Tuesday, August 4, 2009

National City Christian Church

I am lucky enough to live across from one of my favorite buildings in the city -the National City Christian Church. Designed by prominent architect John Russell Pope in Neoclassical style, the central block which contains the sanctuary was completed in 1930.
night view from my roof deck
Because of the great depression, construction of the side wings which house a shelter and sunday school rooms was not complete till the 1950s. The church has led an important roll in the city through the years. In 1973 the state funeral of Lyndon Johnson was held here. Also, for years the church has had an impact on the musical life of the city both through daily concerts at noon and a weekly radio broadcast of its famous organ.
At night it's an impressive site, all of that white stone lit up, standing proudly on Thomas Circle. I'm always proud to see tourists snapping pictures! The shelter is entered from the side through a quiet, gated courtyard.
Beside the gate is this unusual baptistery. It has a ring of a neoclassical shell which matches the church around a brick core with stained glass. I wonder what the story behind that is!Even from a distance it is hard not to notice! In fact, it's one of the things that drew me to this neighborhood in the first place.

Contemporary DC

In the September Issue of Metropolitan Home magazine, the house of the month is located in my favorite DC neighborhood, Kalorama. The house is from the turn of the last century, 1912, and the couple wanted a more updated interior and turned to architect Gokhan Avcioglu and local designer Lori Graham to turn this into a more liveable, contemporary space.I love the architectural sofa that Lori designed, Camus, which I assume is named after her dog! Make sure to check out this issue when it hits newsstands August 11 for some other great articles, including an article about a new, inventive restaurant in Seattle from chef Matt Dillon!
Photograph of living room by Erik Johnson for Metropolitan Home, September 2009.

Monday, August 3, 2009

A white elephant

This past weekend I took a fast trip up to Baltimore and was able to stop by the Bookthing, the 'free' bookstore that Meg at Pigtown is always raving about! One of the many treasures I picked up was an October 1985 copy of House Beautiful magazine which a startling up-to-date project featured. I always love these vintage magazines! Mostly I like to look at how things have become 'dated' (to see what types of mistakes to avoid in the future) but once in awhile a project comes along that is truly timeless.The project was a 'white elephant' which had been turned into a duplex in New Orleans. The interiors were done by Ann Holden and Ann Dupuy, of antique store fame, while the remodel was masterminded by the architect Barry Fox. I love the high gl0ss finishes in the dining room above.Even though this project was completed 25 years ago, I could see this being totally liveable today, don't you? I normally like carpeting to soften a room, but in a hot climate I can imagine it's much cooler without. I love the dining and living rooms and the bedroom looks like a cozy beach retreat! Also, another thing I loved was that Martha Stewart made the cover! A star even in 1985....

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Favorite houses

Do you have a favorite house in your neighborhood? Maybe it's one you've never even been in but you always look at it longingly? This townhouse up the street has always intrigued me. I think I can honestly say it's my favorite house in Dupont Circle in this case. A bit quirky, the style doesn't really fit in with the stereotypical red brick Victorian rowhouses nor with the grand beaux arts mansions in this area. Instead -it combines the best features of both!The plaque near the door says that it was built in the early 20th century for a local architect -HIS dream house: No wonder I have such a connection with it! Grand but not large with a beautiful garden to welcome you, I can only imagine how beautiful the insides is! Sometimes the mystery is the best part -I can conjur up my dream interiors to match the exterior!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tintinhull House

Tintinhull House is a beautiful house mostly known for its arts & crafts garden. Located in Somerset, England, the gardens surround a 17th century house which is built of the local stone, Ham stone. The house and property belonged to the Napper family until 1814 when it passed through the hands of numerous families before it was bought by Phyllis Reiss in 1933.

Phyllis designed the gardens in the Hidecote style and developed them before gifting them to the National Trust in 1955. She continued to live in the house, caring for the gardens, till her death in 1961. Since then the house has gone through a number of lucky residents. I suppose living in the middle of a tourist attraction wouldn't be so bad if it were so beautiful!
Plan your visit at the National Trust
More information from Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of an Australian friend who visited last month. Thanks! Look forward to some more of his beautiful photographs of English country houses!

Monday, July 27, 2009

The Phillips Collection

This past weekend I visited the Phillips Collection, a private museum here in Dupont Circle, DC which has an enviable collection of modern masters. Founded in 1921 by Duncan Phillips (a fellow Pittsburgher), the museum remains small but incredibly important. Works by Renoir (seen above), Paul Cezanne (also seen above) and Monet sit alongside very contemporary art. The museum was the first modern art museum in the United States which explains the incredible collection.I was drawn to the museum for the 'Paint made Flesh' exhibit which I highly recommend! Seen above is the new addition which houses the entrance. It quietly fits onto a small street, respecting the stately townhouses and embassies that are neighbors, just 3 blocks from the metro. Here you can see the original structure, a 1897 Georgian revival townhouse which was Duncan's home. After the deaths of his father & brother, Duncan and his mother dedicated the collection to their memory. In 1930 the collection was becoming so large that they moved out of the house and devoted it entirely to the museum.Above is a work by Paul Gaugin -I just love the colors and besides, the meal just looks delicious. At the top of the post is of course 'Luncheon of the boating party' by Pierre-Auguste Renoir(1880-1881) which Duncan purchased in 1923 -the museum's most well known painting to this day but surely not its finest.A painting by Chagall (my favorite artist).
The museum is known for its unusual approach to displaying the works. The collection is not shown in order by date or artist, but by similarities seen in the works themselves. This makes for a really enjoyable visit (as does the intimate scale of the space). I hope on your next visit to DC you visit the Phillips!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Sketching

With Habitually Chic 's and my trip to Paris fast approaching, I've been thinking about what to pack. Naturally, as an architect, my sketchbook is one of the first things I thought of. Now, warning -I am not a gifted sketch artist, I'm obviously no PVE! Rather, it's a way for me to work out what I'm seeing and take time to concentrate on the details - whether it be ideas in my head, something I'm seeing in my travels or sometimes even an image from a magazine.
I've used these Rhodia pads for years now,the 6"x8" size: this is my actual sketchbook scanned in! I love the Rhodia pads because they have graph paper, I love a straight line and need all the help I can get! This one is not too banged up yet but wait till after Paris. I typically fill up one a year but I may need a new one just for this trip! So here is a little tour of some of the highlights in my current sketchbook.
A 'modified' poolhouse from the book Tiffany's palm beach.A party pavilion idea that I got from a recent party by Mary Mcdonald.travel sketchesan idea for a house sketched on the subwaya field survey with measurements
yet another house idea with quotes in my head that are jotted down at the bottom....A doorway in a house museum sketched quickly while I tried to walk along with the group!
a little seaside cottage ideaidealized sketch of garden & conservatory from a recent magazine.
Idea for a dressing room closet systemchair designs
House at the beach on Cape Cod last yearweird axonometric drawing of a neoclassical house - worms eye view I supposeplan of a NY penthouse apartment