Great american homes vol 3

Great

A merican Homes

Volume Three

W IL L I A M T. B A K ER

CONTENTS

6 Introduction

by Kenneth Lemm 9 Oakland 20

Walker House

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Rock Point

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Johnson House

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Miller House

92

Connor House

123

Faulk House

142

Gupta House

155

Front Row Farm

172

Francis Palmer Smith House

189

Shaw House

206

Andrews House

227

Mapes House

238

Kistulinec House

248

Profile—William T. Baker

250

Project Credits

4

ROCK POINT Atlanta, Georgia

FOR THIS ACTIVE FAMILY, the home’s agenda was to provide every possible amenity for entertainment and sport within the confines of the property. It is not apparent from the handsome exterior, but within the house is an indoor putting green, indoor pool, full spa, exercise room, regulation-size basketball court, home theater, wine cellar, bar, and band room—all of this on the lower level!

The entrance to the main floor is approached up a gently winding stone staircase, which leads to a wide stone arch. Within this deeply recessed arch is a steel door with restoration glass panes. This steel entry opens into a gallery hall that has plank-board walls and a timber-clad ceiling. The gallery connects

the dining room and living room and ends at the grand stair hall. The dining room walls are lined in stain-grade wood panels in imitation of barn doors.

The two-story living room also has a board ceiling and beams, and opens out onto the pool terrace.

The steps of the main staircase are individually boxed to express each step, and have thin iron-rod balusters and iron cap. Each baluster is inserted into the tread. These subtle details give the stairs a striking minimalist effect as they pass in front of a wall of mulled windows. Immediately off the stair hall is the blue lacquered study and vaulted master bedroom. These rooms complete the master wing of the first floor.

Above A large stone arch frames the steel entry unit.

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LAND PLUS ASSOCIATES, LTD. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

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The kitchen and family room provide casual daily living space for the family and access to the pool terrace and the timber-framed covered porch. The family room fireplace is back-to-back with a stone fireplace serving the covered porch. The pool terrace is through tall French doors from both the family room and living room. The long pool is flanked by a lawn that beautifully frames the stone and Shaker pool house at the end of the terrace.

This stone and shake pool house is equipped with bifolding panels of glass on both sides that, when opened, create an open-air room. The focal point for the pool house is the outdoor fireplace with its dramatic, arched, built-in wood storage, the composition of firebox and wood storage rising as one element terminating in a stone chimney.

ROCK POINT

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Previous page The wide timber-lined ceiling and broad beams of the entry foyer.

Opposite and above Light floods across the living and dining rooms through large floor-to-ceiling windows.

ROCK POINT

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Below, center and far right The all-white interior design palette is softened with natural-fiber fabrics and rugs.

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ROCK POINT

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ROCK POINT

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JOHNSON HOUSE Spartanburg, South Carolina

BUILT ON A LARGE PROPERTY overlooking a lake, this symmetrical Georgian Revival–style house of painted brick is an elegant home for this third-generation Spartanburg family and their three sons. The façade is enhanced with a beautifully proportioned porch of Indiana limestone and large floor-to-ceiling windows.

The success of the massing of the house is due in part to the careful placement of the garage, which can so often overwhelm new houses. By locating it under the house, the garage is de-emphasized and becomes

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a secondary feature of the overall architectural composition. This arrangement restores the balance and symmetry of the house and allows the architecture to take center stage.

Because the owner is a professional interior designer, there was a collaborative conversation during the design process regarding the floor plan and the placement of furniture and art walls. The plan includes the formal rooms desired by the owners, as well as an open kitchen and family room, which lends itself to a more relaxed space for an

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Second-floor plan

1 Front porch 2 Foyer 3 Gallery hall 4 Living room 5 Family room 6 Kitchen 7 Butler’s pantry 8 Dining 9 Breakfast room 10 Closet 11 Study 12 Laundry 13 Elevator 14 Powder room 15 Master bedroom 16 His bath 17 Her bath 18 Her closet 19 His closet 20 Upper hall 21 Bedroom 22 Bath 23 Closet 24 Gift wrap 25 Hall

First-floor plan

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active family. A wide center hallway with a groinvault ceiling provides ample space for entertaining.

The outdoor terrace and grill area off the family room is an inviting place to entertain family and friends while overlooking the lawn that leads down to the lake. While the adults visit, their kids can play ball with friends on the lawn, and go fishing or boating.

It’s an ideal setting for raising a family and creating wonderful memories for years to come.

Left An elegant curved stairs in the foyer graces the entry hall.

JOHNSON HOUSE

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Far left The wide center hallway with a groin-vault ceiling.

Center The interior designer and home owners took a very collaborative approach to placement of art objects in the living room and throughout the home.

Above The gallery hall with its groin-vault ceiling adds interest to the home’s architecture.

JOHNSON HOUSE

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These pages The bedrooms are designed with comfort and style.

JOHNSON HOUSE

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ANDREWS HOUSE Atlanta, Georgia

INSPIRED BY THE OWNERS’ LOVE FOR GARDENING, the Andrews House was carefully designed to incorporate lawn and gardens much like a home in England. The grounds adjoin a 1500-acre national forest so the lawns were planned to have a seamless transition into the park, giving the effect of an even larger estate. Although the gardens are in full bloom during spring and summer, the owners requested that the landscape be designed so that something would be in bloom all year, whether in the yard or in the greenhouse. Furthermore, there is a cutting garden to supply cut flowers for inside the house, and enclosed beds for germinating seeds for planting the next spring. It is indeed a gardener’s paradise.

The architecture of the house takes its inspiration from Regency England with the main façade set off by its period-inspired, iron front porch. Upon entering the house, one finds an inviting foyer with a staircase wrapping around a cozy sitting area centered around a fireplace, much like one would find in an English home. But beyond this central foyer, the plan breaks with tradition and the arrangement represents the next generation of American floor plans.

The entire left side of the first floor is devoted to a home office and master suite. Located directly off the master suite is an enclosed private garden for the owners’ use, which also contains a hot tub. When not in use, this hot tub serves as a charming water feature for the garden. The master suite itself looks out on three sides to the lawn, garden, or a porch.

To the right of the foyer is a large vaulted room that contains the family sitting area with fireplace, the kitchen, and a bar. The dining room has been moved from its traditional location at the front of the house to the rear so that it opens to the expansive rear porch and lawn.

This combination of open living area, kitchen, and dining room, all oriented toward the rear of the house, is the next big idea for comfortable living and is one reason for the decline of historical symmetrical plans with center halls. In this way, the Andrews House plan meets the needs of the family with an arrangement that is unexpected for a house with a historically inspired exterior.

Right The painted brick façade overlooks a gravel arrival court that is heavily landscaped with mature English boxwoods.

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LAND PLUS ASSOCIATES, LTD. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Opposite The elegant iron entry porch is inspired by the work of English Regency-era architect John Nash.

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ANDREWS HOUSE

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Opposite and above A beautiful vaulted family room by Joy McLean has a large stone fireplace and an iron chandelier. The space is flooded with light from dormers above and can be seen from a balcony.

ANDREWS HOUSE

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Above The vaulted dining room is at the rear of the house, connected to the porch. Its tall windows look over gardens, which are enclosed by a deep forest.

Opposite The kitchen is also at the rear of the house.

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ANDREWS HOUSE

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Opposite A four-poster bed graces the generous master bedroom, which overlooks the rear lawn.

Above A free-standing tub is the focal point for the master bathroom.

ANDREWS HOUSE

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