Click on this photo to see it in the note cards/prints gallery.The eye-catching color palette used on this c. 1771 entry taps into my fondness for blue and brown combinations. This twist on that combo in blue-green and grey-brown is especially attractive. Add in the striking contrast of the orange pumpkins, and no wonder I wasn’t the only one snapping photos of this treat on Sunday. It would be even more photogenic without the corn-husk witch on the door.

Once you look beyond color, you’ll notice the exquisite, beaded clapboards that wrap the elegantly trimmed plank door. The Doric pilasters and entablature are quietly dignified. Simple strap hinges and an iron, latch set beautifully echo the long, brown lines of the clapboards and trim, while contrasting the door color. I wish the granite stoop looked as old as the rest, but it’s forgiven.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

This wonderfully cogent essay by Witold Rybczynski, author of Home: A Short History of an Idea and The Most Beautiful House in the World among other books, addresses the “vicious circle” which keeps the cost of new housing out of reach for many. Rybczynski targets the availability of buildable “serviced land,” as a root of the problem. He writes, “For the neighbors, requiring large lots has two advantages: It limits the numbers of houses that can be built and, since large lots are more expensive, it ensures that new houses will cost more, which drives up surrounding property values. But reducing development has another, less happy effect: It pushes growth even farther out, thus increasing sprawl. While large-lot zoning is often done in the name of preserving open space and fighting sprawl, in fact it has the opposite effect.” This is why the Smart Growth and New Urbanism movements are calling for change.

Rybczynski continues, “Smaller houses on smaller lots are the logical solution to the problem of affordability, yet density -- and less affluent neighbors -- are precisely what most communities fear most. In the name of fighting sprawl, local zoning boards enact regulations that either require larger lots or restrict development, or both. These strategies decrease the supply -- hence, increase the ­cost -- of developable land. Since builders pass the cost of lots on to buyers, they justify the higher land prices by building larger and more expensive houses -- McMansions. This produces more community resistance, and calls for yet more restrictive regulations. In the process, housing affordability becomes an even more distant chimera.”

Wilson Quarerly link by way of the Boston Chapter of The Congress of Residential Architects

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

If you’ve been to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard then you’re probably familiar with the Old Sculpin Gallery. Its quirky, gabled tower was most likely born of necessity. According to the Gallery website, the building has served in its 240-year history as a boat-building shed, sail loft, whale-oil factory, and a grain store. I can imagine all of those uses benefiting from the height the tower affords. The distinctive form, then, may result from the structure's original function. The use of cedar shingles with minimal trim and double-hung windows reflects local building practices that continue today. Now, as a gallery, this former work building welcomes new generations to appreciate its heritage. Rooted in purpose and regional building customs, it’s one of my favorite examples of the New England vernacular.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

The siting of these simple, little cottages makes them all the more enchanting. Angled obliquely towards one another and within comfortable proximity, they are engaged with each other and the landscape, while also afforded a measure of autonomy. Informal shrubbery provides a touch of privacy for the brick-edged, flagstone patio off the front of the cottage in the foreground. A few steps back or beyond reveals a larger intermediary patio between the cottages where the occupants of each might convene for a barbeque. A weaving, gravel drive connects the cottages and accommodates neighbors passing by. Such thoughtful siting can encourage interaction while acknowledging personal space.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

The view above is to the southwest from the Olmsted-designed original approach to the Great House on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Mass. The marshlands and distant red structure are glimpsed off to the side as the driveway climbs Castle Hill. This tempting vista is a precursor to the ultimate sweeping Bay view that the Olmsted Brothers intended to be revealed only upon arrival in the Great House. Today, most visitors exit the Great House on this driveway instead of arriving on it and thus miss out on the Olmsteds’ intention. That is, unless they participate in one of the Historic Landscape Tours of Castle Hill offered through The Trustees of Reservations as I did last weekend. Our guide led us up the original approach on foot and shared the story of the dramatic procession as the Olmsted Brothers conceived it. This is but one of the stunning landscapes to be appreciated on the property. The Grand Allee designed by Arthur Shurcliff, and visible from the Great House, may be the most notable, but there are plenty of other gems to be admired as well.

This Saturday will be the last Historic Landscape Tour for the season, but the grounds are open daily year-round for self-guided exploration. On Saturday, October 18 the Crane Wildlife Refuge is inviting visitors to participate in Return to the Island which includes a hike on Choate Island past the c. 1725 Choate House and the Crane’s White Cottage. Reservations are required.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast