Modern Marvins

At the risk of turning my Split Foyer Remodel theme into a Twitter-ish stream (or me into a bad poet) I have posted a few other images, now that our Marvin Integrity windows have been installed along the facade and on the addition.  We couldn’t be happier with the Marvins.  They are beautiful, with clean lines and high performance (Ultrex fiberglass construction, paintable), and reasonably priced.  We used a combination of casement and awning windows to create that “mid-century modern” look.  These windows fit the bill perfectly.  By placing two of the addition windows at the corner, we get a nearly unobstructed view, helping to erase the interior/exterior divide (we will continue this theme at the rear of the house on the same side).  The images also show the framing for our “atomic age” front entry overhang (click on photo for larger image).  The Earlier posts on this blog show some concept drawings, so you can see what this will look like when it’s finished.   Next month, the new Viola Park kitchen arrives, and then on to the interior…..

Corner of Addition

Image of Facade

Driveway Angle of Facade

Front Door Overhang Frame Detail

Another overhang image

Our Split Foyer Remodel Begins!

Construction on our split foyer remodel project is officially under way!  Over the past couple of weeks, our contractor (1) laid out the living room bump-out addition; (2) poured the concrete footings and the pier foundations on which the addition posts will rest; (3) framed the addition; and (4) began building the addition’s roof, eaves, and overhangs.  While the carpenters were doing those things, another worker began stripping the old, brittle striated cedar from the house.    Here are some of the first images:

Corner overhang takes shape

Detail from rear of house

Corner of addition showing window placement

Fighting off the rain – lots of it

Lower overhang framing detail (facade)

Addition with overhang

View from driveway

Entry overhang framing

Another angle showing entry overhang with temporary supports

As I mentioned in my Tongue and Groovy post, we will clad the house’s exterior with 1×6 tongue-and-groove cedar siding, and stain it black (unless our courage fails us along the way!).  Coincidentally, the now-exposed black tar paper (see images) gives us a free “preview” of the planned color.  The house is beginning to take shape.  Now that work on the projecting overhangs is “in progress,” we can begin to see our mid-century modern concept come to life.  Very exciting! Yes, that hideous bay window is coming out, as is the door, trim, and all windows.

Because the bump-out is only 4 feet deep by 12 foot wide, a post-and-pier foundation made sense in terms of cost.  Pretty straightforward operation.  Two holes dug about 3 feet deep (our architect specified wider, square piers rather than cylindrical), about 11 feet apart, and a little over 3 1/2 feet from the structure.  The concrete for the footing went in (with rebar for extra strength), and it set for a couple of days.  Next the square concrete piers were poured.  We were uncertain whether this “post” foundation addition would look nice, but it some ways it lightens the mass.  At night, light from the lower level window beneath the addition creates depth and interesting shadows.

AC will be relocated

Finally, we had a very unpleasant surprise when the striated cedar shingles near the chimney were removed.  Serious water and old termite damage (see images below).  I’m told that such damage in not uncommon around the chimney.  We had a roof leak a while back, which undoubtedly contributed to the damage (the roof was replaced last year).  Hopefully the damage is limited.  A good example of why you need a contingency budget when you plan your remodel.

Tongue-and-Groovy Exterior

When planning the remodel of our 1965 split foyer, one of the most difficult decisions was settling on an exterior cladding.  As readers of this blog know, we are trying to introduce some mid-century modern (or at least “modernist”) elements to both the interior and exterior of our otherwise character-challenged, nondescript house.

We explored cement board products such as Hardie board  (and Hardie “Artisan” panels), which won points for durability and ease of maintenance, and but somehow felt neither real nor honest in the setting of our historic little village.  This is especially true of the “wood grain” type which looks, well, fake.  I prefer the smooth surface Hardie boards, or the Artisan panels, which sort of impart a modern look.

One cool siding (and roofing) product we looked at was Galvalume, which is basically corrugated zinc-coated aluminum.  The corrugated siding product felt different — in a good way — and for a while we were drawn to its low maintenance and non-nonsense industrial aesthetic.  In the end, however, it just didn’t seem right for our house style.

Vinyl we never considered.  Not only do we completely dislike the look, but in our community it is a resale value liability.  I totally understand why many people go for vinyl, however.  It lasts a long time and is virtually maintenance free.  It seems the be the cladding of choice for new construction, but there really are much more interesting and attractive options, in my opinion.

When all was said and done, we decided to go with tongue-and-groove (T&G) cedar siding.  You can sort of see this in our early 3-D renderings, although admittedly it is hard to get a sense of the material from the pdf images.  Due to cost, we steered “clear” (pun intended) of the best quality cedar, i.e., the type free of knots and other imperfections.  We will be using a grade known as knotty clear, which has only “tight” knots, and not too many of them.  It costs about half what you could pay for No. 1 “clear” cedar.   Since we will be solid staining or painting the siding black or some other very dark color, we can get away with a less than blemish-free product.  The nominal dimensions of  the material is 1″ by 6″ (see below example), and we will probably go with a V-joint, rather than flush-joint, the former leaving a nice shadow line.  Below are some nice T&G cedar applications on modern homes.

T&G Siding 1×6″

Modern Home with Cedar Exterior

Horizontal Cedar on Cube Shaped House

Bold Front Entry Door Color: Bright Idea?

When we began discussing our plans to paint or stain our mid-1960′s split foyer black, with perhaps a yellow door (see images in Split Foyer Challenge Update post), we received some very mixed reactions.  Most people thought: “Cool!”  But many just mechanically nodded, while others narrowed their gaze as if to say: you’re kidding, right?  A few collapsed (well, not exactly).

TV celebrity home designers (think: David Bromstad of HGTV’s Color Splash) often exclaim: “Don’t be afraid of color!”   But afraid most of us are.  Maybe it’s a deep-rooted human instinct, grounded in some primal fear of making oneself a target for enemies (or ridicule from neighbors).  Others think bold colors scream “cartoon” or “trendy.”  I think bold colors can work very well on an entry door, but those with mild chromophobia have a point.  If you are going to “make a statement,” then take some care in doing so.   I would argue that “going bold” and “being careful” are not mutually exclusive concepts.  I think the midway point between the two approaches is what experts call “taste.”

Take a look at some images I gathered from the internet showing yellow and orange entry doors on modern homes.  Using yellow was my original plan for the front door of our remodel, but orange (or pumpkin, a classic mid-century modern color) is growing on me:

Solid Yellow Door on Gray Home

Bright Yellow Door with Blue Entry

Solid Yellow Door on Cool Cottage

Large Orange Door on Black Home

Orange Door on Light Colored Home

Black Houses: Cool, or Just Plain Spooky?

Black House in New Zealand

Those of you who have read some of my ’Split Foyer” remodel posts on this blog know that we are considering painting or staining our soon-to-be remodeled home black or some other very dark color.  We think, in the right setting, black homes can look modern and sharp.  Set against a treed background, dark homes at once blend with their environment and make a statement.  For example, take a look at the LeBlanc home, found in the Split Foyer remodel links at right.

For many people, the idea of a black home is morbid, or worse, somehow evil.  Others warn that black paint is impractical because it will peel quickly, due to excessive heat absorption.  The latter reaction is certainly a consideration, but selecting the right combination of wood and paint/stain can help ameliorate those durability issues.  And yes, it probably isn’t a great idea for homes situated in the desert!    

Black homes have a long tradition in Scandinavia and Japan, among other places.  For centuries, builders in Japan have clad homes in ”charred wood,” in either Japanese cedar or cyprus (“Sugi”).  This burnt wood technique is called shou-sugi-ban.   Take a look at http://www.materia.nl/583.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=235&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=532&cHash=6ceb9a67dd and http://materiadesigns.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/shou-sugi-ban-terunobu-fujimori-charred-cedar-siding/.   Here are a few examples:

Charred Wood House

Traditional Japan Charred Wood Home

Charred Wood Close Up

This “charred wood” technique involves physically burning or charring the wood — prior to installation, of course!  Apparently the charring process adds longevity and weather and termite resistance to the wood.  The finished product looks unique and beautiful when done properly.

Black homes can look striking not only when viewed against a forested background, but in wide open fields, or even along a coastline.  You see many examples of this in Scandinavia:

Compact Home in Sweden

All Black Home

Swedish Cabin

Below are some more images of houses painted black.  Dark palettes are definitely not for everyone (or everyone’s neighbors), but they shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand as “spooky” or ominous.   Here are a few examples of “dark” homes in various period styles:

Modern House in Black

Black Victorian House

Vancouver Home

Citizens United, Too?

A few months ago I deviated from my usual split foyer challenge posts (and various updates), and discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United.  The disturbing thing about this case, which in effect struck down laws aimed at limiting corporate (and other organization) spending in political campaigns, was the unprecedented finding by the Court that corporations are “people,” and therefore entitled to first amendment free speech rights set forth in the Constitution.  Whatever one might think of this ruling (for example, the Court’s unwillingness to distinguish between natural persons  – i.e., citizens — and corporate entities made up of lots of people), what should have been predictable to all was the result: the instantaneous flood of corporate money pouring into “Super PACs” in the current Presidential election cycle.

A few more words about Citizens United and Super PACs before I move on to a more recent but related matter.  At present, the campaign finance laws do not require these Super PACs to automatically disclose their donors, so citizens (real citizens, that is) who see political advertisements are not aware of who is funding the ads.  To me, this lack of transparency is more offensive than the phony so-called “non-coordination” laws which allegedly create a “fire wall” between candidates and the Super PACs.  If we knew which individuals (and corporations) were funding these Super PACs, we could make more informed assessments of the advertisements.  The disclosure laws as written afford corporations yet another layer of protection and unfair advantage in the political realm that real citizens do not have.  Like corporations, individuals with vast sums to contribute to, and thereby disproportionately impact, an election, can through Super PACs attain the protected status afforded by anonymity.  Other groups, including labor unions and issue-oriented political and social organizations, have likewise “benefited” from the Citizens United decision, and formed their own Super PACs.  Even President Obama, who at one time swore off PAC money, has changed his tune.  The excuse is always: “we have no choice” because the other side’s acceptance of PAC money provides an unfair advantage.  In any event, the one thing that everyone agrees on is that money usually wins elections.  And can one honestly deny that the rapid, huge influxes of corporate money resulting from Citizens United elevates the “free speech” rights of these newly-minted “citizens” above all others?

Within the last week or so the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case being billed by some as “Citizens United II.”  The case, Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., is class-action lawsuit brought against the petroleum giant (and its wholly owned Nigerian subsidiary) by a Ogoni leader and other Nigerians from the Ogoni area of the Niger Delta.  The plaintiffs allege the defendant corporations aided and abetted others in committing crimes against humanity, including torture, extrajudicial killings, etc., committed between 1992 and 1995 against the Ogoni people.  Plaintiff sued under a very old but rarely invoked statute know as the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), which allows foreign nationals to sue in the United States courts to redress violations of international law, no matter where those violations occur.  The case law thus far is unclear whether corporations (versus private individuals) can be held liable under the ATS.  While the issue is a narrow one, the “Citizens United” theme should be obvious:  if corporations are “people” for purposes of exercising free speech rights, ought they not be liable for their role — assuming one is established — in committing violations of international law, just like other “persons”?

News reports of the recent oral argument suggest, as expected, the Court will divide along party/philosophical lines.  Several Justices questioned whether the ATS itself made any sense, e.g., why should a tort – in this case humans rights violations committed in Nigeria against a non-American — be heard in our courts?  Legally this is a fair question, but the answer is to change the law if Congress dislikes it.  But the law exists, and it clearly applies to individual persons.  The only issue (insofar as this discussion is concerned) is whether that law ought to be applied to the wrongful actions (torts) of corporations as well as natural persons.  My guess is that corporations will escape here, and reasonable people can differ as to whether under this particular statute that is the right legal decision.  The interesting thing will be to see how the Supreme Court reconciles its earlier finding in Citizens United (that corporations are people) with its likely finding in Kiobel that corporations are not people subject to liability for crimes against humanity.

Split Foyer Kitchen Police

Okay, we need some advice from all you remodel police officers out there.  As I’ve mentioned in previous kitchen remodel posts, and updates to same, we have decided on plainsawn walnut for the lower cabinetry with black countertops, but are undecided about using some color on the upper cabinets and/or the leaf doors on the dining room side of the island.  Pictured below are some images showing color in these locations.  They both show a blue-gray (close to Still Water from Sherwin Williams (see color palette from Viola Park Kitchen links on this blog), but the color in the images will look different on each person’s computer monitor, so don’t go by that.  While we are considering something in this color range, we have not ruled out a stronger “pop” color like a brighter blue (Respite or Freshwater), Marigold (pumpkin family), or Butternut — something consistent with the mid-century look.

FYI, here are images of the Wolf Range and Liebherr Refrigerator we have selected:

Liebherr 30" Refrigerator

Wolf Gas Range 30"

 

Let me know what you think re: color placement:

Color on the Island Doors

 

Color on the Upper Cabinets & Island Doors