Manzanita
We're Building a House
Episode 2: Why do we love certain houses?
When Walt and I are showing homes, we know that our buyers will form an opinion of each house they see in about 30 seconds. There are certain elements that strike a cord with each of us, and warm our hearts. These individual preferences will not be denied. So how do you blend your need for the "enchanted cottage" with your spouse's love of industrial lofts?
In our case, we started collecting pictures out of magazines and putting them into a notebook. "Do you like this?" "What do you think of that?" So it went until we had the definitive "book of consensus" put together. This priceless tome was the first thing that we presented to our architect, Andrew Montgomery of Terraforma.
Andrew has designed some of our favorite homes in Manzanita, Neahkahnie Meadow, and Nehalem Point. We spent a lot of time looking at his work, both completed and in progress. Andrew and his wife Dana work together as a team (a concept that we are very comfortable with). Dana does the interior design details for Andrew. We met with Andrew in his office and at our site. After agreeing that we were all comfortable with the project, we signed a contract for services with Andrew and Dana. Andrew studied our "book" and interviewed Walt, and I started mentally putting furniture into the house which was 90% designed in our mind!
 |
 |
 |
 |
I must digress here to tell you the "The Sun, Moon and Stars" story which has to do with the prerogative of artist and experts. We hire good people to help us because there are some things we don't know diddily-squat about. A few years ago we commissioned Ken Fox of Manzanita (see Artisans Gallery on our website) to make a leaded glass window for our first Neahkahnie home. I described my vision to Ken as a canopy of night with the sun rising and the moon overhead and stars -- lots of stars. Then we awaited the birth of my vision.
When Ken called us to come see the partially finished window, we saw a glorious cross-hatched window at dusk with lush vines draped in the view and a few luminous hummingbirds in just the right place to catch the light. It was truly beautiful, it really worked in the spot that we were placing it, and we loved it. It was not, however, "The Sun, Moon and Stars." Hire good people and then get out of their way!
So, you must see where this is going.