Rustic Ceiling Beams: Old World Ceiling Design

Greetings to everyone!

 

How the time keeps flying by!  Like so many others that I have read, these last few weeks have been so busy its been hard to find time to visit all of my favorite blogs regularly.  Here's hoping that things start to return to normal this week.

 

 

When we met with our builder this week we discussed  rustic beams that will be installed throughout the house.  As of right now there will be beams in the master suite, the kitchen, and the dining room.  Today's post showcases an array of old world style beams.  Hope you enjoy.   We would love to hear which is your favorite?

 

 

 

BEAM 1

 

This beam system is actually functional, holding up the entire ceiling.  It is also a photograph that we took while visiting a Jack Arnold home in Colorado.  These beams were located in the master bedroom and are being considered for ours as well.  The hip roof in the Master suite allows for a unique layout.  Also notice the added detail of the iron turnbuckles.

 

 

 

 

BEAM 2

 

This is the Kitchen from Jack Arnold's home.  For all of the long time followers, you might recall that we found this inspirational kitchen at http://thingsthatinspire.net and http://www.theenchantedhome.blogspot.com (thanks Holly and Tina!) a few years ago.  We loved it so much that it lead to our using Jack Arnold as our architect.  We love the large rustic beams which appear to be supporting the smaller beams in this kitchen ceiling.

 Jack Arnold Homes of Elegance can be found HERE.

 

 

BEAM 3

 

Similar to Jack Arnold's kitchen, the larger beams appear to be supporting smaller floor beams.  This kitchen also has a small cooking fireplace with a wood beam mantel.  It also comes complete with pizza oven.  What a gorgeous space with the blue cabinetry.

Period Architecture LTD. 

 

 

BEAM 4

 

Yes I realize this is not in the ceiling, but this rustic beam mantel over the fireplace would look great with matching ceiling beams.

BEAM 5

 

These wood beams show every mark made by the ax as it was hand hewed. Old world, rustic, and amazing to think that these were once milled by hand for every structure.

Traditional Home 

 

 

 BEAM 6

 

Another fine example of hand hewed beam detail.

BEAM 7

 

These truss beams have been fabricated for a scenario similar to ours.  The beam is designed not only to look amazing, but to be functional as well.  These beams will actually hold up the ceiling and be tied into the frame of the house.  Notice again all of the hand hewed details and the addition of turnbuckles for strength.

Vermont Timber Works 

 

BEAM 8

 

This wood beam design also appears to be supporting plank wood floors from above.  This is a great combination and brings so much detail to a space.

Michigan Design 

 

 

BEAM 9

 

This beam system also appears to hold a plank wood ceiling.  More importantly on this photograph you can see the detail of the wood pegs used to tie authentic beams together.  Simple details that can be added to any faux (box) beam for a more authentic appearance.

BEAM 10

 

Many of you can probably identify this kitchen really quick.  Yes it belongs to Tina of The Enchanted Home.  Head over to Tina's to see the construction and design of her beautiful home.  We actually took this photograph to our architect and builder and said "see these, make these beams happen in our kitchen."  So we owe a big thanks to Tina!  Her cute Teddy also made this photograph.  Is he looking for something to eat?

 

 

 

BEAM 11

 

These rustic ceiling beams blend in beautifully to the entire space.  From the rustic stone wall to the limestone fireplace mantel.  I would love to sit down and enjoy those glasses of wine!



 

 

BEAM 12

 

Again I love to see the hand made details in a rustic hewed wood beam.

BEAM 13

 

This ceiling left the entire beam in tact so that it appears more like a log beam ceiling.  It has a more rustic lodge look in my opinion.  Very similar to the Jack Arnold design above in concept.

BEAM 14

 

Another take on a wood beam truss system.  This one is minus the turnbuckles but also gives a more open feel to this kitchen.  The lanterns have been perfectly placed to fall down through the beams.



 

 

 

We also want to start sharing more of our life around the house.  Since so many fellow bloggers share great food ideas, we thought we would share one of our typical outdoor summertime weekday dinners.  An arrangement of fresh veggies and herbs from our gardens, some roasted chicken, and fresh fruits and chocolates to finish.  We will do a few variations of this every week.  So easy, quick, and delicious. 

 

To wrap up today, thanks again to all of you that continue to add us to your blog lists!!  It is amazing to us how busy this site is becoming and just how many emails and suggestions we receive!!  We are having a blast because of all of you.  We hope to see you back here again for our next post in a few days.  Have a great week!

 

Tonya and Rob



Our Jack Arnold Home Floor Plan: Old World Romantic Gascony Design

Hello everyone!  Hope you're having a fantastic day.

Due to a number of emails and comments; we want to share a little more about the home we will be building and sharing with you in future posts.

Up until about two years ago we had never heard of Jack Arnold. It was only because of a fellow blogger that we encountered photographs showing some of his homes.  When researching his work we found not only an experienced architect, but one that matched our architectural design style.

Here is a sneak preview of our Gascony floor plan designed by Jack Arnold.  While we would love to show you ever page, and there are a lot of them, this is all we can show from the actual prints.  Don't worry because we will share the entire home being built from start to finish here on our blog.

After we made the decision to build a Jack Arnold Home, the first step was ordering the Jack Arnold Homes of Elegance portfolio's.  They have four different style portfolios available for purchase. We purchased three :

1. Old World Romantics
2. French Country Classics
3. Cottages

Each portfolio comes with a booklet discussing its architectural style.  It also shows photographs of homes built from their plans.  Each portfolio contains several sample floor plans with estimated room sizes.  All of the plans in each portfolio are amazing.  It was a little like the three bears though; some of the plans were just way to big and some of the plans (especially in the cottages) were way to small for our needs.

The portfolios really helped in identifying our style of home.  After discussing our ideas and concerns with Mr. Arnold's team, they emailed us several more floor plan concepts not included in the original portfolios.  What they sent hit the nail on the head.

After several conversations and a cross country trip to tour a home that Jack designed, we ordered our plans.  Two weeks later this box showed up on our doorstep!! We couldn't be happier with our customized Gascony floor plan.

Included were two full sets of prints, a mini set of prints that my husband carries at all time, and a vellum for reproduction. 

We have identified design changes to suit our needs, while our builder has also made his list of necessary changes to comply with Indiana building codes.  Once our list in finalized we will send it back to Jack's team for modifications.

There are many details to share in future posts, but again we wanted to give you a preview.  We hope that everyone will enjoy following our project.

If you want more information on Jack Arnold or his portfolio collection(s), you can visit his website HERE.

Please send us an EMAIL if you have questions on our experience with Jack Arnolds team.

Wishing everyone a great day!

- Tonya and Rob

French Home Exteriors: French Doors and Exteriors on Chicago's "Most Expensive" Block

Good morning everyone!  Rob here posting this week as Tonya has been busy packing some non-essential items in preparation for the move.  You will see more regular posts from me as construction begins on our home in the coming months.  My posts will focus a great deal on architectural design and will feature many photographs and videos of the home being built from start to finish.  We anticipate this being a fantastic experience and look forward to sharing and learning with all of you.

One of my closest friend since childhood moved to Chicago after we both finished college.  We usually meet up with him during all of our visits to the city.  This past weekend he had a specific street he wanted to show us that is filled with inspiration for French style home exteriors.  In fact not only is this street French / European inspired, it has been called "The Most Expensive Block" in Chicago.  Most homes take up 2 or 3 Chicago lots with the crown jewel of the street taking up 7 city lots.

Today's photos take you for a walk down North Burling Street in Chicago. There is some great architecture here.

This home caught our eye right away with the black french doors and glass transoms.  The windows also trimmed in black, tie the entire look together.  Cast stone or limestone is something you see on many French and European style homes.  The black window boxes add a great touch to many of these homes, complete with automated watering.  Can't help but notice the two boxwood planters on both sides of the double staircase.

A boxwood boarder is not something you see often in Chicago.  For any of you that have walked around the city, the space between the sidewalk and street usually consists of grass that has been half killed off by our four legged friends.  To see manicured boxwood's with an irrigation system in this space is the exception and not the rule on the streets of Chicago.

While I am not a fan of glass around a door, I could live with this on the second story as it is shown.  The iron Romeo and Juliet balcony is very similar to one that will appear above the front door of our future home.  The interior has to be a great space with all of that natural light coming in from the sides and transom windows.

This home has more of an Italian feel than French.  For me it is the lack of iron railings in front of the doors and windows which has been replaced with cast stone spindle's.  It could, however, pass off for a French Riviera style home.  The red terracotta roof tiles really add a punch of character.

This doorway enters the patio space at the home above.  There are so many different things going on with this door I am not sure what to call it?  I think I will just stick with European because I feel some French, Italian, and Spanish influences here.  I think this is one of the most creative ways of installing a light fixture over an exterior door.  The cast columns are just amazing.

Now to the crown jewel of the street.  From what we have researched, this home is over 27,000 square feet covering four floors.  It sits on seven city lots and is estimated to have cost over $40M to build.  The land alone is worth over $10M.

This is the side garden view leading back to the iron gazebo.  I hope to find a similar one to place in our backyard (the gazebo not the house).  Thankfully the cameras didn't catch me reaching up over the iron fence to snap this shot.

The other side of what is perhaps one of Chicago's greatest mansions. Notice the second story patio space above what is the four car garage. I really like the shape of the black iron gate.  They also used crushed black stone for their driveway and courtyard.The entire space is trimmed with pavers.  Everything was executed well at this home.

The neighbors place is not to shabby either.  This home has a beautiful wood gate has been stained black.  I think it adds a touch of elegance.  The roof line of this home is also very French.  For those of you familiar with Chicago, the Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Elysian) in Chicago has the same style of roof line.  I bet that roof deck is a fun place to hang out in the summer!

I really like the limestone / cast stone on the front of this home.  It has a more Roman style arch (as one reader has pointed out) over the center french doors.  I am starting to find that I really like small round, oval, and square windows.  If you want to see a great small window, check out Tina's bathroom at theenchantedhome.blogspot.com .  These unique windows always get my attention.

Again, more great black trimmed french doors and windows.  This transom / door glass is a unique combination as the door has the 1/4 arch and the window is also arched to match the door, but also squares off at the top to match the windows above.  Really like this look.

Of course we had to get a shot of the two of us outside the streets main attraction.  Only wish we could see what it looked like on the inside.

House Update:  Our working plans from Jack Arnold should arrive tomorrow.  There are some additional changes that we already know need to be made, but we are getting closer.  We hope you sign up to follow along as we share our building experience with you.

Wishing everyone a great day!

-Rob (and Tonya)

French Style Landscaping: Using Terracotta Planters

I must say I didn't always love terracotta pots.  Then at some point it was like a light switch flipped and every planter needed to be replaced with terracotta.  They should be, they provide many benefits over plastic containers. For example:

1) Terracotta is porous, making it nearly impossible to overwater your plants.  Plastic containers hold in water.  Terracotta allows for water to move through the clay and evaporate.

2) This evaporation is good for the roots, as it allows for cooling just as if the plant were in the ground.  The plant roots can breathe.

This home was designed by Jack Arnold of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  His home designs are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  Like great architects, he too knows its all in the details.  These little details, like the perfectly placed terracotta pots, work together with other elements to give an amazing feel to the space.  As you might already know from previous posts, the home we will be building and featuring on this blog was designed by Jack Arnold.  It should be fun to see one of his homes built from start to finish.

How interesting is this terracotta factory?  There are so many shapes and sizes of terracotta to choose from! I feel most people just think of using terracotta for planters, but terracotta has been used for thousands of years to create sculptures, tiles, and bricks to name a few.

These terracotta pots really do their job of taking your eye right to the wood door.  I like how they use trees to add height to the space.

This terracotta pig is just too neat.  I want one!

The classic terracotta pot with boxwood ball.  Very French / European.

Residents of this town really believe in the use of terracotta roof tiles!  They should, they last for many many years, and are very tolerate to the environment.

This French designed home has a great couryard.  There appears to be no landscaping in the front other than the terracotta planters.  In addition to the planters, this house really has it going on.  A beautiful stone exterior home, with light blue shutters that are functional.  I also like the small oval window on the second floor, as well as the large square window with copper roof.  I can only assume this large window is in front of a gorgeous staircase.

Another traditional use of terracotta, but in a round ball planter.

Terracotta is a great material to use for your planters, so get out there and start planting!  As always, hope you continue to follow along as we build and share our French Inspired Home designed by Jack Arnold.

Hope your day makes you smile!

-Rob and Tonya

Home Inspiration from Gascony, France

Happy Monday morning!  I hope that everyone had a great weekend.  It was college graduation weekend here in Indiana, and with the addition of Mothers Day there was not much time left for blogging.  I will do my best to record the videos I promised last week that show how we water all of our potted plants without ever picking up a watering can all summer long!

For today, I want to share where we got the inspiration for the exterior architecture of our future home.  For those of you that have been to Gascony, France; we are jealous.  We really never set out searching for a Gascony style design, but rather started looking for French influenced homes in books and online.  After about a year my wife and I noticed that many of the homes we liked gravitated towards the same style of architecture.  By chance, we stumbled upon a French real estate website that had their listings divided up by regions of France.  After thumbing through Gascony we determined that this was the region that gave influence to the style of homes that captured our interest. 

Today’s photographs are of homes in the Gascony region of France.  It’s so beautiful that some days we think we should just pack it all up and move there instead of recreating it here!  Please share your thoughts or email us photographs if you have a great Gascony inspired home.

Great combination of color on this home.  The touches of blue on the shutters and potted plants make the exterior of this home come alive. 



Gascony homes tend to have lots of arches and exterior doors.  Functional shutters are also one of the staple design elements. I point out functional because that seems to be overlooked in the USA.

Again, more shutters, arches, and exterior doors.

This photograph reinforces our last post on the use of potted plants in French landscape. Trees look wonderful in pots, especially ornimental.  Bring a pop of pink cherry blossoms to your front door in the spring with potted trees. 

This home is very much a traditional Gascony home design.  Centrally located front door with symetrical windows flanking both sides.  A Romeo and Juliet balcony just above the front entry adds character to the front eleveation.

This is the back of the home featured above.

The back of this home has a great pool.  Many of the homes in the region appear to have pools.  This courtyard would be great for entertaining (and keeping potted plants as you can see).

Another Gascony home.

This last home actually came from Normandy but has great elements also found in Gascony.  We kept this picture in our inspiration file because the exterior materials change from stucco to brick.  Changing materials gives the appearance of age through a home addition even though it may be new construction.  A great way to change up the exterior of the home and add more character.

Hope you all enjoyed the photographs!

Rob