interiors || oh, Kelly

no, fridays are not all about bars and drinks, contrary to how many times in a row i might post them. however, this friday will include bars. well, kelly wearstler bars. which, let's be honest, you would appreciate just for the aesthetics. have some champagne or have some soda water. either way, you'll be happy to be there.

and if you hate her style, humor me. i can't believe you read this blog anyway if that's the case, because that probably means you hate my style, too.

and clearly you don't, because you're here, aren't you?

behold:

kelly wearstler

i threw in some non-bars, but i didn't like doing it.

either the woman likes to do yellow, or i just like the woman when she does yellow.

happy champagne (or soda water) friday!

Architectural Tutorial: Craftsman Style

The Craftsman Style, otherwise known as Arts and Crafts, was based on the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe led by English architect William Morris in the early 1900s. At the time, art, furniture and residential architecture reflected the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Era, where machines introduced mass production. The Craftsman Style intended to combat this by focusing on a simpler lifestyle, centered around handcrafted elements, natural materials and straight lines, both horizontal and vertical. Built-in furniture, staircase details, stained glass windows and many other elements were constructed with the same "carved and polished wooden aesthetic" throughout the home (Walker 180).

The most famous Craftsman architects were Charles & Henry Greene out of California. They were a major influence on the Craftsman Style spreading in the West and were best known for their bungalows. They incorporated other styles from England, Japan, Scandanavia and Switzerland into the exterior and simple interior design of their creations. They took personal interest in every aspect of their projects, designing everything from the hardware and leaded windows to built-in and movable furniture.

One of Greene & Greene's most famous designs, the Gamble House in Pasadena, CA, was designed for David & Mary Gamble of Procter & Gamble Company in 1908.

[image source:

http://www.gamblehouse.org/]

The front entry door of the Gamble House displays a "Tree of Life" design, a leaded glass, handcrafted masterpiece.

[image source: http://www.gamblehouse.org/]

Another famous Greene & Greene Arts & Crafts design, the Pratt House was designed in 1909, infusing Japanese artful beauty and American practicality.

[image source: http://www.ultimatebungalow.com/]

Another Craftsman Style pioneer was Gustav Stickley, an architect of Craftsman Style residences who was famous for his Craftsman furniture designs. He also started the publication titled, The Craftsman, a magazine that "took the basic ideas behind the English Arts & Crafts philosophy and moulded them to suit an American environment" (The Textile Blog).

Stickley's illustration of a living room fireplace built-in, published in The Craftsman in 1905.

[image source: Stubblebine 142]

Here are a few of Visbeen Associates' Craftsman Style designs for your viewing pleasure...

The low-pitched rooflines, stylish overhangs and the earthy palette of the exterior blend in with it's environment and are carried in throughout the interior of this Arts & Crafts Style design called the Amblewood.

True craftsmanship and detailed woodworking are manifested in Amblewood's staircase, reminiscent of Greene & Greene details of the past. Click here to read our architectural tutorial and learn about this type of stair.

The Hampshire is one of our uniquely modern Craftsman Style designs.

The Hampshire's inglenook hearth with charming tiled fireplace is flanked by a pair of cushioned, built-in benches and pays homage to Stickley's designs. Click here to read our articles on other fetching & functional built-ins.

The Clareville is a cottage Craftsman design with an abundance of artful attention to detail.

Simplified lines, a low-pitched roof, tapered columns and exposed rafters characterize the exterior of this updated Arts & Crafts design called the Lillington.

Craftsman quality and Mission-style amenities are hallmarks of the Richmond's versatile design.

Sources:

Stubblebine, Ray. Stickley's Craftsman Homes: Plans, Drawings, Photographs. Layton: Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2006.

Walker, Lester. American Homes: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Domestic Architecture. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1981.

http://www.fredbecker.org/News%20Letter/HistoryCraftsman.htm

http://www.gamblehouse.org/

http://www.ultimatebungalow.com/

http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/gustav-stickleys-craftsman-magazine.html

interiors || what if . . .

what if you had windows like this . . .

and a bookshelf like this?

(i would let you have a taller ladder)

are you like me? i would never leave. ever.

images via casa tres chic

artist || miranda skoczek

miranda's work is colorful, complex, imaginative and an utterly delightful play on global influences.

 the young and colorful doe

 among my swan

 the exuberant and lavish

 black and white arrangements

 air fire water

the beautiful and the good #4  ||  images via miranda skoczek

see more of her work and her artist statement

fashionista || DVF pre-fall

now, i know it's still ridiculously hot out there . . . still, i couldn't help but fall victim to the DVF pre-fall line on shopbop.

 view the whole line on shopbop

can you tell i tend to be a solids kind of girl?

type tuesday || men in type

easily the coolest ad campaign for dockers i've ever seen.

am i collective  ||  via vintage me oh my

interiors || marrakesh heaven

i can barely handle this place. another one for my must visit list.

wait. are you sitting down?

images (and information about the palace!) via in a state of luxe

Infill Home Designs

The first question you may have is, what is infill? Infill is simply defined as, "the use of vacant land and property within a built-up area for further construction or development, especially as part of a neighborhood preservation or limited growth program."¹ In recent years, we have seen a shift from urban sprawl to downtown residential development. Metropolitan areas are once again becoming the epicenter for work and entertainment, so instead of building homes in the suburbs, people are moving closer to where the downtown action is happening. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80% of Americans now live in metropolitan areas.² Some cities like Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado have put into place urban infill initiatives specifically to encourage metropolitan growth and to combat urban sprawl.³ Cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan have established "tax-free" zones to advocate residency in the heart of the city.

Are you interested in living closer to your city's center? Do you own a lot in an established neighborhood that is in need of a fitting home design? You have come to the right place -Visbeen Associates has been designing infill homes for quite some time, especially in cities like East Grand Rapids, Michigan. Check out just a few examples of our infill home designs...

The Beaconsfield was designed for a newly-cleared lot in an established, traditional neighborhood.

This Queen Anne cottage won first place at the Traditional Building Design Challenge in 2008. David & Jonathan Lorenz, of Visbeen Associates, designed this narrow cottage to contextually fit on a lot in one of Chicago's historic neighborhoods in North Lawndale.

The exterior of this brick bungalow is reminiscent of home designs of days past with the amenities and open floor plan of the homes of today, balancing the look of a historic home to fit it's surroundings on the outside and meeting the needs of a growing family on the inside.

This infill design, called the Haverhill, is a Georgian-style home whose symmetry, arched rooflines and stone masonry fit beautifully in the context of one of the oldest suburbs of it's county, with surrouding homes dating back to the early 1900's.⁴

sources:

¹ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/infill

² http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-P1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=US-1

³ http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-vs-city/938484-city-has-best-urban-infill-initiatives.html

⁴ http://www.eastgr.org/?t=7&c=6

the i am project :: love thy neighbor

The I Am Project on Facebook || Etsy Shop

 The I Am Project :: Our wish is to affirm and inspire the beauty in every woman, to celebrate the uniqueness in each of us, as well as the commonalities that unite us as women. We want to create a space to confront the dark places that come with growth; to witness women being valued for more than their bodies, clothes, or societal projections; to feel inspired by stories and images; and to become more deeply rooted in who we are as women. We want to become a net of resources that will nurture and fortify each other's confidence, and fill women with awareness of the extraordinary beauty that each of us uniquely brings to the world.

Questions, thoughts or feedback about The I Am Series? Send them to iamproject.us@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

We welcome you to repost and/or share these images if you wish! We also respectfully request that you credit and, preferably, link back to Because It's Awesome as you do so. It's easy to do, and it's good blogger practice. Many thanks!

champagne friday

it's friday! that usually warrants dancing on tables . . . even if it's at home alone in your pajamas.

1  ||  2

Carlton Remodel

This remodel is evidence that an ordinary home, given a few tweaks, can be turned into something extraordinary. The original floor plan of the “Carlton” was unimaginative and closed off. The new design opened things up, and improved the flow by moving the dining room from the front of the house to the newly renovated kitchen area.

Around the curving staircase sits the window-lit family room. High ceilings, which leave the area open to an upstairs loft, give a spacious feel, while custom woodwork and the large hearth maintain a homey atmosphere. A large main floor master bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet connect to a private back deck for easy outdoor living.

The pre-existing formal dining room was converted to a private office and den with passage to the kitchen through a butler’s pantry and custom wine storage space.

Kitchen - Before

Kitchen - After

Dining Room - Before

Dining Room - After

Wine Storage Space - After

Formal Dining Room - Before

Office - After

Back Entry & Kitchen - After

Family Room - Before

Family Room - After

Family Room Fireplace - Before

Family Room Fireplace - After

Formal Living Room - Before

Master Bedroom - After

Master Bathroom - After

To see more photos of this dramatic transformation, please visit our website - www.visbeen.biz > gallery > residential projects > american neighborhood > carlton remodel.

This remodel was designed by Visbeen Associates, built by Jeff Segard with interiors by Donna Cohen.