Modern Twist on Classical Designs -- Part III

A talent I've recently found that is taking modern twists on classical designs to a new level is Ken Pursley out of Charlotte, North Carolina.  His work is outstanding.  Doing both renovations and new construction, his take on design is fresh and current while maintaining a classical approach to architecture.


One of my favorite things about his work is the mixture of classical exteriors with extremely crisp interiors.  Few have the ability to mix the two.  Ken has done an excellent job of it.  I will be following his work for a long time.  What is so great about this approach is that any of these homes will fit in with the old neighborhoods across the country.


Here is his take on a Scottish Revival:

Look at the detail on the french doors below.

Here are a few images of a Colonial Revival he did.  All fresh, clean and beautiful.

Here is an English Kitchen and Garden Folly (as he calls it).  I love this kitchen.

Notice the ceiling below and the view of the "Garden Folly"

And another renovation he did:

I love the way he designed this alcove for the master bed.

Ken, like others I've covered, used to work for Bobby McAlpine.  Another great example of beautiful architecture in the south mixing classical designs with modern interiors.  Hope you enjoyed. You can find more of his work at www.pursleyarchitecture.com.  Don't miss the images of his studio.

A Big Thank You!

Thank you Rhoda at Southern Hospitality blog for the nice feature today on her blog.  She featured the Southern Accents showhouse and had many nice things to say.

If you'd like to see it, go to www.southernhospitalityblog.com

Crazy About Montecito

Of all the places I've traveled to in the United States, Santa Barbara is probably my favorite.  To be more exact, Montecito.  If you can say a city or town has "it", this place definitely does.  With the beach, the mountains, the climate, the architecture, the food.  I just don't think it can get much better.

The times I've been there, I love to drive around to see all the incredible homes and gardens.  Many are very difficult to see from the road because of the enormous walls and most of the homes are set so far from the street.  Last time we were there we dragged the kids to an estate sale just so we could see the property -- the last thing kids want to do on a Spring Break.

Well known interior designer John Saladino's estate is one of these.  Fortunately, C Magazine, did a story on his incredible home (you can also see it in his book).

His Italianate villa was built in 1929 by architect and builder Wallace Frost.  Saladino did an incredible job of remodeling the house that is quintessential Monticeto.

The roof is 18th century Italian handmade terra-cotta tile.  He brought in more than 4,000 trees and shrubs including these incredible 50 year old Italian cypress trees.

The interior is just as amazing as the exterior.  Many of the interior walls are the same stone as the exterior.  The steel windows and doors are incredible.  We are currently building a Mediterranean house in Fort Worth with windows and doors very similar.

I love the urn set into the stone window surround.  The ivy covered wall in perfect.

The dining room, with the (what I believe to be) cypress paneling and ceiling and Italian chandelier is beautiful.

All of the above pictures from C Magazine.

Another well published interior designer, Michael Smith, did an incredible job at the former Pillsbury estate in Montecito -- Las Encintas.  This Portuguese-style house was originally a California Mission Revival house built in the 1890s and is set into the hillside.  It is much different from Saladino's but typical old Montecito.  More formal and crisp.

The tile in the living room and powder bath typical Portuguese and are handmade in Los Angeles.  We are using a very similar tile from the same tile company for a current job.

I love how Smith gave the powder bath a true Period Revival feel.

While I love my city, Montecito is one of those places that is just very difficult to beat.

All of the pictures of Las Encinitas come from Santa Barbara magazine.

Period Revivals in Cowtown

Fort Worth is known as cowtown -- where the west began.  While that puts images into people's minds of horses, cattle, ranches and cowboys (and we do have that) many do not realize the incredible amount of great Period Revival houses in our city.
Throughout Westover Hills, Rivercrest, Park Hill, Colonial Country Club and Mistletoe (along with others) there is some of the finest examples of period revival architecture in the country.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

This fine Norman-Tudor Period Revival was built in 1930 in Westover Hills to be the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's "Home Beautiful".  It is the flagship of Westover Hills and was designed by Victor Marr Curtis.

This Spanish Colonial, also in Westover Hills, is a great example of a Period Revival and part of what makes Westover Hills a beautiful example of a mix of architectural designs.

I am not sure of the year this house was built, but is next door to the Spanish Colonial above and recently went through a major remodel and is beautiful.

This Tudor Revival, built in 1934 and designed by Joseph Patterson, is a home we did a remodel on a few years ago.  In Westover Hills also, it has a beautiful setting.

At the entry to Westover Hills, this home was built in 1936 and also designed by Joseph Patterson.  I love the iron flag flying on top of the turret (which is the staircase).

Set at the back of Rivercrest Country Club, this incredible Mediterranean villa was built in 1916 and designed by David Adler of Chicago.

Although the picture of the house is not great, the entrance to this English estate, built in 1927 and designed by Houston's John Staub, is one of my all time favorites.

Next door to the above English estate is another Tudor that was designed by Dallas' Fooshee and Cheek and built in 1929.  Both of these houses face #15 of Rivercrest Country Club golf course which is the hole that Ben Hogan once said was the worst hole in golf.

I will do more posts on Fort Worth's beautiful examples of Period Revival homes, as this is just a few of the many.

What I Should Have Posted Last Year

I was recently going through my IPhone pictures and came across some that I never posted of the Southern Accents showhouse during construction that I wanted to share with you.

Oak post and brackets on loggia

The stairhall ceiling under construction

The library paneling in Jacobean style

The ceiling of the formal living room

Wood Mode cabinets being installed in the kitchen

The laundry room Ann Sacks concrete tile, before grout

The outdoor kitchen

The deGournay wallpaper in the dining room going up

The staircase under construction.  Our carpenters built every bit of this in place including the hand-turned newel post finials.

The handmade tile in the formal living room fireplace.  From Ann Sacks and made in Maine.

The Thomas Grant chandelier in the formal living room.

I apologize for not posting these earlier.

What A Difference A Year Can Make

I've never posted pictures of my kids, but felt like this was a good time for a couple of reasons.  First, I'm extremely proud of all three of them.  Second, the black and white below was taken by my younger sister, Meggan Duncan, that has started her own photography business.  She is focusing mainly on children and families now.  You can see her work at http://mldphotography.smugmug.com.  Who knows, you may want to hire her.

December 2009

Summer 2008 (at Watercolor, Florida)

Amazing what one year, braces and haircuts do.  It appears personalities don't change much.

My daughter is 15, into cheerleading, friends, music, church.  She's a caring, loving girl who is about as perfect as a 15 year old daughter can be.

My 10 year old is into everything sports: football, baseball, basketball, golf and hunting.  He's a little mischevious, but our helper around the house.

Our 8 year old is following in his brother's footsteps with sports and outdoors and, as you can see from the pictures above, is the silly one of the group keeping us laughing and smiling.

Where It All Began For Me

My first memories of loving houses began as a child.  I cannot remember exactly at what age.  But I do recall my mother dragging me through house after house though.  She loves houses as well.  Her parents lived in this house below in St. Francisville, Louisiana.  I recall swinging on the swing on the front porch, searching the hills behind their house looking for Civil War memorabilia and visiting the plantations throughout that area.  In the summer we would swim in the river.  At the time, I felt like the windows on the front porch were 12' tall.  Every year, St. Francisville holds the Audubon Pilgrimage tour of plantations and homes.  I recall my sisters dressing up in what I thought at the time were ridiculous outfits (and laughing at them) to work at the house during the tour. 

Just down the street from their house is Grace Episcopal Church.  It is a beautiful church with a cemetery.  Both of my grandparents were buried here.  The cemetery was always intriguing to me with all the tombstones and the ages of many who died during the Civil War -- many who were my age at the time of their death.

And a couple of more houses (plantations) from St. Francisville.

It was my parents who introduced me to the architecture of A. Hays Town in Baton Rouge.  His work has been a major influence on my career.  Andres Duany probably said it best: “Without Hays Town, the architecture of Louisiana might well have dissipated into the mainstream. Instead, we have a wonderful thing, a fine tradition alive and well in America.”

One thing Louisianians have is an appreciation for architecture and tradition.

The homes of Baton Rouge are a perfect example of this.

He may have been the first to incorporate reclaimed materials into new houses.  He was a master at this as shown above.  These doors probably came out of New Orleans.

I will be traveling back to Baton Rouge this summer (as I do every year) and will get more pictures of my favorite Louisiana architecture.  There has been a lot of great homes built in the last few years.