Terry's Tiny Tour: Brad Heppner's Extraordinary Design in Morningside / Lenox Park

This house moved me. It's for sale but it's expensive. It's a sculpture with breathtaking yet comfortable public spaces and with cozy, quiet private spaces. French Normandy? Glen Mercutt? Edwin Lutyens? Charles Voysey? Zen? Yes?



Brad said they studied the rhythm and scale of the street, developed the twin gables, started with a cube in the front and a cube in the back, connected the cubes with a "service" area, then began sculpting, creating axes and enfilades, removing the unnecessary.

Brad makes it sound easy and routine doesn't he?


All four sides of the house are interesting.

I met architect Brad Heppner by blogging this house in 2009: "White and Pointy - 80 Years Apart." That blog led to three visits to this house including yesterday when Brad spoke about it.


Brad spoke to agents and brokers yesterday. That's Brad standing on the right with jacket.

I looked at the ad copy and pictures. I can't do much better.

Let me give you two tiny video tours of the private spaces. I like them so much.

The master suite included a modest bedchamber. The cove ceiling makes it uncannily quiet. I start in the public space. If you can't see the master suite video below, please click here.


Extraordinary. If you can't see the master suite video above, please click here.

The children's and guest bedrooms are upstairs surrounding a daylight lounge and study space. If you can't see the child/guest bedroom suite video below, please click here.

Extraordinary. If you can't see the child/guest bedroom suite video above, please click here.

Thanks to Brad and to Bob Glascock for inviting me.

P.S.

Before.


After.

Please Repeat: A House That Took My Breath Away

I can't get it out of my head and I don't want to. Last weekend I toured one of our region's greatest places, an antebellum private house. I never expected to see it and don't expect to see it again.

It was alive that afternoon with family guests dining at temporary tables in the library, a picked over pot luck buffet in the dining room, multiple plastic coolers on the front porch, a dozen performers packing up in the parlor, exchange students playing the out-of-tune piano. Sheets covered some shoved together furniture anticipating a garage sale. Joe and I chatted with our host in the foyer, as grand and as comfortable as a room could be. And there wasn't one spec of decorator-show-house, not that I could see.

All this life where folks have lived continually for 100+ years, I was quite moved.

We continue to build mansions by the boatload. Why not build them just like this?

It reminds me of my favorite room in Atlanta, the L.P. Grant Mansion's drawing room:


Please repeat.

Symphony Hall Stage is Half a Million Cubic Feet of Magic - Thanks gloATL

Unless you go out, there's little chance of serendipity. You increase the odds if you go out to see gloATL.

Terry's Tiny 10-Step Guide to Enjoying gloATL is at the bottom of the blog.


We followed Virginia down these stairs.


She led us to the stupendous, empty stage of Symphony Hall.


It's 6500+ square feet and 81+ feet tall. It seemed bigger than the gallery (where folks sit).

But the evening didn't start there.


gloaTL started the performance in the wildflower meadow, actually a retention pond between One Atlantic Center and 1180 Peachtree. I didn't know it was there. This is where Calatrava's Symphony Hall was going to be.


They stared in the meadow and migrated that-a-way.


That-a-way across the Promenade II garden. Ever seen the Promenade II garden? It's groomed to the "9's" and I was afraid to disturb one blade of grass.


Sometimes they moved, sometimes they stopped. Reminded me of playing "sling the stature" on summer evenings.


Sometimes a pas de deux.


Sometimes a solo.


Sometimes an upside down quintet.


Sometimes prone.


They crossed 15th street. What next?


Virginia led us down the stairs.


Down the stairs to the grand stage. I was overwhelmed.


For a while the performers were in the gallery and the audience on the stage.


Virginia surveyed the action across the 122 foot stage.

I didn't want to take pictures anymore. I just wanted to be there.


Maybe I can come back for a longer look.

gloATL performed "glo and Paper-Cut Collaboration: gestures that soon will disappear phase I: ROMANTIC BODY" in Five parts: Once in Westend, once in Midtown, twice in Roswell, and once in Westside Atlanta | location announced soon Saturday, July 19 at 8:35pm.

I'm blogging the Modtown performance on Friday, July 11, 2014.

Terry's Tiny 10-Step Guide to Enjoying gloATL

1. gloATL dances where folks don't usually dance.
2. It's kind of crazy, it's rehearsed and unrehearsed.
3. You don't know what will happen next.
4. They move about so you'll need to move about.
5. Beginning and endings are rarely obvious or abrupt.
6. The performers may talk to you and you can certainly talk to them.
7. You can't see it all.
8. You don't have to stay still and be quiet.
9. Sometimes you'll want to stay still and be quiet.
10. The longer you stay the more it gets you.

The Modernist View from Bell Street Burritos

We mourned when Bell Street Burritos moved out of Irwin Street Market. The Beltline people watching was getting better and better. Please move back there ASAP.

But the new Peachtree location in Brookwood feels more cosmopolitan. So go outside while they are fixing your burritos. Go out and have a look.


The Peachtree Palisades Building (1964 I think) was known as "the building of death" when it was black. White is way better. Anyone know who designed it?


I started paying attention again when architect Greg Walker's firm Houser Walker moved there. P.S. Tony Wilburt discussed the building on his Skyline Views blog.

Then turn north towards the blue.


The Sheffield Medical Building (1958, I think) is a terminated vista when you drive north. It's at the top of heartbreak hill.


It's the view that refreshes and it's looking pretty good these days.

And while were talking about galvanized stock tanks...


Bell Street uses them as planters. Lowe's sells them.