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The
pretty drawing, above, of an 1849 "English" country
cottage by Connecticut architect Gervase Wheeler is just that -
a pretty drawing. Look beyond the art of the illustration, and
you’ll see a far less artful house design.
Look
at the figure of the woman on the top step of the entrance, and
you’ll see a problem. Imagine her standing on the ground. Her
head just reaches the bottom of the bay windows. This house is
much, much larger than it seems in the illustration. The siding
boards are drawn at about two feet wide - much larger than wood
siding available now, or then. The artist is tricking us to see
this as a "cottage" and not the huge and unnecessarily
high house that it really is.
Look
at the
filigree and verge boards on the two front gables.
Again, they are pretty and were very fashionable in their day.
Now, imagine the house without them, when the fashion changed or
the owner grew too frustrated at constantly repairing and
replacing the fragile boards. Without the decoration, the house
will appear unbalanced and unfinished - too many windows below,
too few above. The house was designed for its gingerbread, but
fads like that last just a few years - homes last and have to
look good for hundreds.
Now,
look at the plan, below. The first problem is the predominance of
formal rooms. Where can a family get comfortable? The kitchen is
too small. The entry hall is too big. There’s no outside door
to the kitchen. That’s mighty inconvenient when you’re
carrying groceries. The veranda seems like a nice feature only
until you realize that there is no way to reach it without
climbing out a window.
Take
your time reviewing your plans. Imagine living with the spaces.
Draw the paths you’ll use most each day right on the floor
plan. Compare the distances with the ones you walk now. Look
carefully at all sides of the exterior. Are they as nice as the
front? Country homes become part of the landscape. They have to
be pretty from all views. Sketch people, at the right scale, on
each exterior elevation of your design. (Stick figures work
fine.) Now, see if the house still looks right. Still in doubt?
Paste a blueprint of your elevations onto cardboard and fold
them into a rough model. Look at two sides at the same time.
That’s how you’ll see your home it after it’s built.
It’s far better
to invest some time in studying your design than to build a
surprise. Make absolutely sure your home is right for you before
you build. Miss the season for construction instead of living in
an inconvenient house season after season. The cost of
mail-order plans is a trifle to the cost of building a home you
won’t love. And, if you’ve hired an architect, you’re
paying for the perfect plan. Make sure you get it.
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