Contemporary english country

Clients:

CONTEMPORARY
ENGLISH
COUNTRY

CONTEMPORARY

The Contemporary English Country home was designed by Jesse to capture the classic charming character of the English Countryside through a fresh-lens. In form, this home offers a sense of unique traditional splendor, much of which is achieved through the proportions, masonry details, and landscape design plans. However, this is certainly a more outwardly contemporary rendition of this design style in the grand scheme of his design catalog.

A picture is worth a thousand words, a saying that we believe cheekily applies here when trying to accurately describe the ethos and character Jesse captured within this design plan. Walking a fine line between proportions that are identifiably traditional, and detailing that is mildly contemporary, there isn’t one single feature that you can point out upon your initial visual review that is easily categorized. However, the sum of the parts is greater than their individual value in this context. The result is a home that can only be observed as a whole, as each component, proportion, material, and exterior detail works together to create a cohesive body of work.

The masonry detailing was a specific point of interest for Jesse, as he used it to suavely blend the traditional and contemporary design styles. A few notable features in this category include swooping buttress gable ends, unique keystone proportions, bay window side-wall sashes, and delightful stepped chimney proportions. In addition to this, the curved masonry railings of the front porch and stepped gable wall details work together harmoniously to offer a nod to the traditional masonry styles from which this home was inspired.

To soften the traditional detailing, Jesse included a center gable proportion that creates clean lines above the contemporary rendition of a bay window. Why the structure reads as contemporary upon your initial visual review is hard to say. Maybe it’s the proportion of the gable, the fact that it looks like it is almost floating above the bay window, or is it because the bay window looks like it was chiseled out from the massing below the gable? The answer is all of this. The side gable walls were designed to look as if they were “peeled back”, revealing the zinc window spandrels that replace the common brick posts synonymous with this design style. Similarly, the shed dormer window above the front door was designed to add to this sentiment through the use of this same zinc cladding. We love this material because it will have an ever-changing patina as the home ages.

The front door and driveway are also notable exterior details to us, as Jesse drew on the use of swooping curved front railings that connect into the dramatic proportions of the gable wall masonry details that flank it. The door’s wood tone and classic wooden header serve as a nod to historical renditions of this design style where timber would have been used to support masonry. The door looks onto the circular driveway courtyard that is lined with lush gardens, creating an inviting entrance for guests.

When it came to the landscape design approach for this sprawling private residence, Jesse drew on the inspiration from famous landscape designer Gertrude Jekyll. With this in mind, he created elaborately layered English gardens that flow throughout the grounds. The result is that these gardens frame the home’s proportions, highlighting them while adding a sense of softness and lush charm. As a result, these gardens play an integral role in the creation of a sense of intentional design no matter where you stand throughout the grounds.

The plant species were chosen and layered based on their sun exposure needs, with each serving to either frame the proportions of the home, or to offer visual interest.