The transitional country home

Clients:

THE
TRANSITIONAL
COUNTRY HOME

CONTEMPORARY

The Transitional Country Home is Jesse’s latest work that captures the character and soulful style of the historic manors of the English Countryside. However, he designed this rendition to offer an elegantly fresh-faced reinterpretation that is designed to stand the test of time. Every detail on the exterior was thoughtfully designed and carefully reviewed before being included in the front facade with the intention that each one is a rendition of a common characteristic or feature of historical examples of this style. Everything from the composition of the “T” shaped footprint, to the proportions of the gable walls and prominently sleek masonry details support this effect in composition.

The depth of the lot allowed Jesse to design a long, winding driveway leading to a front courtyard. The courtyard is made possible by the unique footprint he designed to create a sense of the home wrapping around guests in both the front and rear yards.

The garage design was a specific point of interest for Jesse, as he designed them to resemble the stables that were synonymous with historic renditions of this style. The result is a soulful reinterpretation of a classic design style that offers a range of functional modern-day amenities.

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The inclusion of archways is a detail that we don’t often see in Jesse’s work within this stylistic range, though that doesn’t mean that archways were not used as eclectic accents in several renditions of historic English Architecture. In this case, however, Jesse designed them as a far more contemporary feature as a result of their radius for both the front and rear facades. The archways bring a casual sense of informality that is welcoming, a much-needed sentiment in the presence of sharp gable walls, towering chimneys, and a range of noble materials including alabama limestone, slate roofing, and zinc drainage accents.

The rear facade’s design is a reflection of Jesse’s affinity for creating a timelessly updated rendition of an English Country home. However, he approached the rear less formally, evidenced by the inclusion of larger glass openings than the front facade, designed to to take advantage of the views of the gardens, outdoor amenities, auxiliary structures, and the golf course that this prestigiously large property backs onto.

The gardens were designed to add a sense of lush seclusion throughout the grounds. To create this effect, a mixture of hydrangeas, lavender, green hakone grasses, and beech tree accents. In the evenings, he designed an exterior lighting plan that illuminates the outdoor entertaining areas, creating a lush and luxurious setting for spending time with family and friends.

Each of the outdoor amenities, including the pool, tanning beds, covered loggia, pool house, sports court, and green house, was placed and designed based on the initial sun study that Jesse undertook. By determining the position of the sun in relation to the home at different times of day, our team is able to lay out the best location of each amenity based on its highest average time of use. This approach also informs our planting plans, allowing us to place full-sun and low-sun plants in the areas where they will thrive most.

The rear amenity overview is a great example of Jesse’s use of master planning to create a functional design plan connected by a series of auxillary structures he uniquely positioned to achieve a strategic sense of connection throughout the grounds. A great example of this is that the sports court is almost entirely visible from the large kitchen windows as well as from the pool.

More importantly, each of these auxiliary structures were cohesively designed in order to extend a sense of architectural interest to every corner of the property. The result is a sense of design intention no matter where you look.

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The rear courtyard is flanked by the kitchen, living room, and dining rooms. When all of the rear exit archway doors are open, there is a strong sense of indoor-outdoor connection between the spaces. The result is an outdoor entertaining environment that is heavily characterized by the rear facade, an effect that Jesse is well-known for as he believes that architectural significance should be found in every building facade.

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