Square One: Good Home Design Starts Here

Design snapshot: A roof-type reverie

comments (0) August 23rd, 2012 in Blogs

Katie Hutchison, Contributor

Photo: Katie Hutchison

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I'm partial to hipped gables. My parents' bungalow has them and so, too, does this c. 1890 work-building-turned-pottery-studio. Hipped gables typically reduce the apparent height of end walls, keeping them from towering over passersby. They lend an intimate scale, and the hip, which is almost forehead-like, helps suggest a familiar and friendly countenance. Surely, whoever created the plaque to the left of the entrance was familiar with the truncated profile's appeal. Chamfered-edge shingles (which also recall the end-wall profile) above the door-head trim, and barn-style doors with integral windows, along with a complementary-color paint palette add to this building's charm. If a small child were to emerge from within and pause between the flag and hydrant, this slice of Americana might be worthy of Norman Rockwell.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast and Square One

Read more design snapshots by architect Katie Hutchison.

posted in: Blogs, architecture, Design, Design snapshot, hipped gable

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