Friday, November 26, 2010

The Garden Cottage Tudor


This is the Garden Cottage Tudor. This was a charming little project, and my first addition of vegetables to the gardens. The vegetables are done in raised beds, kind of giving them their special identity in the layout. I did a large grouping of sun flowers and then made black eyed Susan plants for the flower beds to move the same distinctive colors through the design. The roses add rich bright tones, and make this a visually happy little cottage.

The small shed piece on the side is for wood drying , or it also had a shelf and could be storage for garden supplies. The side chimney is done in the real stone, also used in other past houses. The texture and the lighter gray color were a better fit for this small cottage than the deeper tone brick. It adds visual weight, but does not burden the light cheerful theme of the house.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Countryside Tudor


This house was adapted from a vintage Dura Craft Tudor kit. This is a nice large house with big rooms for decorating. I changed the profile to feature a front chimney, replaced windows, added windows, and added a second side door. I also lengthened the back roof space, and changed the interior room layouts.

I had a lot of fun playing with the different brick patterns, and balancing stucco, brick and beam areas. The house being so large needed stronger brick placements to give it a more grounded look. Keeping the proportions of the large walls, yet toning down the space to make the house feel inviting and cozy was a challenge.



The garden is done with a pallet of blues and coral/peach, and then I added the golden sunflowers for a punch of yellow to brighten it all up. The rustic cut log fence is open and airy, yet the wood tones act as an extension of the wood beam trim from the house, out to the garden.

The natural textures used on the roof shingles and on the bricks give the house a wonderful earthy and rustic feeling. The stucco also adds another layer of texture as your eyes take in the complete visual of the mixed medias.

The loft with ladder piece is not attached and also fits on the other side of the same wall, so it could be used in either room. It also will fit underneath the staircase in the bottom room. I love being able to change things up and this loft with ladder piece, being a movable piece can inspire many different display ideas and uses for the rooms.