Weird Houses, etc.

[Rolodex]

We built our current house in 2010 (well, really 2009-10). I have always loved the look of dry stacked stone, so that's what I went for. We used natural stone. The masons were amazing - they just found all the right pieces to stack. They did use mortar, but then used a small stick to scrape out the mortar from the edges so it looks dry stacked. I was in awe watching the men. These were just rock piled in barrels and they put them together like a puzzle and were incredibly fast.

Here's a back corner, but our whole house is stone except for the garage mass.

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[AndyinPA]

Lovely!

[bill_g]

That's very nice rolo. Something to be proud of. Great looking.

[Maybenaut]

Beautiful!

We live in a truly weird house. It was originally a store. Well, first it was a fruit stand, then it was a store.

We’ve tried to make changes so it looks more like a home and less like a strip mall. We’re putting a garage on the main level, and we took out the storefront windows and replaced them with double hung. The columns in front had these trading-post diagonal braces, and we took out all those columns and replaced them with fewer, larger square columns.

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IMG_9656.jpeg (153.04 KiB) Viewed 151 times

[northland10]

We built our current house in 2010 (well, really 2009-10). I have always loved the look of dry stacked stone, so that's what I went for. We used natural stone. The masons were amazing - they just found all the right pieces to stack. They did use mortar, but then used a small stick to scrape out the mortar from the edges so it looks dry stacked. I was in awe watching the men. These were just rock piled in barrels and they put them together like a puzzle and were incredibly fast.

Here's a back corner, but our whole house is stone except for the garage mass.

backcorner.jpg

That is wonderful

[pipistrelle]

But the electrical outlet directly above the sink is a nice touch

The apartments in my building have an outlet above the bathroom sinks. It may seem unsafe but it's convenient...

[Maybenaut]

But the electrical outlet directly above the sink is a nice touch

The apartments in my building have an outlet above the bathroom sinks. It may seem unsafe but it's convenient...

As long as it has a GFI, it’s OK, I think

[bill_g]

Beautiful!

We live in a truly weird house. It was originally a store. Well, first it was a fruit stand, then it was a store.

We’ve tried to make changes so it looks more like a home and less like a strip mall. We’re putting a garage on the main level, and we took out the storefront windows and replaced them with double hung. The columns in front had these trading-post diagonal braces, and we took out all those columns and replaced them with fewer, larger square columns.

► Show Spoiler

IMG_9657.jpeg

IMG_9656.jpeg

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Portland, especially close in Portland where there are some steep hills, people build homes that run down the cliff. At the street level, it looks like a modern 1500sf ranch style home with double garage. No big deal.

Then you step inside and find out it's four stories, all of them stacked on several steel beams that are hammered into the bedrock. Lots of glass on the view side. Two or more floors have cantelever patios with waist high handrails to prevent you from tipping into the 50ft gorge below, and probably into someone elses backyard.

There's a house up there shaped like a 1950's space ship, or like the Seattle Space needle crashed into the side of this mountain. This semi-circular building juts out over open air. The bottom level has the living room with a clear glass floor. Designed and built by an architect of course.

The roads wind like serpents up there. Some of the homes have short wooden or conrete bridges to connect the house to the dirt. They look like driveways at first. Then you realize they have air for a front yard, and their Audi is suspended in space. There are trees everywhere masking the edges.

The neighborhoods are almost magical. Every house is custom. No overall look is trying to be achieved. There will be a tiny fairy tale stone house next to a craftsman next to a square varnished wood and concrete modern home. Someone built a plantation style home. Someone else wanted a fake church with pointy spires and stained glass. It was one of our favorite summertime drives.

Point being - Portland has houses that look just like yours that hug that hill, but give a spectacular view.

[Maybenaut]

Our house is three stories. There’s an upstairs with shed dormers on the back. The main floor, and a basement that runs about half the length of the house.

[Reddog]

But the electrical outlet directly above the sink is a nice touch

The apartments in my building have an outlet above the bathroom sinks. It may seem unsafe but it's convenient...

As long as it has a working GFI, it’s OK, I think

GFCI’s instructions generally specify that they be tested every month. For the one used regularly close to the sink it will be more important.