Design snapshot: A touch of Vixen red

Sometimes we don't know where the notions we have come from. They're simply there, at the ready, when we need them.

Last week, while meeting with a client to choose the exterior and interior color and finish palette for her renovation/addition project, we paused to ponder our selections. We both realized that one of our earlier color choices had been left out of the mix. Red. Not just any red, C2's Vixen red. But where to put it? Red can be so powerful. Suddenly, it dawned on me. How about if we make the rake and eave trim at the entry roof Vixen red, while keeping the rake and eave trim C2's Chelsea (butter) color elsewhere? Yes, my client chimed in, and a Vixen red entry soffit.

Funny, then, that, today, while combing through my photos for a potential "Design snapshot" to feature, I came across this photo. The red rake accent (complete with rafter tails) must have made a subliminal impression on me. It, in combination with the red umbrella and red door, pop and please. I took and stored this photo on my computer several years ago, and, apparently, I stored it in my subconscious, too.

This type of seeming serendipity is exactly why I recommend that folks involved in the design of residential projects take note of their environment; photograph and consider intriguing compositions, moments, and details. The more you train your eye, the more it will train you.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Arbor ambiguities

"Enclosure" and "shelter" are nuanced words. Some enclosures are more porous than others. Some shelters are more sheltering than others. It seems we need more words, different words to describe the many varying degrees of enclosure and shelter that we find and create in the world.

An arbor, attached porch-like to a home, can offer an airy enclosure or shelter that treads lightly and doesn't impose. It creates an ambiguous indoor/outdoor space. If it were planted with a grape vine or wisteria (as in this Ask Katie example), the additional shade and denser boundary would feel more sheltering and perhaps softer. Bare bones as it is, here, the arbor creates interesting shadows and patterns that delineate and suggest a porous enclosure and shelter. Without the arbor transition between house and deck, the inside and outside realms would be all the more separate.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Shaker Village House Tour in Harvard, Mass. 2012

Second House c. 1791 interiorMark your calendars for this rare opportunity to tour privately owned Shaker houses in Harvard, Massachusetts September 15, 2012 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Advance tickets to tour twelve Shaker buildings as well as two other notable Shaker properties are available via the Harvard Historical Society. Tickets also include free admission to the Fruitlands Museum and Harvard Historical Society exhibits.

I'm a fan of the Shaker aesthetic -- its ingenuity, sense of purpose, and attention to craft. I've written about inspired Shaker design here, here, here, and here.

If you're like me, these Shaker houses will leave you aflutter; the quiet elegance of these gentle giants (in structure and legacy) is not to be missed.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Salem Window Box Competition 2012

I can spot a winner. True, former winners often repeat, but still, I called this one early in the summer before it  blossomed into its full award-winning glory.

See all of this year's winners in the Salem Gazette (print edition), including the box above at 188 Derby Street created by Claire Bailey. Well done. I've featured the fruits of Claire's labor in previous years, as in this design snapshot from the House Enthusiast archives. Another stunning entry from a previous year resembles this year's third-place finisher in the Business Window Box category. (Not sure if they're the same location.)

Congrats to those who repeated and to those who secured first-time wins. Victory certainly smells sweet.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Web tour: Maine Home + Design: Craft in architecture

Crafted detail on the West Tisbury HouseMaine architect Will Winkelman writes in the August issue of Maine Home + Design about the essential collaboration between craftspeople and architects in creating well-crafted homes.

Winkelman notes that craft "can add an entirely new dimension." Indeed. He writes, "The addition of a layer of craft to a project furthers the project's narrative, giving more depth and character, furthering the story of its 'place'." How true.

It's well-crafted details and moments that speak to our desire to live a well-crafted life. This is the sentiment behind Alain de Botton's The Architecture of Happiness, too. Quality craftsmanship can be perceived as a form of beauty and as such can reflect back to us the kind of life we desire, where such care, thoughtfulness and artistry are at home. It's why the collaboration between craftsperson and architect is vital to creating a home that resonates with those who encounter it.

When a home sets my heart aflutter, it's often the craftsmanship of the architecture that's sparked my reaction. Let's continue to promote craft in the craft of architecture.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast