Design snapshot: Mini Cape charm

The Cape house form is a timeless charmer. This mini example is no exception. It's "mini" in that there is only one window (pair) on either side of the central entry. (A full Cape has two separate windows on either side of the central entry.)

Its use of casement windows (instead of double-hung windows), an arched entry porch roof, and a slot-like shed dormer all set it apart from more typical Capes. And, yes, I can't help but anthropomorphize its appearance; the two horizontal awning (or hopper?) windows in the shed dormer sure look like eyes hovering over the arched-roof nose.

The landscaping, which features a natural cedar rail fence, central gate, flanking robust hydrangea bushes and flanking neat privet hedges, reinforces this Cape's appeal. Check out a sweet three-quarter Cape here and my Recipe for Architectural Charm here. You don't have to look far in New England to find a Cape charmer.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: Black door backdrop

I stopped by my local paint retailer the other day to pick up some samples, and noticed that they had painted one of their display walls a dark, dark chocolate brown as a backdrop to some celadon-colored vases. The intensity of the celadon in the foreground was heightened by the warm, rich dark background. 

This black door and black flower urn do much the same for the gorgeous bright green and orange of this blossoming topiary and miniature primroses.

Dare to indulge in dark, dark chocolate, black, or even green backgrounds to enhance show-stopping foreground color by contrast.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

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