The Ansley Paper
17
Before I retire , I want to design
A lthough much to my wife ’ s frequent dismay , I could never design my own primary house – for that , I always want to renovate and live in an old house . But I would really love to design a little cottage or retreat outside the city for our family to get away to . There ’ s so much design flexibility and creativity that can come into play when those boring things like childrens bookbags , mail drops , and garages no longer have to be considered .
Other architects who I ’ d love to collaborate with
A tlanta is full of amazingly talented architects and designers , many of whom I ’ m fortunate to also call friends . Norman Askins , Robert Norris , and all the folks at Historical Concepts are among my favorites - I love everything they do ! I love working with interior designers and landscape architects , too , and a few of my favorite local interior design talents are Mallory Mathison , Courtney Giles , and Margaret Kirkland , Mary McWilliams , and Barbara Westbrook . And I love working with John Howard , the team at Land Plus , and the team at Bellwether for landscape . Those close design collaborations are among my favorite parts of my job , and the very best projects are the result of those collaborations .
My favorite architectural style
I
’ m always drawn to Georgian Houses - Those dressy , red-bricked , boxy homes , especially those found in Virginia . There ’ s something about their geometric rigor and formality that speaks to me , and inspires my love of long axes and symmetry in houses I design . The Neel Reid at the corner of Andrew and Cherokee is quite possibly my favorite house on the planet ! A close second would be Regency – although it ’ s not a style I work in often at all , I just love the mix of simplicity of form and richness of detail . And I think Shutze did it so well . My favorite Shutze house is the one he designed for the English family on West Paces Ferry , which was most recently owned by Anne Cox Chambers . Those red recessed niches beneath the front porch are iconic !
Artwork from this artist has always moved me
Atlanta ’ s art scene is so impressive , and the list of local artists who inspire me is vast . I love abstract art because it ’ s so different from the order and structure of traditional architecture that I work in every day . Erin Gregory and Brian Coleman are wonderful , and I think Laura Deems and Monteigne Mathison ’ s use of color is ispiring . It ’ s also hard not to be impressed by the iconic portraiture of Steve Penley and Charlie Hanovich !
I love Elvis because
T here ’ s just so much to the Elvis story that inspires and moves me . It ’ s more than just music for me , it ’ s the immeasurable impact created by a shy , humble , Mississippi country boy , who followed his dreams to make his mama proud , and in doing so became the biggest cultural phenomenon we may we ever know . His humility , legendary generosity , and innovation in his field , and ultimately his frailty , vulnerability and tragic victimhood to his fame make him both iconic and authentic . He epitomizes the American Dream in all its glory and tragedy . I also think that a visit to Graceland should be on everyone ’ s bucket
list . Aside from being hallowed ground to Elvis and his fans , it ’ s also a wonderful 1930s house that was actually really well done ! And like every great house , it fully and completely embodies its owner .
The one city I want to visit as soon as the Pandemic is over
Travel is so crucial to expanding ones design perspective , and so many lessons about scale and proportion and details just can ’ t be learned without physical experience . I ’ m so ready to get back to Italy . Florence and Rome are hands down my favorite cities in the world - it ’ s like walking through textbooks from my favorite Architecture History courses at Georgia Tech . In Florence , Michelangelo ’ s Medici burial chambers are very near perfection , and I highly recommend getting off the beaten path a bit in Rome and visiting Bramante ’ s Tempietto , or “ Little Temple ”, whose proportions are so perfect they are almost moving . Here in the states , I always have a soft spot for Nantucket and Cape Cod . The sense of Americana there is palpable – American flags and hydrangeas are always a winning combination ! There ’ s very little in the way of an “ original ” American architecture , but the Shingle Style that is so prevalent there is about as close as we get to a true American original .