We are delighted to officially announce the upcoming release of our new book, Art of the House. Authored by Bobby and Susan Ferrier, this will be a follow-up to our best selling book,The Home Within Us(which is now in its 6th printing). This latest book focuses on five lush interiors from our popular Camp at the Ridge lake houses. Art of the House, published by our fine friends at Rizzoli Books, will be available at all fine booksellers in March of 2014.
Rizzoli’s catalog description:
Architect Bobby McAlpine and interior design partner Susan Ferrier share their poetic approach to creating beautiful interiors in this follow-up to the best-selling The Home Within Us. In their newest book, the famed design team discusses the principles that guide their extraordinary work and share ideas for creating atmospheric environments. The book profiles a selection of houses that resonate with the firm’s nuanced and sensual aesthetic. Combining painterly hues, diverse textures, and rich patinas, these interiors include a mix of antiques and contemporary furnishings. Throughout, we are shown the methods that these masters have honed to produce striking, inspiring spaces. In one featured residence, dark and light tones play off each other, with shimmering accents of silver, gold, and glass. Another house epitomizes the power of white’s purity to refresh the eye. The cool blue of water and shades of the forest floor make up the naturalistic palette of a third dwelling. In all, modern-day upholstered pieces combine with fine and rustic antiques to furnish rooms that are welcoming.
About the Author
Renowned architect Bobby McAlpine is the principal of McAlpine Tankersley Architecture. Noted interior designer Susan Ferrier is a partner of McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors. They are included in the AD100 and Elle Decor’s A-list. McAlpine Home has handcrafted furniture lines with Lee Industries and MacRae Designs, and Susan Ferrier designs fabrics for Coleman Taylor Textiles. Susan Sully is an expert on Southern style. She has authored numerous books, including Houses with Charm, and is a contributing editor to Southern Living. Adrian Ferrier is a fine arts photographer.
As we did with The Home Within Us, autographed copies will be made available to our fans.
We hope you’ll enjoy our newly documented handiwork.
Please peruse our digital offerings and see what you think. It’s a soft release so we welcome any feedback from our blog readers. Leave your thoughts in the comment area. If you like the design, here’s our brilliant web designer.
Thanks as always for visiting our broadcasts. We thrive having you in our homes.
Faithfully,
Greg Tankersley for McAlpine Tankersley
For inspiration, we drink from many different fonts but one that we seem to return to again and again is found in the movie theater. It often seems set designers know more about creating evocative spaces than architects and interior designers. Their cinematic spaces are not only often breathtakingly beautiful but also serve as canvases conveying a story needing to be told. What is our job but to create spaces where the drama of our clients’ lives are set to unfold? As the man said, why can’t life truly be more like the movies?
While a film set’s built walls are always temporary, their designer’s inspirational lessons are often long-lasting. The following films are a few examples where we took cues and jumped into action:
This house, designed for a farm in Indiana, was directly inspired by the Merchant-Ivory film, “Howards End”. As a matter of fact, when the client was asked what style of house she wanted, she told us to just watch this movie and create the ambiance of the ivy covered cottage. No other direction was given. Or needed.
One of Bobby’s own personal favorites is the set of Rebecca’s bedroom in Hitchcock’s melodrama “Rebecca”. The scale of this room is absurd – it’s as if no ceiling exists. The gauzy drapery covering the windows continues up and up ad infinitum. Bobby took this dramatic scale cue and employed it in his own personal Manderlay salon. Luckily, Mrs. Danvers never showed up to belittle his presence.
Movie color palates can also be a lush source of inspiration. Susan Ferrier’s mind has always been haunted by the subtle hues of the 2007 film “Elizabeth The Golden Age”. It shows in the rich depths of her interiors.
Sometimes the cinematic sway of direction comes from kids. A client’s daughter was totally enchanted by “Tangled” – Disney’s animated retelling of the Rapunzel fable. When her doting father asked if the tower from the film could be incorporated as a folly into his estate, we responded by turning a seemingly silly child’s desire into a fanciful guest house for the property. We trust the lucky guest staying in this retreat (currently under construction) will not be held captive.
Wouldn’t everyone like their own personal movie lighting designer to illuminate their best side? So much can be gleaned watching how cinematographers, like the one from “The Girl With the Pearl Earring”, paint and embrace a space with light. A bit of similar stagecraft was duplicated in one of our dining rooms. A table is set awaiting a hungry Vermeer or Caravaggio for lunch.
So, if you find yourself needing to invigorate an idea for a project and you desperately seek a muse, her name may very well be Netflix.
This is the first of a series of posts, titled “open house”, that I’m beginning on our blog – these will be photographic tours spotlighting selected projects.
My first offering is a second home we designed for a substantially sized family. The house is situated on a wooded river-front lot in Palmetto Bluff, a lovely development in the town of Bluffton, which is located in the low country of South Carolina. Since the house was to serve as a vacation gathering for large groups of family and friends, it was a programatic necessary to have an abundance of bedrooms and bathrooms (seven of each to be exact). A plan this copious certainly had the potential to result in an undesirable bloated structure.
In designing the house, we decided to whittle down the framework into a series of small camp-like buildings. These buildings would be peppered along the river bank and be connected by a series of screened porches. The kitchen, living and dining room would serve as the main lodge of this camp while the media room/bar, master suite, guest suites and children’s bunk room (playfully coined “the chicken house”) would become subservient river shacks. The interstitial porches lazily accommodate dining, gathering or sole repose. This was to be an architecture not of object, but of collection. As a result, the deconstructed design belies the scale of the program and maintains the humility desired for a sleepy environment; the visitor never quite sees the house in entirety – only glimpses are experienced. Finally, the entire wood-clad complex was bathed in shades of natural greens, thus completing the receding lake camp imagery. Over time, this familial house has become a muted witness, lolling in the humid Southern landscape, ever ready to open its arms to the oncoming troops.
The project architect for this house was Chris Tippett and was decorated by the talented eye and masterful hand of Tracy Hickman of Hickman Design Associates. A feature on this house previously appeared in Elegant Homes magazine.
This weekend I received a text from Bobby asking what my blog topic du jour was to be. I asked him to throw out a subject and I’d write on it. Having written a post every week for almost two years, I’m always open to suggestions. He replied, “The value of change.”
We’ve been discussing some internal changes in our office, so I wasn’t surprised by this suggestion. Bobby also just moved into a new house in Atlanta, so I know a type of physical metamorphosis has been forefront for him. Change is always necessary to promote growth and without varying from the comfortable and the everyday, lessons are seldom learned. Faced with potential, however, fear kicks in and says, “let’s just keep things the way they are”; even if a situation is stagnant, it’s my stagnant situation and I’ll sit in it. But how can change have value? An example I can show (because you do tend to come here for visuals to accompany my soapbox) was evident in Bobby’s personal Montgomery home. In the ten years he lived in this English cottage, the interior underwent three major transformations. As designers, we always use our personal homes as living, active laboratories. We try things out on our tireless, often unsuspecting, families before we suggest them to our clients. Experimentation and change in our environs are personal tools of lesson and discovery.
Bobby’s first interior was a self-portrait. In our book The Home Within Us, he described it as a “public delivery – me at my best with everyone”. The second was a white phase – “which corresponded to a very extroverted, celebratory time – let’s be brave and ridiculous”. What naturally followed was a more introspective time. He wanted “to dim the houselights and contemplate all that had just happened and what was going to be”. All of these iterations mirrored what was going on with him emotionally and the statuesque space became the stage where finishes and furnishings played out the internal drama of his soul. Bobby always says, if you want to know what’s going on with me, walk through my house. It’s as if you could look at how the therapist’s couch was upholstered and you’d see the patient’s emotional state.
All these changes might be viewed as frivolous boredom or some type of unmedicated ADD, but all proved to be of priceless value. Lessons were learned and our clients were the beneficiaries of these rampant modifications. Not to mention, all these permutations were published and celebrated in magazines – here, here and here.
Value needs to be considered as something more than monetary. It can be defined as useful and important to one’s life work. After all, the only constant in life is change. We’re all ever evolving and this should be embraced and treasured, so why fight it? Receive whatever message is in front of you; revel and find worth in change daily.
As an architectural firm, we’re a bit of a dinosaur. That is, we still vitally practice the art of hand drawing. We apply this archaic craft throughout our design process – from initial sketches to the construction drawings. And, we aren’t planning on changing that anytime soon.
Most modern architectural firms utilize the computer as their main means of composing drawings that will eventually translate into a building. If you visit any given architectural school nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find a parallel bar or a triangle, once the base tools of our trade. Drawing, in the practice of architecture, is quickly becoming a lost art. In all the technological progresses happening in our profession, I’m afraid what’s subsequently slipping away is the actual art of architecture.
I certainly don’t want to come across like some old “back-in-my-day-we-walked-to-school-in-three-feet-of-snow” practitioner. I actually love technology and certain advancements it brings. And we are far from being old dogs wary of new tricks. I think that’s evident in this blog, our website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Pinterest page or Instagram account. But when it comes to proudly producing the work that feeds all those hungry digital mouths, it was cooked up by a bunch of human hands and pencils. You see, I’m absolutely convinced something profound happens between the creative brain and the end of a moving pencil and that this can’t be duplicated by a mind and a mouse or trackpad. Magic is created and the identifying soul of art is produced. I hope our buildings reflect that. I’ve often been told there is a certain beauty in our work that people can’t quite put their finger on but they spot immediately. I think that’s the human element that they are subconsciously identifying; this thing of wood, steel, brick, stone and glass that sits in front of them was somehow impassioned by the artist. Life was breathed into the inanimate.
This first post in my series focuses on our initial sketches – the veritable graphite seeds of our work. The ones illustrated here (all produced by the agile hands of Bobby McAlpine) are the initial sparks of creation. They are predicated by talking (and mostly listening) to what our client says. Once we identify the heart of who is sitting in front of us and comprehend why the thing is, we can begin what the thing is. Produced first, these loose, tiny drawings convey the spirt and essence of what will eventually become the actualized dream. Our job is then to carry on the energies of these initial drafts into the end product. But we always return to the beginnings, that is where the idea is and, therefore, where the art is at its purest.
Today, there is much talk of things like farm-to-table slow food, bespoke clothing, organic goods and one of a kind crafts. The handmade is once again being elevated and glorified. Why can’t architecture be that way, too? It’s historically been considered among one of humanity’s fine arts. We personally try to maintain reasons for it to be on that list.
Next week’s post will focus on the the development of these sketches and the fully realized design that occurs.
Last week I began this series of posts discussing the importance of hand drawing in our process of design. I showed you the first step in the process, initial sketches which are the first steps of the journey. Next, we take those sketches and develop them into design drawings which will eventually be presented to our clients.
First, our floor plans are further fostered and are chronicled complete with furnishings laid out in each room. We’ve found that, while some people may not understand the scale and size of a space, they comprehend the size of a chair. All the exterior views are rendered and illustrated with the envisioned materials. So that the client can further peek into our mind, we also draft views of all the main rooms of the structure, again illustrated with furniture. In this way, every aspect of the design is presented to our client so they understand our complete vision for their dream.
Certainly, elaborate computer programs exist nowadays to illustrate and animate architects’ designs. I’ve found, however, these always leave me cold. They waffle in feel somewhere between a bad computer animated cartoon and a role-playing video game. I always half-expect a talking donkey or marauding zombie to pop out at any moment while touring these techno-rooms. Indeed, these computer generated renderings always lack human hand, warmth and emotion; they seemingly cannot escape their mechanistic origin. I remain convinced that the artistry of our creative minds and the expression of our hearts are transferred through our pencils. These examples are not the productions of a digital library – every stone, window and chair is given deliberate and distinct passionate thought. Therein lies the artistry of the designer, literally thinking with our hands.
Next week’s post will document how we turn these design development drawings into construction documents for actualizing the building.
In my last two posts (or soapboxes, I suppose), I discussed the art of hand drawing in architectural sketches and development drawings. This series concludes with the topic of construction drawings. Construction drawings are the technical drawings in the practice of architecture. They’re the documents that convey to the builder and the various trades how to physically build what we’ve designed.
Although they’re considered the most mechanical aspect of architectural renderings, I hold fast to the belief that there’s a distinct and pertinent art to these drawings. As a draftsman, I’ve found when you’re relying on your thoughts and hand to detail and relay graphic information, you’re in fact building the structure in your mind. Once the drawings are completed, you know that building inside and out. Every dimension, component and condition has passed through your conscious thought and has been made real. It’s now simply a matter of conveying that information to the minds and hands of the talented builders we’re honored to work alongside. I’ve been told by contractors that when their subcontractors review our drawings, they recognize the art that goes into them (as they rarely see hand drawn construction drawings) and their resulting work increases in quality. Our art genuinely boosts theirs.
CAD (computer aided design) has its place in the architectural practice where commissions demands duplication, repetition and cross referencing. Our efforts, however, are very different. I liken our endeavors to having a bespoke suit made. Everything is custom designed for our particular clients; we don’t keep a library of standard details on hand from which to pick and choose. Every piece is individually orchestrated to develop the symphony of the whole.
I rejoice seeing blueprints hanging in museums in exhibits on the old masters of architecture. In our daily efforts, I hope we’re carrying that torch (or pencil as it were) into the next era.
Hot off the presses and currently in our hot little hands, is the new book from our dear friend, Lisa Newsom. Veranda: The Art of Outdoor Living is the second book from the delightful founder and editor emeritus of Veranda Magazine. Using her masterful editing skills, Lisa has combed her issues and distilled the best and most beautiful of outdoor living into the leaves of this lush tome.
We’re very honored and proud to be gracing the cover of this new book. The image is from a house we designed in Nashville, Tennessee which was published by Veranda in 2007 (a reprint of the article is posted below). The house’s outdoor dining space, a classical towering pavilion, was prominently spotlighted on the cover of that issue. We’ve been told by the powers-that-be that this was the top selling issue of Veranda in the history of the magazine. We sincerely hope it brings the same good fortune to Lisa’s new book.
You can get your copy of Veranda: The Art of Outdoor Livinghere. We discussed Lisa’s last book, The Houses of Veranda in a previous blog post, which can be found here.
All the stylish coffee tables should be wearing these books.
Cape Dutch architecture is a fanciful style found in the Western Cape Of South Africa. This style was prominent in the early days of the Cape Colony and derives its name from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch. The style’s family tree can be traced back to medieval Holland, Germany, France and Indonesia. In America, though, it’s a design seldom found in the stylistic melting pot of most neighborhoods. With more of our clients exotically traversing the globe, that seems to be changing. We’re seeing a greater number of customers with a desire to go Dutch.
The house pictured above was a design we did in Charlotte, North Carolina about twenty years ago. These particular clients had no distinct look in mind for their new home. Meanwhile, we had become increasingly interested in introducing the provincial Cape Dutch dialect into our architectural speech. We showed these clients some examples of Cape Dutch houses and they were immediately drawn to it. This was not surprising. I’ve always found it a friendly, approachable style. The whimsical baroque gables, bathed in white icing, and miniature dark windows with animated shutters, all result in a romantically convivial facade. Bobby jokes that Cape Dutch homes look to him like sweet, newborn chicks with oversize heads and wee dark eyes.
Most of our more recent attempts at speaking this language have been in Southern coastal areas. Since its birthplace is South Africa, it’s a seemingly natural fit for sun-drenched settings. So, if you’re altogether unfamiliar with this bucolic style, give it a look. It’s a veritable Dutch treat.
Nestled in a wooded lot on the shoreline of North Carolina’s Lake Norman lies a grand shingled house we completed almost 15 years ago. A sleepy beast of a house, it almost seems to rise up from a lazy nap to spy who might be trotting up the pier, ready to offer a drink or some shade. The shaggy, sun bleached shingles are freshened by the linen white windows and trim – an classic American combination.
The wooden tinderbox interiors (sheetrock was not invited to weekend here) were casually outfitted by McAlpine Booth and Ferrier. A humble alchemy of burlap,fruitwood, leather, worn tapestry and stone, the house lures the weary week-worn laborer with promise of leisurely restoration.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Last week Ray Booth, Susan Ferrier and I spent a few days in Manhattan attending the annual Design Leadership Network Summit. The DLN is an invited members-only group which brings together top leaders in the construction design world. As its website aptly states:
CARE: Connectivity, Advocacy, Research, and Education is the foundation of the Design Leadership Network, a community of interior designers, architects, landscape designers, construction managers, members of the media, and product company executives, who are among the highest-producing professionals in their industries. Membership provides access to this exclusive network through a proprietary member-only website, special events throughout the year, including the Design Leadership Summit, and research developed specifically for leaders of the design world.
It was the proverbial shot in the arm to be among professionals of such note. We assembled in some of New York City’s toniest locations: The New York Public Library, Frank Gehry’s IAC building, The Hearst Tower and Avery Fisher Hall. Discussion was lively with topics ranging from rapid changes in technology (and how to apply them), to predictions of social mores of the newest generation, to the vital importance of sleep in our lives (I particularly liked this pet soapbox elegantly presented by Arianna Huffington). I learned from my peers that we have much in common: While we’re fortunate to be extremely busy (if we’re any type of economic indicator, it’s doing well) we all yearn to find balance and create opportunities for happiness in our daily journey. A deep passion for design and commitment to making our client’s lives graceful and beautiful was a consistent thread in the air. Needless to say, being amongst like-minded souls buoyed my spirit and truly sparked my imagination.
Just over a week ago Greg Tankersley, Ray Booth and I returned from the Design Leadership Network Summit. Many great minds shared with us the latest and greatest in augmented reality, social media, as well as new ways to think about our businesses and how we live our lives in our chosen fields. All the possibilities were laid before us and I was sated with all the new information. Inspired to do more and be better at everything, as is always the case when I return from this highly social event, I felt “improved”.
Once home, however, instead of further research into all of the new ideas and directions that I now had on my “to do” list, I could not shake the overwhelming compulsion to dwell on what made the world look and feel better. With all of the new information that was shared with me I could not veer off my course to affect the world in a positive way visually.
Architects and Interior Designers are in the business of affecting the physical plane of our world by producing a scape that can be seen and touched – lived in and on. Integral to its success is the layering of texture, tones, and the reflection and refraction of shades of light and dark; depth and scale of shape in measured doses to elicit a calculated response. I would like to touch on the value and importance of beauty.
Neuro-associative conditioning applied to our discipline would claim that to gaze on beauty can improve our health and well being by directly addressing our own internal natures. Our sensual experiences have a physiological response by stilling our minds, calming our hearts and relieving stresses.
Great beauty has the power to relax and center our energy and emotions. Lowering our internal pressures free us to see more clearly and calmly. It is always a goal to create a meditative space that is restorative in nature, a space that you feel better in and are compelled to linger through.
All the images included are of second homes that McAlpine, Booth & Ferrier and McAlpine Tankersley have worked on. These are houses that purposefully were designed and appointed with the idea that a place thoughtfully addressed adds to the quality of the lives being lived there. Beauty can be a retreat for healing. Luxury is a tonic for the soul and we strive to create this elixir in all of our work. It is my heartfelt wish and goal to touch on our sensual natures. I am devoted wholly to its pursuit.
We’re honored to be included in Architectural Digest’s prestigious 2014 AD100, a compilation of “…esteemed firms which represent a fellowship of trailblazers and standard-bearers whose work is imaginative, intelligent, and inspiring”. This is the second time we’ve been included in this biannual list. The first time was in 2012 when editor Margaret Russell was placed at the helm of the grand old ship.
Bobby McAlpine, Ray Booth, Susan Ferrier, Chris Tippet, John Sease and I attended the glamorous soiree last night at the tony Four Seasons Pool Room in Manhattan where the list was officially announced. Following are some snapshots from the design world’s biggest event.
A huge thank you to the entire staff at Architectural Digest for such high honor and for such gracious hospitality!
This English country style inspired home was our first commission located in Hinsdale, a bucolic neighborhood and Chicago bedroom community. The house is situated on a long, narrow corner lot. Given the difficult nature of the property, the design of the house realized itself as a one-room deep house. This type of design is very advantageous as the resulting multiple exposures of rooms create a bright, sunny interior. Also, given Chicago’s often-gray climate, this distinct English Country model seemed perfectly in keeping. The house’s exterior became a rambling composition of sagging slate roofs, hand moulded brick and characterful chimneys.
The interiors, designed by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier, became another opportunity to reinforce the English dissertation. Spanning from front to back, the classic stone-paved and wood ceilinged entrance hall allows not only welcome, but a luminous dining bay. A pair of antique crystal chandeliers (sourced from an old house in Montgomery) gives a hint of feminine presence in the manly hall.
Every quintessential grand English country house always features at least one colorful room; these seem designed to compensate for the gloomy clime. Bobby McAlpine, who once had a deep disdain for the color yellow, decided to design an entire yellow-hued living room. He was convinced that, if you inundated a room with various hues of one particular color, it would create a neutral palate. The resulting design created a statuesque salon which always appears bathed in buttery sunlight. Through this exercise, Bobby’s contempt of the color yellow faded in the light.
A furniture tidbit in the salon: Bobby had a series of antique Chippendale dining chairs (of a so-so provence) which he actually cut up, reassembled and created custom benches in this room – a modern take on a traditional style.
We designed this house almost 18 years ago. I recently spoke to the Owners and they relayed a story concerning guests who visited the house a few weeks ago . Their company, who had never been to the house before, thought it was just decorated as it seemed so fresh and new. Sure proof that classic never goes out of style.
This week, I had a chat with a young fellow who contacted our office for potential employment. As he was living in the remote un-Southern lands of Connecticut, I asked him how he’d discovered enough about us to warrant his interest. He simply replied “Facebook”. Of course, that was only the springboard of his research. He told me he learned enough about our work and the feel of our firm by our website and social media to peak his interest in working with us.
I’m certainly not part of the X,Y or Millennium generation. At 52, I’m at the tail end of the baby boomers. I have, however, grown to embrace the new generations’ communication tools of the trade: social media. When our firm was first developing, we depended solely upon the monthly shelter magazines to get our work and philosophies about design out into the public eye. Being a bit remote in our Deep South location, we definitely required these publications to establish our place on a national stage. With the Internet, however, other exciting venues are at our fingertips. Staying relevant in these media platforms is vitally important, especially as our real and potential clients get younger.
I get a lot of questions on how I use social media outlets in our business. The following are the electronic avenues I tread and how I see their importance in our communication and promotion:
Today, websites are as common as business cards: every business has one. They tend to have a lot of information (as does ours) but are static elements. In studying the analytics of how long the average visitor spends on a visit, it’s not long – 4.27 minutes to be exact (as of last month). Think of them as pretty billboards. Folks drive by so you have to catch the eye quickly and get to the point.
Our blog creates an active part missing from our passive website; it’s fresh and updates frequently. It’s also not a huge time commitment – perfect for the ADD client or fan. I write a new post weekly so this allows us to keep our communications open and consistent. Our followers are a mix of clients (old and new) and fans. I find it interesting to note our blog gets about twice as much traffic on the whole as our website. We can also converse about a range of topics – news, philosophies, eye candy pictures and sometimes even practical topics such as this.
Any business that’s the least bit social media literate has, at a minimum, a Facebook page. We’ve had one since 2009 and use it mainly to announce blog posts. It also comes in handy to announce speaking engagements, book signing parties and other events. I also promote other blogs who feature our work in their posts. Some pictures of our projects are posted on our page but I primarily save those for our blog posts. Facebook remains the social media juggernaut but, as my 16 year old daughter says, “Only old people use Facebook”. The younger and hipper set go to:
Twitter is by far the most spontaneous of all the social media outlets and, therefore, the most fun. I use it to announce blog posts and news but to also give behind-the-scenes snapshots of our work and travels or to just complain (such as @Delta your in-flight wifi is as slow as Christmas #holidaytweet). In addition, I’ve been interviewed on a few organized question-and-answer Twitter chat events. You really have to be on your toes when 100+ folks are rolling questions at you. Another great use for Twitter is for initiating relationships. Whenever I attend a design related conference, I begin a conversation with fellow attendees on Twitter. That way, when we finally meet, they sort of know who I am.
Pinterest is the site our OCD organized clients haunt. It has replaced the old tear-it-out-of-the-magazine file. I initially set up our account after finding many pictures of our work uncredited all over the place. I’ve also used it to set up private boards between clients and me which allow us to share photographs of ideas relative to their project. Of all the sites I’ve mentioned, I’ve noticed our followings on this site have grown at an incredibly fast rate. Everyone loves a pretty picture!
I’m fairly new at Instagram but have enjoyed it. Its main function in our promotional basket is to document what catches our eye daily. Many folks like to see, not only what we’re doing in the design world, but what we find beautiful, interesting or just plain comical.
I’ve found that most designers (of my old-school generation) are apprehensive with social media and often, don’t quite understand its place or purpose. Through trial and error, I’ve found all the tools I’ve listed to be of great use in promotion and communication. As I was told by a media expert at a recent design conference, “Your current clients and peers may not be using these venues but your future ones will be.” While keeping a firm grasp in the traditional past of my profession, I like to keep an eye on where it’s heading and how to successfully be there when it arrives.
I once heard Bobby tell a potential client “Never hire an architect or designer until you see how they live”. In other words, do they actually practice what they preach? On this blog, we show a lot of the work we do for others but today, I’d like to open the doors to some of our staff’s homes – in particular, the kitchen. Here’s what a few of our staff have at home on the stove.
During Bobby’s residency in Nashville (he now calls Atlanta home), he renovated and lived in three houses. The picture above is from the most contemporary of the trio; the following is from the most traditional. Both kitchens had a culinary laboratory-like feel and were featured in Veranda and House and Garden, respectively.
My wife, Mary Robin Jurkiewicz, and I have also renovated three houses here in Montgomery. Two of the projects featured a bold programmatic move -the relocation of the kitchen function into existing dining room spaces. In most older houses, the kitchen is usually relegated to a servant’s position in the rear of the house. Meanwhile the beautiful formal dining room usually languishes unused. Room reassignment suddenly allowed a vibrantly active social space to be placed in the least used real estate in the heart of these lovely old houses. Once situated, these “exposed” kitchens called for a new aesthetic – one of furnishing the room as opposed to lining it with cabinetry, A large island replaces the dining table and free standing appliances serve as buffets and armoires. I call these experiments in design the anti-suburban kitchens.
In the renovation of their Craftsman style cottage, partner Chris Tippett and his wife Anne decided to make their renovated kitchen look like an old Southern sleeping porch. Wood plank walls, barn door pantries and wrought iron touches compliment the humble nature of their simple, elegant kitchen.
In the renovation of a turn of the century neighborhood fire station, staff architect David Braly and his partner Mark Montoya turned their talented hands to the creation of their eclectic kitchen. This casual cook’s hearth, located at the end of their sunny living room, comes across quaintly European in nature. It’s evident in this design that David’s extensive travel experiences have marinated and were brought home to simmer. As a matter of fact, this kitchen was recently featured on another blog and can be found here.
Nicely composed and appointed spaces aren’t just delegated to our designers. Our business manager Richard Norris and his partner, Mark Leslie, turned their small sunlit garden facing breakfast room into a brilliant example of restraint and elegance in kitchen design. A less-is-more exploration, their happy kitchen utilizes a few bold elements: an elliptical marble-topped island, a pier mirror backsplash, a ridiculously gangly gothic chandelier, all combined to create a harmonious chamber orchestra piece. This kitchen was also featured in House Beautiful’s book Kitchens.
I’ll wrap up with the smallest kitchen of the bunch – the kitchen in my Manhattan apartment. Due to the efficiency of New York real estate size, It became an editing exercise in juggling necessity and beauty. Basically a glorified contemporary buffet juxtaposed with a rustic rolling island table, it showed me what little you actually need to get cooking.
In keeping with the centennial theme, I’d like to share the profile of our firms that is featured in the January issue of Architectural Digest’s AD100 issue. I’m also including a few paparazzi pics from the AD100 announcement event that took place at the Four Seasons Pool Room in Manhattan last month. This is an esteemed group of 100, of which we are honored to be called a member.
I eagerly anticipate our next 100 posts. Thank you for reading my weekly ramblings for the past two years and I wish you hundreds of blessings in 2014! May it be a grand year.
We’re excited and proud to announce a new partner here at McAlpine Tankersley. No, it’s not Barbara Bush (though we wish her well in her recovery) but the fellow to her right, David Baker. David joins Bobby McAlpine, Greg Tankersley, Chris Tippett and John Sease as a leader here in our “factory of original thinking” (Bobby’s fond phrase for our office).
David, a native Canadian, began working as a summer student intern and joined the firm right after he completed his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1998. Soon afterward, he married his wife, Carol, and began to raise a family. Three children, Isabella, Davis, and Lily, call him Dad. He craves the outdoors and any extra time not devoted to his job, family or church, is spent either on the field, court or green. David’s endless energy and creativity over the years have been made evident in the projects he’s helmed, some of which are pictured below.
Construction picture of a South African Cape Dutch inspired estate, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This house was recently photographed by Architectural Digest and will be featured in an upcoming 2014 issue.
Construction of a shingled lake house at Lake Martin, Alabama.
Thanks, David for being our long time comrade and we’re happy you’ve joined our professional fold. We look forword to the lovely wonders you’ll no doubt continue to create.
Faithfully,
Greg Tankersley for McAlpine Tankersley
Image may be NSFW.
