A couple of years ago I took Steve to Las Vegas to see Jerry Seinfeld. Although I am lousy at remembering jokes, there was one joke that stuck with me. Mr. Seinfeld said that the women in his life were always asking him what he was thinking about. He asked the audience if we wanted to know what men are thinking about. I was so excited to finally know the answer to this question, that I am sure most wives like myself have asked their husbands at least a few million times!
Mr. Seinfeld paused and then said, "I'll tell you what men are thinking
about....Nothing!"
Apparently, Jerry Seinfeld has never met Steve. Steve's mind is constantly busy figuring stuff out. In fact, his mind is so full of information that he had to create a web site, called Detailio, in an attempt to store all of this information in one place. This post, written by Steve, is a glimpse into that busy little head of his.
One of the reasons that I built Detailio was to give me a place to look at the elements that make up a certain style of home. Why do some new houses look better than others? What makes a house look more "authentic"? What are the correct doors, windows, roof pitch that make something looking right. What I discovered is that there is a DNA to each style of home.
I first started analyzing Spanish Style homes.
This is a project that was completed a few years ago.
Here are the details that make this house work:
Deep set windows and low pitched tiled roofs are classic Spanish home details.
Three light casement window and doors are another common feature.
Wrought iron details such as the charming Juliet balcony and the entrance gate
are also seen in many Spanish homes.
An overhanging balcony with a turned wood railing
Many Spanish homes have deep set windows with hammered iron trim.
Inside, common details include: wood beamed ceilings, plaster mantles,
iron railing and decorative beams.
In the kitchen, a great plaster hood and another beamed ceiling.
A detail of the plaster hood.
From another house, some of the same elements can be seen:
The Juliet balcony
Deep set doors
Three light windows
Round window with grille
The tile risers on the stairs are very typical of Spanish Style.
Here is the beamed ceiling in the kitchen again, this time with tile inserts and a plaster hood.
Another plaster mantle.
Here are the three light French doors again. You can start to notice common vertical proportions of all of the doors. A double square proportion. The mathematics
of beauty will be the topic of another post.
All of the above images are photographs of my work.
The next images from Detailio are the homes that I studies to figure out the rules of my work. These homes have the same elements, the same compositional rules and the same proportions as my projects.
The Casa del Herrero is a fantastic home in Montecito.
A great courtyard apartment in West Hollywood.
Steve
