Design snapshot: From fishing shacks to home

We were fortunate enough to live in this charmer for a while. It’s a collection of fishing shacks that were assembled over time into a single home. The resulting house is comprised of small wings that reach out to grab daylight, view, and breeze. The wings also provide private, pocket spaces off of the larger, more public space where they intersect. Because the different appendages were once separate buildings, their upper floor levels don’t align, resulting in intermediate levels that further differentiate special spaces.

Though this house evolved gradually, it’s a great model for how to conceive of a new home. Divide spaces among smaller components, perhaps even with different floor heights, to create desirable offshoots from a primary shared living space. Resist the all-too-common tendency to bundle everything into something monolithic. A casual assemblage, like the grouped fishing shacks, can be so much more gratifying.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Sach's covered bridge

Last weekend I strayed from New England and visited this covered bridge in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Built in 1852 to span approximately 100 feet across Marsh Creek, it later served both Union and Confederate soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg. It was closed to traffic in the late 1960’s, and in 1996 floodwaters swept it from its abutments. After raising it three feet and reinforcing it with steel beams, it was then reopened to foot traffic.

The simplicity of its exterior purposeful form has both nostalgic and contemporary appeal. Bands of clapboard cladding alternating with unclad bands, in which crossing structural members are exposed, emphasize the length and tectonics of the span with elegance. From the interior, the diagonal geometry of the substantial exposed wall framing and overhead trusses repeats as if in rhythm with your pace as your cross from one side to the other.

Curiously, the lower, continuous unclad band that invites air and intermittent daylight inside is below eye level. This directs your focus inward and reinforces the sheltering experience. I wonder, though, if the restoration change to the bridge elevation put the daylight openings below eye level; perhaps the soldiers in 1863 could have looked out with greater ease because they were crossing on a different, lower floor level relative to the daylight openings. On the other hand, it may have been intentionally originally designed to limit view and exposure. Still, I longed to pause en route and comfortably take in the view from within. Too bad for me. I’ll have to design my own covered bridge.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Interior inspiration

When I came across this scene, I felt as if I’d walked into a Vilhelm Hammershoi painting. If you’re not familiar with Hammershoi, he’s the Danish painter from the turn of the century who captured quiet interiors and exteriors with soft, luminous light. This aging, eyebrow dormer window -- complete with peeling paint, rows of snail shells, and view of a peaceful meadow -- gave me butterflies.

The confluence of elements that had me all aflutter are really rather fundamental. The curved ceiling, under which the eyebrow window nestles, is comfortably embracing. The center, operable, six-lite casements invite fresh air, daylight, and communion with the meadow below. The fixed, multi-pane sashes on either end of the curve extend the view frame and emphasize an intimate scale, requiring you to approach with head bent if you desire a closer look outdoors. The crackling, creamy white finishes with glimpses of green paint below reflect the room’s history and the vagaries of personal taste. The collection of shells carefully arranged on the sill reminds us that the sea is nearby and that someone has enjoyed collecting its offerings to display in this special, private spot.

After I saw this tableau, I was ready to move in to this little house. If only.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Harvest-inspired palette

Click on this photo to see it in the note cards/prints gallery.Maybe I’m being influenced by the season, but I find this pumpkin-orange-colored antique with white window sashes and curtains as tempting as candy corn. Yes, I have a sweet tooth. Interestingly, this type of strong color was often featured on original colonial houses, rather than the faded colors we tend to associate with our forefathers’ homes. Painting the clapboards the same color as the thick window trim and sill makes a bold statement. The contrasting white window sashes provide a bright accent. Playful shadows cast on the interior curtains by the window muntins round out a pleasingly graphic composition.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Entry porch personality

I’ve been photographing this seaside gem for years. There’s so much that’s right about it. The width of the porch is gracious and welcoming. The overhang is just deep enough to keep the rain off, but not too deep to become dark and encumbered. Even though it provides access to doors in two different directions, there’s no confusion about which is the front door and which is the side door. The double-hung windows that flank the main entry entice visitors with a glimpse through the building to the view beyond. Curved brackets and flared door trim echo the boat-like detailing of the porthole dormer windows above. It’s an appealing example of what well-considered design can achieve.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast