Farmhouse

Image Via Pinterest

Want to know which one of my Pinterest images gets repinned the most? This beauty.

Look at the pitch of that roof! I love the 'board and batton' exterior. Love the black and white contrast with the windows too. 

It's old I reckon.....and the lovely thing is, if maintained, it will still look beautiful in another one hundred years. I am sitting in one of those rocking chairs, on that porch, gazing out at those trees now as I type. If you squint your eyes, they could be gum trees and we could pretend that this beauty is in Australia somewhere.... Southern Highlands perhaps. BTW, I love L shaped porches! Gonna do an L shaped porch next time... with just a few steps up to it. That's a definite.

School holiday programme for today?

I am hoping the rain will clear up just for a bit ....as we want to ride into town this morning and just 'hang out'... and eat some of that fabulous $2/ roll sushi that people line up down Adelaide St for. We'll get in early!

Happy Thursday!

Tech Talk

Original image source unknown via Pinterest

I am thinking about my next house. I am thinking and planning and visualising. I have files and files of images that I am using for inspiration in planning my next project. This image is a favourite as I like the idea of eave returns on gables. An 'eave return' is the extension of the roof eave at the gable end of the building. I do love the boxy chunkiness of the eave return on this dormer gable. It all works for me.. the roof pitch of the dormer, the eave return... and the exterior colour that contrasts so beautifully with white trims, the shingles. Sigh. The cupola stops my heart too. Gotta have a cupola.... somewhere. 

Image Courtesy Gulfshore Design

If you have a penchant for technical drawings, here is what I would consider the perfect eave return, drawn up by Travis Kinney of Gulfshore Design . I like how the little roof on the return has quite a low pitch and I love the molding under the return. 

Image Courtesy Gulfshore Design

Look at the eave return on his latest project. Perfect.

I am going to see if Mr Kinney consults from afar, like over the sea and down into my hemisphere. I love his work. Wouldn't that be exciting... working from one of his drawings.

In other non technical, motherly news... school is out as of 3pm this afternoon. Looking forward to hanging out with my boys for weeks and weeks on end.

Hoorah! What. A. Year. We made it!

Happy Thursday! Happy 1st of December!

Could It Get Any More Gorgeous?

Image Courtesy Crisp Architects

How's this for a garage? Could it get any prettier? I could move in tomorrow. 

Forget the cars. They can stay outside.

Night night!

My Favourite Transoms

Original source unknown - please notify me if known.

I spent yesterday tidying up my computer files. Oh, the things I found! I got very side tracked... and ended up obsessing over pictures of transoms and moldings for practically the whole afternoon. I have always loved this (rather blurred) image above as I love the gentle curve in the transom lights....... so different. I can't seem to find the original source of this image so if you know please let me know.

According to Wikipedia, in architecture, a 'transom' is a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or a crosspiece separating a door or doorway from a window or 'fanlight' above it. 'Transom' is also the customary U.S word used for a 'transom light', the window over this crosspiece. In Britain, the transom above a door is usually referred to as a 'fanlight', irrespective of it's shape. In Australia we use both terms... depending on whether we are feeling particularly British or not at the time. 'Fanlight' is most often the lingo used with reference to our traditional Australian colonial architecture.

Image Courtesy BHG 

The original inspiration for the Great Room double-hung windows above window seats, next to a stone fireplace... with voluminous curtains thrown in for good measrure! 

Yep, beautiful skirtings, architraves, cornices, moldings and door and window assemblies set my heart a flutter. I think if you get the basics right and create a beautiful canvas with these features, when you build or renovate, you really can't go wrong and you set the foundations for a beautiful, timeless aesthetic.

Image Via House Of Bliss

This is rather glorious I say. Love the floors too.

Image Via Pinterest Via Google Images

Heartstopping. Oh the symmetry.

Image Via Southern Living

An oldie but a goodie. 

This was the original inspiration for me for 'The House' and all it's transoms, windows and door assemblies.

Original inspiration from the movie 'Something's Gotta Give'... for the west elevation of the Great Room.... the corner housing the piano and bookshelves.

... and my version. 

Remember the beam? Now that's going back.

The back assemblies at 'The House'. Another set ran off the dining room... so they were a matching pair right across the back of the place....I'm a sucker for symmetry. The secret to affording nice joinery? .... go for the 'stock' assemblies wherever you can. Custom-made totally blow the budget. I changed my plans around over and over so I could fit in stock windows and doors wherever I could. 

.... and I couldn't resist.....the 'transom-ed' front door.

Am I allowed to critique my own work? Next time, I will leave more 'freeboard' on the right side of the front door assembly. See how it sits flush in the corner? I had to do that to fit in a 'stock' door (eye on the budget) and I didn't want to consequently widen the hall any more (it was already 1.5m wide) and then throw out all the dimensions of all the other rooms. Just sayin'.

Week Two of term already! Only 8 weeks to go and the year is all over.... well the school year anyway.

Ok, now for the morning rush!

Happy Monday!