Dune Road Update

James went out to Dune Road in Westhampton for a site visit. With the exterior almost complete, the sheet rock in place, and flooring underfoot, this weekend residence looks as if it will be up and running in time for a Memorial Day cookout.

Westhampton Update

James went out to Westhampton's Dune Road for a site visit and found the framing on the project just about complete. Pulling in shingle-style details, this weekend house looks right at home along the beach.

Westhampton's Dune Road

One of the most noteable waterfront addresses has to be Dune Road in Westhampton, NY. With the Atlantic on one side and the bay on the other, its connection to the landscape is breathtaking, but it's without the pretentions of some of the other Hamptons. Bouler Architecture designed this weekend residence with that relaxed air in mind.

Wisconsin Design

There are some designs that just speak for themselves. This Bouler Architecture one for a lakeside weekend house in Wisconsin simply took my breath away. Inspired by House M of our Living Machine design for a client in Tennessee, this house is modern without losing warmth. Don't you think a Malm would be perfect for this place?

Per Square Foot

The house above definitely caught my eye because it somewhat reminded me of what the Potic addition will look like once it's completed. This Sag Harbor residence, featured in yesterday's New York Times boasted its money saving use of materials, especially the use of Skatelite for siding and countertops. You may remember I investigated Skatelite -- a pressed paper-and- resin material for skateboarding--for Potic, because I love the flatness of the color and the surface, but at $15 a square foot, it was easy to just say no. What other 'cost saving' advice did this project offer? The homeowner extended his mahogany decking indoors, saving $600. Now I know times are lean and I'm not going to sniff at $600, but in the overall cost of home construction, it hardly seemed like a figure to showcase, especially when the article ended with "The house was completed earlier this year for$300 a square foot, about half the cost of most high- end homes in the area." OK, there you have it. Our Potic budget is--uh-- $90 a square foot and a bottle of tequila thrown in for good measure. With their kind of budget, I would preferred to see more sustainable energy systems, not simply finish work. As for Potic and finishing, I have thought of some great (read: inexpensive) ways to finish the walls of the bathroom. Needless to say I won't be looking at Skatelite.

Missing in Action

The long weekend led to a lot of action at Potic. Thanks to the assistance and expertise of carpenter Scott Yoder, we were able to resolve the screen porch, much to the dismay of the mosquito population who will now have to work twice as hard to suck our blood. The result changes our home so much that it definitely falls into the category of "Why-didn't-we-do-this-sooner?" I'm thinking of adding some arts and craft style stenciling around the doorpost, or maybe a porch-y motto-- suggestions are welcome.
Next up: the bathroom. In order to set the bathroom fixtures, we had to install some flooring. James rummaged around our remaining building supplies and found five bags of concrete and some reclaimed cedar. Sounds good to me. By putting the concrete under the fixtures and setting the wood under foot, the mix of materials will also be quite functional. Unfortunately we ran a little shy on the concrete, but had enough to set under the clawfoot tub and the toilet for the next time the plumber is in. My mother, who is in the midst of her own bathroom renovation, offered me her castoff sink, faucet, and towels, asking, "What color is your bathroom?" My response of course, "What color are your towels?"

Rattling the Canned Ham: A Bon Voyage Party

Leaving for the Dutch Caribbean island Saba for several months, Tom Jusdon's send off 'Hello, Goodbye' party was a smash success. With fab friends in tow, many of whom had never met each other before, Tom opened his home Idlewild and his camper Canned Ham for a sunny Memorial Day BBQ. Thanks to the name tags, our opening question thus became, "And how do you know Tom?" What was evident is that for many of us, beyond knowing Tom, we were creative folks who escaped our busy everyday lives to weekend places in the area. From Allan and Randy in Round Top, to Adam and Gregg in Freehold, Wicki and Zac in Germantown, David and Ralph in Athens, Bill in Cairo, Margo and Greg now in Earlton, and of course us on Potic Mountain Road, all of us agreed that our weekend places proved to be a saving grace, allowing us to unwind and in some ways, appreciate our weekday homes even more. As for the range of friendly people on hand, it also became clear that Tom collects people in the same way he collects careers: with wit and charm. We wish him well on his new adventure. Follow along with one of his two blogs: Rattling the Saba and Canned Ham.

NYTimes Escapes

Yet another casualty of our economic times is the Escapes section of the Friday edition of the New York Times. For me, the section signaled the end of the work week, when I could thumb through its pages and imagine the weekend escapes featured. I'd envision myself wandering the cabins with a cup of coffee, or reading a book on a seaside deck. Oftentimes I would clip a story or a photo for a client who was building a weekend retreat, a way to inspire him or her to persevere with a dream home.
Escapes is now integrated into the Arts section, but has lost some content along the way. The loss may seem insignificant, and perhaps it is, but it is indicative of a larger trend: the loss of printed text. One could definitely argue the merits of such a trend-- less printed material may mean fewer natural resources used in production and in recycling; however there is something about the tactile page-- the stories you wouldn't have clicked on, the clippings tacked on a bulletin board, the immediacy of traveling with a newspaper tucked under one's arm-- that compels me to reject the digital age. But I am old enough to remember when people wouldn't leave messages on that newfangled invention the answering machine or trust their credit card information to be sent over the Internet, so perhaps it's just a matter of time that I will surrender my quaint notions about the newspaper. Will it go the way of the eight-track? Will we read this entry and scoff? Perhaps the younger generations, enticed by the electronic screen, will read even more, like moths to a porch light. Time will tell, just as few in the 13th Century would have predicted that there would be more printed material in one Sunday edition of the Times than in their entire century.

Twilight on the Taconic

There's a glimmer of a sunset of tonight-- finally-- after days of rain-- so I decided to share some pictures of our last twilight drive through the Hudson Valley on the Taconic Parkway. Before we had a weekend house, we always marveled at people who would drive three, four, sometimes five hours to get to their weekend house. It just didn't seem worth the hours in the car. But what we've discovered on our drives up to Potic, three hours door to door on average, is that the drive itself becomes part of the experience. Once we get past wrestling potential traffic hotspots, it's a pretty predictable trip through some picturesque terrain. The Taconic is a beautiful road, winding its way through quaint towns and rolling hills. During the ride, I can feel the entire family unwind after each mile. What helps that is the spotty cell service slowly and symbolically cuts us off from our everyday lives. We've established certain guideposts-- an hour on the nose from Hopewell Junction, the GOLF sign is almost there-- and then of course is the ritualistic "Rip Van Winkle Bridge" song we created on our first trip. Normally James and I are destination-oriented, impatient by nature, but the car has become part of our family time; the books on tape, the 'i spy', the passing of snacks from front seat to back, the dog curled up between two sleeping children-- the journey is now all part of the experience.

Walking Windham

It was a lovely autumn afternoon at the height of leaf season when we walked the property outside of Windham. After visiting Windham's street festival that makes one feel as if he has fallen into Thorton Wilder's play Our Town, we spent the rest of the day scouting the best building sites for a weekend house on Bouler Design Group's parcel of property. Mary King of Village Greene Realty has been listing the parcel with Living Machine House H, so that gave us good reason to check out every leaf and rock, as if we needed a good reason beyond its untouched beauty.
The site has many natural features including a running creek and a sweet waterfall. Excited by the possibilities of the nearly ten acre site, my digital camera was humming with image after image. Some of my favorites were of rotting tree stumps and mushroom colonies. I love how nature evolves. It reminds me of the recent article in the science section of the New York Times which described how Thoreau's Walden is now being studied as a scientific account of the ecology of Concord, MA during the 19th Century. By comparing Thoreau's careful observations to the same terrain today, it's clear just how much variety has been lost in wildflowers alone. It makes me feel more passionate about integrating more eco-friendly features into our homes, as well as being sensitive to the untouched nature which surrounds it. What a fantastic panecea to the modern age to live softly in the woods.

Columbus Discoveries

If Columbus had actually landed on our shores this weekend, he would have thought he had found Heaven and not India. The Hudson Valley had hit its peak.
After breakfast at the very modest and friendly Marco's Diner, where Olvia vouched for the fluffiness of the pancakes, Saturday was a look at the Hudson River from the banks of Athens. Hudson River Valley painter Thomas Cole couldn't have asked for a more perfect subject to paint. Then at Green Lake, armed with a rig consisting of a twig, found string and hook, and stale potato chips for bait, the kids caught and released a brace of brim.
At Black Horse Farms, we sampled their usual goodies-- handgrown or handmade-- and splurged on handmade mozzarella, goat cheese, fresh tomatoes, apples, and a divine cheesecake by Michele in Freehold. Needless to say, the remainder of the day consisted of wine, food, and tree gazing.
Sunday brought another road trip; this time west to visit Bouler Design Group's parcel of property near Windham. Here the kids were kids, and played by racing leaf boats in the rapid creek, while James and I scouted out possible bulding sites for the Living Machine's House H or House F. Afterwards we touched base with Mary King of Village Greene Realty in Windham and scouted out some properties for several clients.
The only sad note of the weekend was the four car accident our builder Keith Abrams of Green in Greene was involved in. Thankfully he and his family only sustained minor injuries.
As I write this in the golden light of the afternoon, there is a pot of purple mums by my side, a fire in the outdoor pit, and handpainted Halloween cards drying on the table. I guess this is why they call second homes, vacation homes.

It's Alive!

We are up and running with The Living Machine website-- check it out when you get a chance. www.thelivingmachine.com features modern designs with eco-friendly features. I think they are completely perfect for a weekend house, either on the beach or in the mountains. A weekend space is often free from some of the functions of a primary residence-- storage, playrooms, great rooms all take on a new role when part of a vacation home, and in a lot of ways, allows the architect to be more imaginative than the standard two-story colonial. James and Nick really took readily available building materials and designed some truly innovative homes. Alice Bergida-Bleier from Long Island Village Realty asked Bouler Design Group to represent some of the houses to her firm as possible offerings on Long Island. And of course, Mary King is ready to go in the Hudson Valley.
On a related note, I am excited to see an article today in The New York Times about weekend houses and the need to unplug. As we inch forward with our own renovations to Potic Cottage, our weekend shack, I cling to its bare bones nature. No internet, no television, no phone (do cell phones count?). Our big excitement is watching the bird feeders. Don't laugh--come visit and you'll find yourself exclaiming, "Look, a golden finch!" It's addictive. So it's important to us to retain that quiet, modest context while providing enough sleeping space for guests. From what I hear, today Nick came up with a new idea for the front facade and that completed construction drawings are on the horizon. Then all I've got to do is find the deed and get a permit.

Now starring.... Tom Judson

While I am waiting on new floor plans, I felt it was a good opportunity to talk about the illustrious Tom Judson, or TJ as our children have started calling him. We purchased Potic Cottage from Tom in April of 2007, and in doing so, gained a friend in the process. Having gone from Broadway to house renovation, Tom did a great job making Potic Cottage charming and cozy, so much so that we bought all of its contents as well. The pictures above feature some of Tom's decorating style, including his homage to architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the form of a guest room with built-ins.
Better yet, Tom makes even the smallest moment fun. Just ask him about ordering pie at Koch's restaurant or the Town of Athens parade. His enthusiasm for life is contageous. When we first met Tom, he was housing a grand piano in his small kitchen, in lieu of a table and chairs. He can build a deck in record time, play the accordion, and quote Auntie Mame. What more could you want in a friend?
And wouldn't you know, he's even got a claw foot tub in storage---

Why Potic?

What a gift to have a weekend space. We feel particularly fortunate to have found this one which is situated between Hudson, Windham, Albany, and NYC. We're able to get there, door-to-door in three hours (traffic notwithstanding)and have access to hiking, kyacking, mountains, farmstands, shopping, skiing, and antiquing. And yet, most of the time, we do nothing in particular. That mental space has been essential for our sanity and our imaginations. Even the kids find themselves taking it down a pace. Is it the physical space which does it-- surrounded by nature without TV, phone, or internet? Or is it that we've consciously changed gears from workday to weekend mode. Either way, we've used the weekend cottage more and more often. As James plugs away at the many projects in the office, we're hoping sneak in our new floorplans by the end of the week. As for me, I've been busy scanning Craigslist for recycled materials, either salvaged or surplus, for both econmical and environmental reasons. So far I've found all sorts of stuff, but I'm still in the market for a clawfoot tub and a couple of 1970's enamel wood stoves. It's the mix of these eclectic elements that intrigues me the most. Meanwhile, we've set Keith up to screen in the porch. James and I had differing feelings about this move-- he prefers the open air; however I like using a screened porch as an additional living/dining space. We've opted for removable screen panels and a ceiling fan and we're hoping to add a wood stove for autumn days.

Potic Cottage: Before (and After, to follow)

After years of studying the importance of space and place in art, literature, philosophy, religion, and architecture, James and I decided a weekend place was just the type of space our young family needed. An intense search ensued, so when we saw this very private and affordable home in an ad on Craigslist, we knew we had to see it immediately. Despite a snowstorm and leaving for Florida the next day, our family packed into the station wagon for an adventure. Situated in the Hudson Valley, the windy country roads and the breathtaking mountain views captivated our imaginations. The house itself was small and cozy. We liked what we saw, but it was our daughter's response to the place: "It reminds me of Granddad's camphouse in Alabama" that compelled us to made an offer within a half-hour of seeing the one bedroom, 665 square foot cottage.

Of course, the impetuousness of our decision came home to roost when confronted with sleeping on the floor of the living room one night too many nights. I started a paper journal in the spirit of Thoreau's Walden, watched bread bake and birds eat at the feeders, but the 665 square feet were becoming smaller and less useable. From sleeping on air mattresses, to being unable to invite friends to stay (except for the hardiest of folks), we knew it was time to make a change. After many hours of contemplation and a couple of bottles of wine (ok more than a couple), James picked up his pencil and scale and got to it. Bouler Design Group has a client in Hudson Valley who wants a modern, eco-friendly, innovative, and spacious building addition for less than $30,000. Ever one for the challenge, James was imagining suspended decks, glass walls, barrel roofs, green roofs, and a bathroom that opened to woods. Crunching the numbers, well, that brought back some reality, but we feel it will be a great task for Bouler Design Group (www.boulerdesigngroup.com) to pull together a machine, a living machine, that uses a pre-existing cottage, reclaimed materials, that suited both the site and our aesthetic.

With the help of a "green" contractor, Keith Abrams of Green in Greene, we found a kindred spirit who will work with us in creating a home that is both eco-friendly and a piece of cost-effective modern architecture. James produced several design solutions to develop an addition that maintains the integrity of the original structure while doubling the square footage and incoporating fantastic views, all within our budget of $30,000. Back to Craigslist we go for supplies.