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Posted by Kami Kat on December 27, 2007, 7:38 pm
>
>> On 27 Dec 2007, Kami wrote
>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Kami Kitty wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I need an expert. Or semi-expert. Consensus maybe?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Quirky Remuddled Buncottage"
>>>>
>>>> "Remuddled" is a definition term first coined by the Old House
>>>> Journal in its premier year. I cannot remember the author of
>>>> the term (or it may have been consensus of the entire editorial
>>>> staff. It is one of those terms that has genesis in common
>>>> sense and was coined by many people, but the Old House Journal
>>>> is famous for having popularized contests in having the best of
>>>> remuddling end pictorially in its issues. In this case, the
>>>> house may never have been remuddled at all - It may have been
>>>> designed as we see it, and only appears as if someone put
>>>> siding over the front of the oversized dormers in what would
>>>> otherwise have been a "Cape Cod" and then added "interest" by
>>>> placing single double hung windows off center in each.
>>>> Buncottage is a term I coined for use in my discussions of the
>>>> throwing together the worst nostalgic elements of cottage
>>>> architecture in an inauthentic way, an elision of the terms
>>>> bunco with the word cottage. Cottage as a term is embracing
>>>> a large range of design options but usually denotes something
>>>> livable and family oriented in size, not ostentatious and
>>>> large. This is not a modern buncottage as the double car
>>>> garage is not the prominant frontal element, but recessed,
>>>> rambler style, from the front facade. Another surprising
>>>> askew elements is the proportionally thin Victorian turned
>>>> carved porch posts used to hold the entrance dormer which is
>>>> the same size and shape as the oversized roof dormers.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Interesting analysis. I agree that the spindly little post not
>>> only fail to add anything, but detract from it. I was thinking
>>> in some way it maybe wanted to be a little bit tudor, but got
>>> fearful of trying post and beam.
>>
>> -snip-
>>
>>> So what do you really think it was TRYING to be? Cape Cod?
>>> With brick?
>>
>> I think the problem is that whoever built the poor benighted
>> thing basically didn't have much idea of what stylistic elements
>> are supposed to go with what style (let alone any sense of
>> proportion or balance).
>>
>> So trying to get into their mind to put a stylistic label on it
>> is a bit futile -- I don't think it really knew or knows what
>> it's trying to be, other than a bit of this and a bit of that.
>> The only ones that fit are humorous or derogatory -- the
>> suggested "remuddled" or "Cape Cobbled" work for me.
>>
>> As the others have said, it's actually quite painful and sad to
>> look at. (I even hate the brick they've used.)
>
>
> These sort of houses have become rather common, I call them
> 'Builder Warehouse Homes'.
> I currently live in one though its not as bad as this one.
> Its starts off with a cheap builders idea centered on the word
> *cheap*. Cheap, cheap, cheap.
> Builders always have stuff left over from previous jobs that they
> store in a warehouse, when the warehouse gets full, or the
> builders checkbook gets empty or both, he yanks all that stuff out
> and builds a house, with the full knowledge that todays home buyer
> is largely ignorant and or apathetic to anything farther down the
> road than a 30 second sprint. These homes are plagued with many
> problems from the very beginning and even though the buyer thinks
> he's getting a good deal money wise he is really dealing with an
> adjustable payment plan. Low down payment and low monthly payments
> and then regular payments through constant upgrades and repairs.
> There is never peace of mind in these homes and the owners are
> kept in a continuous state of readiness, despair and broke.
> Whats gonna happen next?
> The smart person, upon pulling up in the driveway under the
> auspice of potentially buying it, would back out onto the street,
> cut the wheel 90 degrees, move forward slightly, light and throw
> the molatov right through the front window and leave about 200' of
> flaming rubber fishtailing down the strasse'.
>
> I'll just go ahead and presume the floorplan is as unworkable as
> the front elevation is hideous.
>
I'm torn between "not really" and "kinda." It's claustrophobic when
you walk in because there's an opening to the left which is the
stairway and it's a solid wall up, no progression with the stair to
keep it open. And there's an opening on the right into the
living/dining. That wall is solid until it end at the kitch/family.
I would be SO tempting to really open it up assuming it's not load-
bearing all the way down. Tempting to carve out some of the
stairway wall, too.
Can you tell this house intrigued me?
On the left farther down is a door to a bedroom. On the right and
left just inside are closets. Why the one closet isn't accessible
from the hall as a coat closet is beyond me. Then there's a BIG
pantry, and the kitchen/family.
The weird thing is, the downstairs bedroom shares a three-quarter
bath with the family room. Jack-and-Jill. I would think you'd want
a powder room accessible WITHOUT going through the bedroom or family
room because you're supposed to be able to let those be messy while
you have the "good" guests in the living area. Who wants to give
them a tour!
Upstairs does not have a clear master. The room are identical, but
reverse, with a Jack-and-Jill full bath in between. I really don't
know if it was always like that or just ill-conceived. I think
that's why he can't sell it.
Also, thinking of what you said, he has these huge Hunter ceiling
fans throughout where the ceiling height doesn't support it.
Decapitation in the waiting. He also has a monster chandelier in
the dining area that I can bonk into at a mere 5'2". Granted,
there's supposed to be a table there, but one can't help but wonder
if he just got a bargain and wanted to make them "selling points."
Just a thought.
--
Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different
enough. -- Arthur Freed
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