Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Architectural Dining Room Details

Although the architect I work with is brilliant at reworking floorplans and roof lines.....
I am the expert, brilliant, fabulous one when it comes to interior architectural detailing!!!!!!!
 (if I do say so myself)
(and I do)
When Connie and Chris bought their Vermont home, the house lacked charm.
It was situated on a wonderful piece of land, and sited beautifully, but architecturally, it was underwhelming. 
One of the first things Les Brown (the architect, not the band leader) and I suggested (forcefully) was changing the windows.
The window sills were too high, so the rooms felt closed in.
This is a typical mistake of builders and folks who think they can design houses without having any training.......
They make the windowsills too friggin' high.
(Betsy's disclaimer.......
lot's of people with training don't agree about this.....)
(but then, I think they be wrong, wrong, wrong.....)
So.....
wonderful new windows were installed that had the proper proportions!!!!
I like me a window sill that be 30" AFF (above the finished floor).
HOWEVER!!!!!
Because of the way I was laying out the furniture, we had the window sills made even lower.
This did wonders for adding an airiness to the rooms.
Then I got to work on the paneled wainscoting.....
When I was hired to do this job, I put together a dream team of architect, builder and me, me, me.....
I had worked with G.R. Porter and Sons Construction  on a previous project in New Hampshire and had been bowled over by their attention to detail and that they didn't give me a hard time on a construction site!!!!
I first started working with them around 1984 or 5, and back then, women on construction sites could be patronized and altogether ignored.
Ha!
Just try to ignore me!!!!!
Anyway.....
I found that anything I could draw, they could build!!!!!
I was used to getting a bunch of resistance from cabinet makers telling me that what I had designed couldn't be built.
They didn't like it when I would explain to them how to build it.
NOT THIS TIME!!!!!
Sooooo.....
Since I had had such a wonderful experience with them, I got Connie and Chris to hire them.

Where was I???????
Oh, yeah.
Architectural Detailing.
Wainscoting.
Dining Room.....
So, I added the paneled wainscoting to the walls and had wallpaper applied above. 
Then Connie and I found these wonderful butterfly prints that we had framed.
I hung them all the way around the room.
(On two walls anyway. There wasn't room on the other two walls....)
I found this other photo.....
shows a little part of one.....
I know I keep saying this.....
but I really need to get back up there and take some decent detail shots.
IT'S SOOOO FAR THOUGH.......
MY HIPS HURT JUST TO THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
Where was I?????
Oh, yeah,
architectural interior details.
I also changed all the window and door casings, baseboards and crown moldings.
But other than that the house was just the same as when they bought it.... other than moving walls around.....
If you beef up your window and door casings, don't forget to increase the size of your baseboard.
I like baseboards to be at least 5.5" h (that's a 1x6).
If the ceiling's over 8 feet high, then the baseboard should be even taller.
Just another arbitrary Betsy rule.

I'm starting to ramble.....
(why should this day be different from any other?????)

Sooooo.....
On that note...
Latah, Gatah
Photobucket

10 comments:

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Amazing Betsy!!! I love your colors and the way you boldly mix patterns. I sure wish I could build anything I could draw!

Nutbird said...

It is Tuesday, so I'm going to ask a question. How high should your wainscoting be? I live in a 50's reproduction Colonial with low ceilings. I would like to add board and batten to my small narrow entrance hall and up the stairs. Any ideas? Thanks, Ann

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that you told the contractor what you wanted regarding the windows! I'm SO tired of contractors around here who keep saying "It can't be done...." What they're really saying is "I'm too busy to do it your way, so you either do it my way or get someone else." I'd be inclined to get someone else :-) So kudos to you Betsy for telling them to change windows, etc. You are a light to all us women when it comes to saying "Yes, it can be done!" I love the lower windows BTW.

Charlotte Des Fleurs said...

My parents built a house back in 1964. My mother was at the job site every day. She rearranged the floor plan by adding some needed doors and moved a few walls. The contractor kept trying to ignore her and talk only to my Dad. However, my Dad said, "she's the boss!" Well, that contractor learned a few things about women on a job site. She handed every brick to them as they put up the fireplace because when they started they had pulled all the bricks from the pallet of red bricks not a mixture of red, used and dark as she had specified. She made them tear it down and start over. When the Northridge earthquake hit in 1994, my parent's house was the only one in the neighborhood to come through in one piece. Why? Because my mother had all her kids sneek over the night before the foundation was laid and tie in extra rebar.

From my Mom, I learned NVER to accept a lazy biulder's, "it can't be done!" Betsy, sounds like we had the same Mom.

Martha I said...

Great dining room and very nice windows. My son sto replace his windows in a very old house. Can you tell us what window company you like the best. It would be very helpful!!

Cynthia said...

This is gorgeous, love the color pallet and the woodwork. I am a moldings girl. I just can't get enough of them.

Cynthia

Victoria said...

love this home and what you were able to do with it. This is what I call timeless design
it's so classic and lovely. I am definitely going to pin a pix of it. I do remember it
from back then Betsy.

fixitfaerie said...

OH MY GOSH! I love, love pink! Therefore I love this room and all the pieces and moulding in it. That said, thanks for sharing. Paula

Amy Chalmers said...

Very pretty room, and I love the big low windows. They almost look like french doors.

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

What a stunning room you've created. The gorgeous windows, french doors, and wainscoting add so much charm. Great job!! BTW, I love your header.

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