and Ryan realized they would need to downsize to keep the construction of their first house on budget and “green”. They scrapped plans for a 2200 sq. ft house (not including a finished, walk-out basement) for a 1568 sq. ft house (not including a finished, walk-out basement).

As part of a two-story bay of sorts, it projects toward the street and takes advantage of the space above it to give it greater prominence.  The scalloped shingle skirt, below the sills of the second-floor bay windows, helps announce the entry with a flair of flare.  The windows in the entry sidewall contribute a playful indoor/outdoor feel to this semi-enclosed entry porch.  Paneled half walls appear poised to embrace guests.  Chamfered post and panel details are enhanced by a dynamic paint-color scheme.  Together, the quirky elements of this diminutive entry suggest a storybook cheerfulness.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.

Brimming with ice, the boat was parked almost as firmly on the beach as the dark, worn rocks it had chosen for company.  Frozen water had found level in the old beached vessel.  A pattern of lapping waves in the sand swirled around the boat’s bowed sides and neighboring rounded rocks.  By contrast, the square edges of the boat’s seats betrayed our often orthogonal constructs.  The combination of curves, both natural and man-made, and straight or level surfaces, both natural and man-made, transfixed me.

When I look at this photo today, it seems a model of sympathetic site design.  I will tuck it away in my visual memory to tap into when pondering how to create a future site design in which a human intervention resonates with its natural environment.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast