Happy Clients

Happy Clients

Happy Clients

I popped through an almost-completed project today to get the closing tax credit photos, and had a lovely conversation with the homeowner. Still unpacking into the renovated space, she was already relishing the remodel and addition to their Trinity Park bungalow. Little things that I had campaigned for – like a connection from the back hall through to their hangout space and kitchen – were making sense to her as she inhabited it. Views through the space that I had envisioned on paper were there in reality, and the good folks at Catherine French Design had sourced gorgeous finishes throughout. The homeowners are excited about the last pieces of furniture arriving and getting everything set up, and I can’t wait to share the final photos once it’s ready. In the meantime, I managed one good snap as a preview.

 

Trinity Design/Build contracted this one. I did the space planning, overarching design, and preservation tax credit work. Finally, CFD took care of the fixtures, finishes, and furnishings.

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hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Springtime!

Springtime!

All sorts of things are underway here at 4/1, and we are looking forward to the spring after some terrific winter weather. Projects are currently under construction in Watts-Hillandale, Trinity Park, Old North Durham, Duke Forest, and all the way out in Oxford. We are doing house research and certificates of appropriateness all over too, thanks to the work of Emily (stay tuned for ways to research your own house’s history in an upcoming post). And at some point we will do a major update of the portfolio page to show some of the new work that’s wrapped in the past year.

Also on the drawing board is Sara’s second child, due in mid-March. While she’s away on maternity leave, please direct all communication to Emily via the contact info on the sidebar. Sometime in early June, Sara will be back at her desk and ready to start new design projects – don’t hesitate to get in touch in the meantime with anything you may need.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Un-Lazy Summer Days

Un-Lazy Summer Days

It’s been way too long since the blog was updated, as projects have been flying thick and fast.  There are a pile of photos just added to the Porfolio section, and in the meantime a few photos of what’s in process right now will whet your appetite for what’s coming soon.

This lovely little bungalow in Old North Durham is getting a giant new screened porch – to double as a sleeping porch, homebrew platform, dining space and office.  Construction is currently underway, and I’m enjoying working out some of the trim details that will carry the double front porch posts around to the back.  We’ve also picked out a glorious dark slate blue color for the siding – which won’t come around to the front of the house for some time – with tangerine accents that will make that front door pop out of the shadows.

Over in Chapel Hill, a couple thoroughly in love with their home’s Modern style and architectural pedigree found 4/1 to update the three bathrooms.  The current baths are finished with a mix of original cabinetry and 1980’s ‘improvements,’ that are showing their age.

We’ve been working to find exactly the right blend of current finishes and fixtures that will compliment the original design intentions, look Modern (yes, capital-M modern), and timeless all at the same time.  Down to the home stretch of picking out the exhaust fans and light switches, this should head to construction soon.

Back in Trinity Park, a growing family started working with 4/1 back in January to expand their bungalow – one of a group of matching homes built for management at the tobacco factories 100 years ago.  The house has been through some very curious and frankly ingenious renovations over the years, but we’re aiming to start with a clean slate of the original bones of the house, and then go up in the back.  This will result in a ‘camel back‘ form, actually traditional in New Orleans but definitely unusual in Durham.  It’s what the house and the family need, and keeping it in scale and character has proved challenging.  I think we’ve just hit upon a solution that works really well, and construction drawings are in process now.

In the same neighborhood, this modest little house is going to keep it trim, clean exterior.  But it was the home of a hoarder, and the interior needs some major attention.  The new owners requested a kitchen and bath design that will update the house and make it really functional for their family of four – and the builders are at it at this instant.  This one will make for great before-and-after photos, as the kitchen was really, well, there are no words.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Does it Work?

Does it Work?

Over the holiday break, I had the opportunity to visit a former client and her magnificent house. We did the bulk of the work on it about three years ago, and she has been in it for over two years now, so there were lots of reminiscences about the process and construction, disappointments and discoveries. At one point, another of the visitors turned to me and asked whether it was all worth it. Without hesitating, I turned to the homeowner and asked, “Does it work?”

Because as far as I’m concerned, it does not matter if I’m not particularly partial to the colors of a room or the style of couch in the living room – what matters to me is that the house does what it needs to do for that family and how they live, while still being true to its historic self. In this particular case, the house hosts about 1 1/2 events every week (130 people were to arrive for lunch the day after our visit) and yet is still cozy and wonderful for the four permanent residents. The little girl loves her room with pink knobs on the built-in, the little boy plays basketball in the renovated attic, and there’s now a use for the funny attic room where you can’t even hear the doorbell – a home office for when they need to hide. At the same time, the grand spaces with all their historic detail have remained intact and are being used fully: what more can I ask for?

Corbusier said, some dozen years after this house was built, that “the house is a machine for living in.” While the house in question is miles away conceptually from Corbu’s cubes, he’s absolutely right. Bringing a house like this back up to speed as a modern machine, suited to the peculiarities and necessities of the new family, was one of the greatest projects I’ve had the pleasure of working on – and yes, totally worth it. Because it works.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Breaking News

Breaking News

Just heard via the twittersphere that I won a Golden Leaf Award from the City of Durham for my former employers’ (Trinity Design/Build) office on Gregson Street.  It is one of the only commercial buildings I’ve ever designed, and through a lot of work between design, construction, and technology, it managed to make LEED Platinum, receive preservation tax credits, and now this!  Very cool to hear.

My workspace there was my favorite desk ever, crazy orange wall and all.

The official flyer from the Golden Leaf Awards – click for a more readable image.

Judge’s comments read: “Recognizing the simple visible efforts on a small scale goes a long way to demonstrating how any project can be done in a sustainable way.  What a wonderful new life for a ‘forgotten’ building.”

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702