This renovation may not please all tastes

It's the new Inkaholics on Piedmont at Cheshire Bridge. At Inkaholics you can get a drink, a tattoo, and a haircut.


It's an old bank on a very prominent place atop a hill. You know where.


Several banks then a few a real estate offices made a home there. The style was so familiar it rarely caught the eye. This screams "branch bank."


They painted the brick blue, the trim red and marbleized the columns. It still screams something but not "branch bank."


Now I can see it again.

I don't think they are entirely finished or entirely open. I'll report.

How to Enter a Pink Castle

It strives to delight and lift our spirits, not to intimidate. May I show you in via my 30-second video?

There is no trouble finding the rose door. It's the clearest of the pinks and reds from the tile, faded walls, and gravel. Isn't the color of the door perfect? Can you imagine another color?


There is another door, the service door done as a window. See the steps in the corner?


The foyer bumps out. It's plain and human sized, more comfortable than I expected. Little hedges and lanterns guide us to a perfect landing. We might have to make a dash during a rain.


No athletic step climbing is required. It's perfectly sized for families. Ladies in heels might need some gravel practice: I notice some "interesting" lady strides as we crunch toward the door. The left window lights the ladies room, the right lights the men's.


Time to go into the surprisingly cozy foyer.


Mind if I quote "Pattern 130. ENTRANCE ROOM?"

When hosts and guests are saying goodbye, the lack of a clearly marked "goodbye" point can easily lead to endless "Well, we really must be going now,?' and then further conversations lingering on, over and over again."

It's been 6 days and I'm not over it, not over my visit to the Pink Castle. I wrote about the angel & urns and about the garage.

Garage to die for at the Pink Castle

I've fallen for the Pink Castle - Tryggversson (1919-23), built for Andrew Calhoun - and I can't get up. There is so much "there" there I'm taking little bites. Yesterday it was a bit about urns and angles. Today the garage.

Listen: I'm a guy; I like garages. Let me show you the best I've ever seen. This is the house.
In the top picture the garage is on the right; in the bottom the garage is to the left connected to the main house by a gallery with 3 big arches. The arches form a breezeway on the north, kitchen and service entrance on the south.

From Pine Stream you can barely see the mansion edge on, just the driveway and the garage. And it's looking good for an 88 year-old.

Blind arches, columns (or pilasters), shutters, crooked lantern, herringbone doors, tile roof, patina galore, greens with pinks - a theme throughout house. I'm starting to get emotional.


I think somebody lives upstairs, lucky them. See how tall the garage doors are, how much taller than the min-van? Yeah baby. See the double shutters in the middle window, the half open door? These aren't automatic doors, fake decorative carriage doors.

The space inside is worthy of a small wedding or wedding reception. I didn't take a picture - too personal.

Here is the breezeway looking from the garage toward the little pink dining room, looking west back towards the main house. The 3 big arches from the painting are on the right.


Here is the breezeway looking from the pink dining room east towards the garage. You can just see the arches on the left. You'll also notice the stairs. The garage is on higher ground than the main floor of the house, making it look very grand as you can see from the painting.


See?


The other side of the breezeway wing houses the kitchen, the service entrance, and service courtyard. In the top painting you can see a great gateway between the main house and the garage. This is where you bring in the groceries. Not bad, huh?


I'm looking out of the kitchen door towards the garage into the service courtyard. The steps lead to the garage. What mansion doesn't have a greenhouse and storage for cut flowers?


Here is my 38 second HD video. The last scene is from the Pink Dining room into the breezeway towards the garage.


I'm in love.

They've painted the tear-down BUT..

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan!

Remember? Do you have an opinion on the paint colors?


Remember the tests? Even in person the eye plays tricks. You can't really know from tests.


The paint is up now. My pictures can't capture the color. The sun, the shade, the clouds, the time of day change everything.


It's coolish in some light. Less contrast between wall and trim than I expected. I'm happy with the contrast.


The panel sections are darker than the trim. They are knockouts!


This is the northeast corner, nearly always in the shade. The stone faces north. The walls have a greenish tinge in this light.


In overcast skys it's another color altogether and doesn't seem to pick up the stone.


The colors fade to shades of gray at twilight. The shades matter just as much. There must be some color theory about dusk.


So what is the BUT?

They've chosen another color and will repaint the walls.

Lighter, darker, warmer, cooler ??????

I'll let you know.

Thanks,
Terry

Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Teardown Paint Tests

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan!

Remember? Do you have an opinion on the paint colors?


They are testing exterior paint colors. I have my own opinions but I'd want many tests and as many professional opinions as possible. My pictures don't show the true colors. You have to present to win.


They've almost finished the stonework. The paint must compliment the stone and make it pop. There are plenty of colors to work with in the stone.


The stone massing is quite shapely don't you think? I call it "Auburn School." (See this from McAlpine Tankersly or this from Dungan Nequette or this from Ruard Veltman or this from Summerour.)

It's asymmetrical but balanced: Height to the left. Low bulk to the right. The curved buttresses at the top of the stairs and right foundation visually support the mass, compensate for the missing bulk of the alcove where the garage doors will be recessed.


They've been test colors for more than a week. Testing siding and trim, in the sun and the shade. In this picture there are 3 siding colors and at least 2 trim colors. The muntins are in their final color.


The tests have a trend: The walls get darker as the trim gets lighter, less contrast between wall and trim, more contrast between wall and stone.





Of course, it needs to make it neighbors look great too.


I don't like calling this a tear-down any more.

Thanks so much.

Terry

Here is the whole project from the beginning.


Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

The grout changed everything.

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan!

Remember?




Well, they've put up most of the stone. Here is the look before the grout. The architect/builder, Bob DeFiore from Portico, told me they we going to use buff colored grout to lighten it up.


They added the grout. Here it is before it dried. Not very light.


Then it dried.


The next colossal change will be paint. Bob said the paint will be in tones that match the buff of the stone. The window muntons will be the bronze color you see in the pictures. the window and door trim and the panel - I don't know yet.

Stay tuned to Metamorphosis Monday.

Thanks,
Terry

Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.


P.S. Here is the whole project so far:

Artists: 2009 Telephone Factory Art Show Atlanta

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan! This used to be a telephone factory and it was built to last. Now it's an art, design, and coolness factory. Once a year we get a look inside. Design fans, you'll want to see the a few pictures of a French style collection in the postscript.

Fun art...


In this beautiful industrial building:


In lofts like this:


I did the Telephone Factory Art Show on Sunday. (I did the Fulton Cotton and Bag Mill tour on Saturday). Mark your calendar for next year: First weekend in December, great loft buildings, great lofts, great art, great people, great time.

Demone Phelps


Bradley Wade




By Matthew Mayes: end of hall Zen View


Matthew Mayes:


Artist / photographer Susan Poindexter showed photographs printed on a variety of fabrics. Recognize Rhodes Hall?


by Susan Poindexter:


By Mary Klein, a founder of the Telephone Factory Art Show


Alex Leopold


by Alex Leopold


Clay artist Gwen Fryar


by Gwen Fryar


Clay artist Lori Buff


Sir Fred Gear and his polar bear band


Jennifer Henley


by Jennifer Henley


Thanks so much.
Terry

P.S. A few design pix from Caryn Grossman - cg creative interiors to compliment Claire Watkins Interior Design's High Gloss Blue post. You need to click the pictures and make them bigger so you can see the details.











Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.