Vacation Observation and Summer Getaway Show and Tell

The traveling Places In The Home duo is home sweet home, and as much as I love a good getaway, there is no place like home.  Prior obligations and work schedules clipped our wings to a certain time extent, so our escape was of the closer to home statecation to North Louisiana variety. Making a vacation observation and sharing details of our summer getaway will be a two-parter with the first installment a celebration of the red, white and blue.

American-flag-display

Vacation Observation #1

Don’t believe everything you read or hear about a decline in patriotism and the celebration of the American flag.  Seeing is believing, and on our statecation getaway we treated ourselves to a self guided tour of the Historic South Highlands neighborhood.

American-flag-display-front-house

Architecturally magnificent on all fronts, the homes of the Historic South Highlands neighborhood happened to be decked out not only in detail, but in 4th of July-proud to be an American style and colors.  Here, let me show you.

southern-front-porch

I love the Southern comfort lives here ambiance and patriotic porch set for a red, white, and blue summer holiday.

ed-white-blue-front-porch

Fairfield-home vacation observation

Vacation Observation #2

North Louisiana mirrors the landscape of East Tennessee (another favorite vacation getaway destination).  Tree-lined streets of the Historic South Highlands neighborhood wind and weave through a semi-hilly fashioned parkway.  Mark this corner cottage in a dreamy creamy shade of yellow as a model of southern charm.

yellow-brick-cottage

Several squeals of glee pierced Dave’s eardrums, more than a few oohs and aahs perhaps became a few too many, and an insane amount of unabashed architectural envy dominated the evening’s conversation.

What can I say?

Architecture is my thing.

vintage-street-light

Towering pines and oaks shade the yards and boulevards.  Vintage street lights evoke nostalgia of days gone by.

tree-lined-streets

Beauty, charm, and tradition lie in the details.

architectural-windows

Curb appeal is a powerful calling card.

front-entryway

Impressive entry doors greet the eye and welcome step away from the ordinary style.

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Vacation Observation #3

Architectural juxtaposition promotes a dramatic effect and a desirable address.

modern-architectural-detailsVacation Observation #4

An afternoon drive through a historic neighborhood between shopping destinations and dinner reservations inspired, confirmed and renewed. It’s not a day at the beach or one spent in the desert or the mountains, but it’s one of our favorite things to do at home or on vacation.  The food, the landscape, the architecture, the terrain, the dialect-you can learn so much from your travels.  Inspiration is everywhere.

American-flag-displayed-in-tree

Old Glory is once again displayed from the oak tree in the front yard of Places In The Home.  The tree is cosmetically worse for wear since the tornado, but is still the optimum spot for the flag to be displayed. Patriotism with flying colors is alive and well at Places In The Home. Happy 4th of July to all of you.  Celebrate in style and let freedom ring!

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A Most Fetching Friday: Staircase Designs

fetch·ing

/ˈfeCHiNG/

adjective

adjective: fetching

attractive.

synonyms: attractive, appealing, sweet, pretty, good-looking, lovely, delightful, charming, prepossessing, captivating, enchanting, irresistible

Today’s Fetching Friday features staircase designs of winding detail with design twists and turns.

staircase designs

Architectural Digest

Phenomenal foyer focal point.  Say that three times.

curtis-windham-architects-portfolio-architecture-interiors-neoclassical-neoclassical-staircase

Longwood Farm, Texas ~ Curtis & Windham Architects

jennifer-garner-march-2016-cover-03

Jennifer Garner as featured in Vanity Fair 

Hudson Architects, Boardman House, NUA, Norwich University of the Arts Architectural School, Norwich, Norfolk, UK, Winter 2016 Photographer Joakim Borén,

 Norwich University of the Arts Architectural School, Norwich, Norfolk, UK, Winter 2016 ~ Photographer Joakim Borén

traditional-staircase

John Malick & Associates

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Detail of intricate work in the stair rail from the first to the second floor in the Senate side of the Capitol.

Palazzo_della_banca_d'italia,_fi,_scalone_10

Palazzo della Banca d’Italia, Fi ~ Palace of the Bank of Italy, Florence

Enjoy your Friday!

Love your style!

Houses of The Historic Garden District

A stress-free afternoon drive viewing houses of the historic Garden District clears away the cobwebs and reminds me how much I love what I do.

houses of the historic Garden DistrictCorinthian Columns

“Architecture mirrors eternal harmony….music echoes it.”  

—Otto Van Simpon

Smooth jazz provides the background music while arches, and columns, and pillars (oh, my!) provide architectural eye candy.

Today’s self-guided tour along brick-lined streets and Louisiana bayous set a serene scene.

bungalow

My Louisiana Parade of Homes series was a labor of love, and today’s post featuring local residential properties near and dear to my architectural and historical home loving heart is no different.

cold-front-cloud

Blame the darkness in several of the images on a late afternoon in February cold front rolling across the area.

ES-garden-districtSpanish Colonial

Spanish-garden-district

A-line-roof

Colonial Revival.

Craftsman.

Bungalow.

arched-front-door-1

Italianate.

Palladian.

Georgian.

Just to name a few architectural styles of the houses of the historic Garden District.

magnolia-tree

Modern architectural elements stand out among the grounds of these stately homes and manicured gardens.

The blooms of spring will make a grand statement and give me yet another reason to visit the Garden District.

Queen-Anne

One of several antique horse head hitching posts in the neighborhood.

brick-single

Curb appeal allure is first found in the brick-lined street fronting the detailed brickwork of this single family stunner.

stack

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love your style!

Air Conditioning: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Air conditioning is the gift that keeps on giving in the oppressive summertime.  It’s no wonder we issued a Louisiana state of humidity emergency when the original air conditioning system in our fifty year old ranch style house finally bit the dust last week.

P-AmericanHouses_FPOPop Chart Lab  ~  Click on image to enlarge

Since the dawn of home owning and renting time, American houses have come to know the weekend project(s).  Regardless of the style of house or year of construction, at some point something will be in need of repair, replacement, renovation or remodel.

air-conditioning-unitSometimes you have to go through the ugly to get to the beauty of the sweet, sweet cold air on the other end of the air conditioning project.

If I had a nickel for every “we did just fine without air conditioning back in the good old days” comment my mother made during the central air install project this past weekend, I would be paying cash in all nickels for a new Nest smart thermostat.

retro-air-conditioner-ad

The subject of the good old days was immediately dropped as the first blast of cold air circulated around the room.

My mother was the Road Runner to Dave the Builder’s Wile E. Coyote getting to the nearest vent blowing cold air- a feature of little to no presence in the main living and kitchen area of Places In The Home for the biggest part of last week.

air-conditioned-for-your-comfort-s

Old School Ragz on Ebay

My thoughts and prayers honestly do go out to the men and women who work outdoors in oppressive temperatures and heat indexes best described as dangerous.

Dave the Builder hits the door some evenings after a 12+ hour workday in the Louisiana summer sun and humidity drained of all energy and will.

Air conditioning plays a huge role in our lives, both at work and at home.

Giant-barbecue-scene

“We’ll make that into a sitting room where we can sit and talk… and the breeze can get at us.”

That line from the movie Giant makes me wonder how people lived without air conditioning? 

Dust storms, tumbleweeds and brutal heat set the story of life on a Texas ranch in the 1920s.

I would need a don’t talk to me, I’m dying from this heat sitting room.

Whenever I watch Giant and other classic films and television shows that show life and homes without air conditioning,  I thank the conditioned air gods for Willis Carrier, the inventor of the first modern air-conditioning system.

Bless the heart of this brilliant, brilliant man!  B

efore Mr. Carrier’s invention however, the masses depended upon commercial and residential design features of the times to promote airflow and cross ventilation.

Large porches

Screened sleeping porches, winding wraparound porches and deep eaves and awnings accommodated shade seekers, porch sitters and night sleepers from the harsh direct sunlight and heat of the day and gave protection from mosquitoes at night.

Porch sitting and sippin’ in the late afternoon and after dinner (supper) was as much about letting the breeze get at you as it was an exercise in proper digestion.

LB-2015

Transom

A transom window proved crucial to upper air flow.

Found above doors, a transom moved the warm air hovering at ceiling level to the higher floors or large open windows.

Opening windows and doors at opposite ends of center halls allowed air to flow between areas of the house.

transom-window-above-doorBetter Homes and Gardens

My brother removed all the working transoms and hardware from above the doors throughout his house during the initial renovation and restoration of his 1903 Victorian home.

The transoms in his first house, a Victorian one story built in 1910, never worked properly and the hardware proved difficult at best to operate.

The point of this explanation and pictorial example is to illustrate the architectural measures taken in the construction of homes and the thought to comfort given to air flow routes in the days devoid of air conditioning.

LB-dining-room-sideboard

The long hot summer has quite a few days and nights yet to go before relief is in sight.

Thanks to Willis Carrier, Dave the Builder’s HVAC skills and the local power company Places In The Home won’t be without air conditioning.

Remind me of this post if I dare complain about the cold of winter.

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Historic Homes And The Beauty Of Their Architectural Elements

Architectural integrity through architectural elements is the indelible mark of historic homes and landmarks.

Longwood-Natchez-Mississippi

Longwood

It is usually the only tangible proof of bygone golden eras ruled by classic styles.

Cornstalk Fence Hotel

Cornstalk Fence Hotel – Flickr

Restoration efforts and day to day upkeep of historic homes can be financially mind boggling.

Another consideration is the sheer expense of replicating these styles in today’s market which can create financial hurdles too difficult to clear.

Aging and changing neighborhoods coupled with a natural progression away from this style of living  places most of  these homes in the private sector on an endangered species list.

Longwood-Columns-Natchez

Longwood

Craftsmanship, detail to details, and artisan skills used to envision, shape, form, and build these homes fascinates me.

Albert-B-S-Home

Over the years we have had the opportunity to tour, consult on, and donate antique pieces to several state and privately owned historic homes.

As much as I love antiques, I will walk right by a period piece without so much as a glance to get to the heart of the historic matter.

Architectural elements  grab and hold my attention.

architectural elements

Locally we have a block of homes known as Mansion Row.

Anchoring the far left corner of the block stands the Thompson-Hargis Mansion.

Built in 1907, this Greek Revival home with characteristic Ionic columns, porte-cochère, triangle pediment, and transom entry was once a jewel in the crown of our city history.

Exterior and grounds showed the weathered look of sun and time- nothing paint and repair could not fix as the property was structurally sound and the architectural integrity intact.

Thompson-Hargis Mansion

Removal of the furnishings was conducted years ago, windows and doors boarded, and the grand dame beautifully sat idling until this past Sunday evening when she fell victim to a senseless demise.

historical home

Neighbors who recall the elegance of what was and admirers of what could have been mourn the total loss of of property, history, and hope.

Thompson-Hargis

It’s a sad turn of events and an even sadder realization that original, historic, and one of a kind architectural elements were destroyed.

historical mansion

Dollars do not factor into the equation, there is no replacement value for the architectural integrity of this 105 year old home.

RIP Thompson-Hargis Mansion.

Darleen-signature-love

 

 

 

images:  Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, We Saw That

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