Finding Your Home's Style

Saugatuck, MI

Gothic... the word conjures up images of bleakness, decay, gloom, and often horror... probably because it was often the style of cathedrals, churches, and haunted houses.  It's roots are from the renaissance era and have been evolving since; one's take on Gothic can depend on what you grew up with knowing.  For me, it is a beautiful Episcopalian church in a small town on the shore of Lake Michigan.  It sits a half block from my grandparents house and I remember I always wanted to walk or ride my bike by just to take a look... thinking it looked more like the gingerbread house out of the story of Hansel and Gretal, than a house of worship.  Built and designed in the Carpenter's Gothic style, it fashions gray vertical clapboards, small pointed arched doors and windows.  Surrounded by pines, azalea, and lily of the valley it is truly a beautiful place.

Home, Sweet Home

Why am I rambling on about Gothic architecture?  It turns out that many of the details of my little house have roots in that particular style.  I am not quite sure when they were added, but it has gorgeous fluted woodwork around all the doors and windows, cove moulding in the living room, and small pointed arch cornices on the porch and in all places, the bathroom...which I LOVE!  

Garage, before

Outside is where I really want to incorporate more Gothic elements.   What I really love, is that the garage already has some of these elements to get me started.  In the Gothic Carpenter motif, there are pointed elements as well as vertical clapboard detailing at the top and above the opening... it frames it nicely.  When I moved in, the original door on the garage had to go.  It was in the "carriage house" style and was in such poor condition that the wood had rotted and swelled so much that I couldn't even get them open more than twelve inches.  I ended up installing an aluminum door (which I wasn't thrilled about) that fit into my budget... but what was fun, is it that the windows take a detailed inset within the glass windows.  It allowed me to add a little Gothic style without looking like I was trying too hard and give it a personal finishing touch.  Now, when I stop to take a look at it,  I think it looks like it was built that way and that makes me smile.

Garage, after

There is so much more to do when it comes to future projects... so there will be more to come. Spring is arriving and soon I will be able to get to planning the backyard... incorporating all that I have learned... thanks for following my progress!