Lechlade, Gloucestershire

I've recently been looking back at a cache of saved emails I have from my online penpal Neil (who if you remember sadly passed away last year) and came across photos of a small town in Gloucestershire, Lechlade, that he had visited.

Not only is the town near one of his favorite houses which I've blogged about before, Buscot Park (see that post HERE), the surrounding towns have a lot to offer including some really beautiful gardens and houses made of the local stone.

There is nothing I love better than an old house with a crunchy gravel drive -note the wisteria on the bay window above too.

Located centrally in the town is the 15th century church of St Lawrence and the beautiful parish house above.

 This is the southern edge of the Cotswolds so you get a fair number of their famous stone cottages here as well.

 I think just these few pictures are reason enough to prove why this area is such a tourist destination.

In nearby Fairford is the Bull Hotel which looks absolutely charming as your home away from home while touring country houses, small villages, and antique shops. Next vacation perhaps?

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Learning from Ledoux, Paris

While I organize my photos from last week's trip to Paris and Brussels I thought I would share with you a hotel particulier by Ledoux that I stumbled upon with friends in le Marais.

The last standing private house designed by Ledoux, the Hotel D'Hallwyll also was really the start of his prolific career. Ledoux started this extensive renovation to an older house (designed by Mansart) for the wife of the Comte d'Hallwyll who had inherited the house from her father.

The house now holds 12 apartments and is private but we were lucky to walk by and gain access to the front courtyard.

Located at 28 Rue St-Michel-le-Comte (on the bottom of the plan above) one enters into the entry courtyard. The extensive stables for 18 horses are located on the upper right hand corner with the famous garden on the upper left hand side.

Most of the interiors have been lost over the centuries although the staircase is original and was recently renovated (read more about that HERE with fantastic pictures)

The Neoclassic facades were the most modern of their day. Part of the reason they were so revolutionary is that Ledoux never studied in Rome unlike other architects.  His sometimes rather inventive designs were based on his second hand knowledge from Palladio and Piranesi (in the manner of later post-modernists).

I would think this simple service stairwall (located in the lower right hand corner of the entry courtyard) is also original. Love the ancient limestone floors and bottom treads.

 I also loved these gates separating the courtyard from the street featuring a Greek key pattern.

The street facade has stone rustication which Ledoux based on the (now gone) building located next door. Prior to this time period, extensive stone rustication was generally found on prisons or banks.

As the street is so narrow it's hard to get the full facade in a photograph so below is Ledoux's drawing.

Notice how the rustication is different above the 2nd floor windows than what was built- a change probably made in the field during construction to keep the roof lower.

 Fluted columns frame the entrance gate below a lovely carved stone tympanum.

 Notice the 2 service floor windows are banded together with a larger principal floor on top.

The interior rear garden was the largest innovation by Ledoux, located at the far right of the building section drawing below.  He surrounded the garden with a Doric colonnade much like those found in ancient Roman villas making the house appear much larger than it actually was.

The street behind (Rue Montmorency) was not in existence when the garden was built so a faux colonnade was painted above the rear wall onto the side of a building which no longer exists. Now however the garden benefits from doors directly out onto the street found on either side of the colonnade.

The beauty of walking around Paris is finding gems such as this!

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A House in the Country: Peter Pennoyer & Katie Ridder

With so many book releases this fall in time for the gift giving season (doesn't everyone else fill their Christmas wishlist with design books?) there was only one I was eagerly awaiting. Husband and wife team Architect Peter Pennoyer and designer Katie Ridder just released a collaborative book on the design process of designing their own house in the country, simply entitled A House in the Country. 

Fans who love both the classical, almost intellectual, architecture of Pennoyer as well as the stylish comfort of Ridder's interiors will not be let down by this book. In addition to chapters on both Exterior and Interior, there is an extensive chapter on the Gardens including planting lists and plans. And what would this book be without drawings which help so much with the understanding of any house (realtors take note - FLOORPLANS!).

Peter starts the book with their quest to find the perfect property which rarely has the perfect house. This talented duo of course were looking for a 'fixer-upper' or in this case a 'tearer-downer' (is that a thing?) to make their mark.  They took this golden opportunity to create a truly personal (terribly over-used term but fits here) home for themselves and their family through the gardens, interior, and exterior all lovingly laid out in this tome.  I say personal here because there are elements here that aren't 'good for resale';  purple tile floors, small bedrooms, tons of wallpaper, and a formal dining room, but thats exactly what makes this house (and book) so special. Talk about getting ideas.....the book is full of them!

Pennoyer has been sharing the house all through development and construction through social media and it was a treat to see the final result all in one beautiful book. My favorite view, and one I hadn't seen before, was the rear elevation with the large back porch, particularly charming in winter. What is a country home without a covered porch!

One of the children's bedrooms features a built-in bed nook, modeled on Thomas Jefferson's at Monticello, which Katie decorated with striped fabric and red tape. This is everything for me.....

A surprise in the book is rather than decorative endpapers the COVER of the book (under the dust jacket) is the 'Scraffito' wallpaper Katie designed for the house's entry hall; now available on her website here. You may just want to place this book on your shelf without the dustcover and you will most DEFINITELY want a copy of this book for your design library. Order yours today!

Many thanks to Vendome Press for the opportunity to review the book and to photographer Eric Piasecki for his beautiful photography! All photos from 'A House in the Country' and all rights are reserved.

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(Some) Houses of Nantucket

As promised in my last post (Doors of Nantucket) I thought I would share some of my favorite old houses I saw walking around the historic village of Nantucket last month.

I'm starting with some of the Inns - historic houses you can actually stay in! Above is 76 Main in the heart of Main Street surrounded by some of the most impressive houses on the island.

 Above is Roberts House with it's lovely front porch which is in the heart of historic downtown.

While technically not a house this charming brick Greek Revival structure must have started life as a school or church? It's currently being renovated but seems to be the headquarters for Nantucket Community Sailing according to googlemaps.

This charming shingle style house directly across the street was getting new shingles.  Great Oriel or bay window!

 Main street as I mentioned has some of the biggest and most impressive houses; all immaculately maintained and most of them painted white.

The side streets nearby are equally maintained but have small, although no less impressive, houses. This one appears to be a renovated garage perhaps? Loved the classical detailing to a relatively simple cottage.

While Nantucket is full of gorgeous gardens this one in particular on Main street just beside downtown caught my eye. The lovely tea houses frame the rear of the yard with doors to either side and a central trellis covering seating.

And on the other side of the yard a small private greenhouse.  The owner must really love gardening!

 The pediment front houses of Main street have all sorts of column styles -not sure which one to like best!

 These off center entries always work so well in plan.

 An interesting Gothic attic window, obviously a later addition to an earlier house, adds quirky charm to this simple structure.

 I believe this is actually an addition onto the adjacent Bank of America but notice the asymmetrical treatment of the exuberant windows and bays.

 I love how the shutter of the asymmetrical window above the door completes the shape.

 My favorite house architecturally, hands down, is the Greek Revival Levi Starbuck house from 1838.

 No relation to the coffee magnate (har, har), Levi Starbuck had the house built by William M Andrews and it stayed in the family until 1874. Originally the front entry had 4 Ionic Columns and the stairs faced Orange street instead of the side.  Two columns were removed from the porch at some point and are used inside the house and the stairs were orientated to the parking pad.

Read more about the house and see the restored plaster cornice in this article on the man who restored it in 2002 HERE.

The neighboring house also has a side entrance.  Two houses fronting one another rather than the street, there must be a story there.

 Where Main street meets Gardner and Milk Streets is a beautiful WWI memorial in a traffic circle.

For myself I love simple cottages like this shingle style above I think, if I had to chose one to live in.

Although a large white house on Main street never fails to impress.  Hope you enjoyed this small tour of Nantucket!

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