Napkin sketches of home

"Remembered house with good layout" by Roy, a builderFind an introduction to this series here.

I would love to see a "napkin sketch of home" created by you, your family, and/or friends -- both young and old.

Please submit sketches via a scan or photo to Katie@katiehutchison.com for possible inclusion in the series. Include the artist's name and age, and a title for the sketch, if there is one.

Share your idea of "home" -- whether it's your cat, your porch, or your neighborhood; you decide what "home" means to you.

Let's get sketching.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Video design tips for upper-level oriels

If you've seen the Drawing Board column I wrote for the September 2011 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine ("Taking oriels to a new level", Issue #221), you might want to check out this video, too. I created it as a companion piece to my column about upper-level oriels. (An oriel is a window bay without a foundation.) If you haven't seen my Fine Homebuilding column yet, it's on newsstands now, and here's a link to a PDF version of it. Reprinted with permission copyright 2011, The Taunton Press, Inc. You can also find this video in the "Magazine Extras" section of the Fine Homebuilding website here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

The Idjit Gardener branches out

A couple of weekends ago, this Idjit Gardener had a unique opportunity to try her hand at market gardening. For one weekend, The Idjit Gardener and her husband tended to chickens, a bunny, and a small farm stand Up-Island on Martha's Vineyard. No lives of the animal or plant variety were lost -- at least, not that The Idjit Gardener knows about. Check out the video below to share in the adventure.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Fun with upper-level oriels

Image excerpt from Fine Homebuilding Drawing Board column about upper-level oriels.Drop by your local newsstand, and pick up the September, 2011 issue of Fine Homebuilding to find my latest "Drawing Board" column about upper-level window bays, known as oriels. Explore three different types: an entry-announcing oriel, stair-landing oriel, and a pair of oriel dormers. Find out why you might want to incorporate an upper-level oriel in your next project. Click here for a PDF of the column. "Taking oriels to a new level" by Katie Hutchison, Issue #221, September 2011. Reprinted with permission copyright 2011, The Taunton Press, Inc.

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

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Cupola kudos

I’m drawn to authentic barn cupolas, like this one. Grand, domed cupolas, the type with a belfry or lantern, can be exquisite, but it’s the hard-scrabble, yet graceful, venting cupola on a work building that speaks to me. This octagonal one is outfitted with green slatted louvers and a gently curved, somewhat-conical roof. The white roofing color reflects heat and nicely contrasts the black roofscape and moody sky. Of course, the weather vane on top is a fine form of functional grace, too. Look for another winning weather vane in a future “design snapshot”.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast