I’m partial to hipped gables. My parents’ bungalow has them and so too does this c. 1890 work-building-turned-pottery-studio. Hipped gables typically reduce the apparent height of end walls, keeping them from towering over passersby. They lend an intimate scale, and the hip, which is almost forehead-like, helps suggest a familiar and friendly countenance. Surely, whoever created the plaque to the left of the entrance was familiar with the truncated profile’s appeal. Chamfered-edge shingles (which also recall the end-wall profile) above the door-head trim, and barn-style doors with integral windows, along with a complementary-color paint palette add to this building’s charm. If a small child were to emerge from within and pause between the flag and hydrant, this slice of Americana might be worthy of Norman Rockwell.
by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast