Seriously thoughtful Home Architecture

[AGB]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

The house itself is art but where is art in this house, the art of presence, the tiny details that make the personality of a home. I would not feel good in this place...but that is me, I like a crowded space as intimate as a womb where souvenirs and details furnish the place. There are beautiful pieces by Nakashima that would fit well in that house, a Zen link between human and the size of the house.

The house is intended to be free of distractions. Something I personally like.
To me, with the addition of my BL5-speakers, the couch in the living room, rather than in the bedroom as it is now I would be all set and feel like home. Well, and a nicer table with two or max four chairs...

The point is, some of us react to those "tiny details", not as personality, but rather as outright distractions. Crowded spaces, to us, are synonymous with clutter, the exact opposite of what we ask of home: Serenity, peace, space to think and so on.

It's funny you speak of a "vomb". Because the fact that it has no direct sunlight streaming in through the windows and pretty "solid" walls inside makes it like a womb to me. Glass houses which often have a bare interior as well lack what this house has entirely.

Fallingwater has it. It is grand, it communicates with it's surroundings.
When I saw this house as an adolescent I decided to become an architect. I failed and became a cabinetmaker instead. This is why I prefer a well filled home, Wright understood this and he designed his own furniture.

I can understand why you think Fallingwater communicates with its surroundings. It's a hanging house, so it's not a level playing field. But the Atelier speaks, or rather absorbs nature. You even have it framed.
I don't like the interior of the Fallingwater-house, I see it as cluttered, with detailing for the sake of detailing.
I'm a child of Wegner, Børge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, and the many other minimalist designers from Denmark, and to me, even a piece of furniture should be as simple (looking) as possible. Strip it of unnecessary detailing and you have an archetype.
I can see some of what is to be liked about Fallingwater, but what I take away from it, is a sense of "run-amok design" and in my world; a failure to understand functionality and the less-is-more "mantra", but also a feeling that the designer was building more into the house than necessary, just because he could.

Some smart guy once wrote a very long letter to his friend. The letter started:
"I'm sorry for the length of this letter. I'm in a hurry, so I have no time to write concisely"

...

Slightly off-topic, but since you're a cabinet maker, take a look at this three-legged "valet chair" from the hands of Wegner (utter functionality and excellent "cabinet making"):

http://klassik.dk/PP-250-Jakkens-hvile

And a Google picture search for the same

But to each his own...

Yup

[Sparrow]

Fallingwater - lovely looking, but I don't think I could live with the constant urge to pop to the loo.

Underground homes are the future!! Get in touch with your inner troglodyte .
I want this:
http://www.davidwallphoto.com/search...=15453&phrase=

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by AGB

...

Slightly off-topic, but since you're a cabinet maker, take a look at this three-legged "valet chair" from the hands of Wegner (utter functionality and excellent "cabinet making"):

http://klassik.dk/PP-250-Jakkens-hvile

And a Google picture search for the same




Yup

Hans Wegner was one of the best cabinet makers around with Tage Frid and Sam Maloof. And no, it's not off topic to talk about cabinet makers because architecture an furniture go hand in hand. If they are done by the same creator it's even better. All of those named built extraordinary houses.

[AGB]

I don't think Wegner ever designed a house. If I recall correctly, he was the "odd" one out: A cabinet maker by trade and even designed some furniture that could only be produced several decades after they were designed, because the know-how wasn't present anywhere.

The "Circle Chair" is one such example. When Wegner designed it, he didn't think it would be possible to make the circle from wood, so he suggested it being made from metal. Decades later, PP Furniture developed a method to make it all from wood:

http://www.pp.dk/index.php?page=collection&cat=2&id=13

[GraceKrispy]

I've been thinking about houses a lot lately, as we move towards finally purchasing a house. Over the summer, I visited Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, and got to see the Smart Home. It is truly inspired in many ways, and I like a lot of the features. But, as others have mentioned, the small, broken-up room style is not so much to my liking.

We recently put an offer in on a huge house. We are currently living in a cluttered, extremely small home (5 of us), and this house would expand our space by 400%. It has many features I like- designed to catch ocean winds (and a great ocean view), yard separated by rock wall from neighbors, laminate and tile flooring throughout, ceiling fans in all rooms, stairs (to me, houses should always have stairs, but I haven't lived in a house with stairs--two stories-- in over a decade, and I've never owned a house with stairs), and a nice, open flow that manages to make the living/dining/kitchen all connected, yet hide the kitchen from those entering the house. So many houses I've lived in have opened right to a view of the kitchen or right into the kitchen, and I don't like that.

One of my very favorite things to do is to look at houses (inside). As a child, I'd design houses on graph paper. I never considered being an architect, but I do love to look at spaces and how they are used. I love the old charm of bungalows and victorian-style houses, but I like a more open floor plan. Open, but defined. I am not a fan of humungous great rooms that double as dining rooms and living rooms, and hey, look, kitchen is right there against the wall!

Really, at this point, I want a nice space to call my own, to make adjustments as needed (the house we are wanting needs a lot of work in the yard- perfect for me!), and to have a little breathing room.

(Keep your fingers crossed for me, I hope we get this house!!)

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

(Keep your fingers crossed for me, I hope we get this house!!)

Good luck Grace, it sounds like a nice place and something you guys really need too!! Let us know when the house warming party is!

[rebarnmom]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I've been thinking about houses a lot lately, as we move towards finally purchasing a house. Over the summer, I visited Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry

You were in Chicago Grace and you didn't let us know! It would have been a great reason to arrange a Meet-Up!

We recently put an offer in on a huge house. We are currently living in a cluttered, extremely small home (5 of us), and this house would expand our space by 400%. It has many features I like- designed to catch ocean winds (and a great ocean view), yard separated by rock wall from neighbors, laminate and tile flooring throughout, ceiling fans in all rooms, stairs (to me, houses should always have stairs, but I haven't lived in a house with stairs--two stories-- in over a decade, and I've never owned a house with stairs), and a nice, open flow that manages to make the living/dining/kitchen all connected, yet hide the kitchen from those entering the house. So many houses I've lived in have opened right to a view of the kitchen or right into the kitchen, and I don't like that.

We designed ours so that the kitchen is immediately beyond the entry space, because that is where it seems that most people end up congregating. I never thought of it like that.

(Keep your fingers crossed for me, I hope we get this house!!)

Good luck getting this house! It sounds wonderful!