This spec house sold long before it was done.
I blogged another spec teardown a few weeks ago. It is traditional and quite handsome. It hasn't sold 3 months after completion.
I guess folks who want moderns want moderns, and moderns are rare. This proved to be a good bet.
I took work-in-progress tour on caravan. It got offers when it looked like this.
Though I'm not instinctively attracted to moderns, I developed a crush.
Before: a flat lot on a hilltop, fronted by a giant oak, served by a rare alley, in one of Atlanta's great neighborhoods, about 4 blocks from George's.
The lot is 8250 square feet, 0.189393 acre. It's narrow and deep. The house was built in 1930 at 1,156 square feet. The alley frees up the lot, you don't need a driveway.
Brian and Jeff told me that the original intent in 1930 was to build the big house later. That never happened.
The ally. Houses here have way more than you'd suspect from the street.
Some folks want to show all they got to the street. Others prefer a bit of modesty.
The no-driveway look is uncanny in Atlanta. Even our mansions have prominent driveways.
Our little house was so small and so far from the street it seemed to be from another planet.
You might think the new house is from another planet too, but inside, it made sense to me.
The ground floor has the garage. The bedroom suite/office windows make you feel like you are in the garden.
The main floor is one big room with windows on all four sides. See the panorama below.
The top floor has the bedrooms.
The rooftop deck is probably the highest on a single family home in the city limits and yet it's in the canopy.
It has stacked closets ready for an elevator.
This is the CDC in a hazy day.
The master is spectacular but cozy. How it manages to be cozy amidst all the glass I don't know. But it does - secret architect trick I guess.
Here is the big room.
The head on view. Isn't it great not to have a driveway?
Here is is in context with neighbors and the big oak.
Congratulations to architect Brian Ahern of Studio BA and Jeff Darby of Darby Studio.
If I've learned anything it's that pictures are no substitute for being there; and that being there often changes my mind.
Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Posts
The master suite has an almost treehouse-like quality, owing to how it rests in the leafy canopy. Looks like a beautiful project - I just hope the owners are sure to keep all that wood properly varnished. These moderns with expansive flush boards don't look as good when the finish fades.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great example of replacing undesirable (often functionally obsolete) housing stock with something that buyers would prefer in this community.
ReplyDeleteNice job!
@Jon C: correct regarding the finish on the cedar. I have seen many Ipe' projects in the ATL after a year or so look horrible. We used Sikkens Cetol 123 which is a penetrating oil. When it rains, the water beads off the cedar like it's glass !!! We will monitor over the years to keep empirical data up to date...:)
ReplyDelete@Anon - Glad to hear it was taken into consideration - :)
ReplyDeleteTerry, the reason the master bedroom is cozy is because the ceiling is low, like a cocoon. And, the eye is forced out to the view, instead of gazing up at a big endless void of a high ceiling.
ReplyDeleteMargaret
then my house is very cozy...
Delete"190. CEILING HEIGHT VARIETY
ReplyDelete"A building in which the ceiling heights are all the same is virtually incapable of making people comfortable."
Udog: yes "cozy bedroom" and "step-saver kitchen" are they way the real estate ads say that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteNice post.I like the way you start and then conclude your thoughts. Thanks for this information
ReplyDeleteDon't know anything about Atlanta so I missed the context unfortunately. But the house has fantastic views and the wood overhangs give it a great deal of warmth. I think it looks great and very youthful. I adore historic preservation but sometimes it's better to start fresh. Thanks for stopping by. Jane
ReplyDeleteVery interesting....I imagine that the view is wonderful. Linda
ReplyDeleteVery nice! I love all the glass!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful home! What a dream to look out on those views with your morning cup of coffee! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the view from the master bedroom. That is so true about so many of the older neighborhoods/homes in Atlanta. They appear small from the road but once you're inside, they blossom. Amazing what they hide behind those modest facades. Thanks for the tour!
ReplyDeleteI like this home just fine...but NOT next to that cool old brick one on the right side of the last pic!!!!
ReplyDelete