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Designed
by Laughing Sun Renovations, this Alabama lake house presented many challenges:
from the inherent shape, to the structural load, to the sweeping circular
stairs, to the desire for lake views. Design could not be rushed and a
full calendar year passed before the design was fully realized. Still,
once construction began on the house, many elements were re-drawn &
re-designed to maximize space considerations and incorporate built-ins
and other unusual elements.
Green Building: As signature of Laughing
Sun since our founding, we strive to create habitable art that leaves
a small footprint on the earth. Much of this new structure was crafted
from salvaged or found house parts headed for the country landfill. The
finish details includes reclaimed heart pine floors from 5 or 6 Atlanta
houses being torn down, reclaimed mahogany entry way doors, 21 reclaimed
old doors and antique hardware, several houses worth millwork literally
headed for the dumpster, Cotton Mill beams that we rescued and re-milled,
rescued medicine cabinets, stair parts including banisters, newel posts,
and treads. We rescued lighting fixtures and hardware from demolished
houses in the Atlanta area, antique plumbing fixtures like the clawfoot
tub, antique sinks, and old stained glass. We found and installed old
beveled leaded glass windows in the basement area. All of the coffered
beams, judges panels, built-ins,
and kitchen cabinetry were custom milled using reclaimed flooring joists
and Cotton Mill flooring. Even the dining room table was milled from salvaged
heart of pine flooring joists from an old Atlanta house being demolished.
Adding to our energy conservation, we installed all Energy Star appliances,
hyper insulated the walls, floors, and attic. We installed eight motorized
windows in the cupola that operate on a remote control and work on the
“chimney effect” which allows the heat to rise and move out
the upper cupola windows. It’s passive cooling at its best. The yard
has been landscaped using zeriscape or ecoscape techniques to battle drought
and conserve water. The forest is maintained at the front of the house
leading to the lake with the buffer of a self-sustaining wild flower meadow
and drought resistant plants and trees planted at the perimeter of the
octagon. When building, we preserved as many trees as possible to shade
the house and maintain the wildlife found within.
Finish details were designed as the house was built. Examples of these
include the judges paneled catwalk, kitchen cabinets and counters, heart
of pine wrapped beams, and imported glass and stone tile. The maste bathroom
was featured in the November 2007 issue of Atlanta
Home Improvement magazine.
Virtual Tour:
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The exterior design was inspired by octagonal architecture, a quirky architectural fad that had a heyday from 1850-1870s and was popularized in Orson Fowler's how-to book, A Home for All. Octagonal houses were built in many Victorian styles-this one combines several including Greek Revival lentils over the windows, Roman Doric columns, Italianate corbels, and the echo of an antebellum staircase. Octagonal houses boast circular views, cupolas that act as natural air conditioners with chimney affects, and low wind resistance in storms. To mimic the traditional look of a frame house, this house was sided with low profile Hardiplank siding, a two tiered wrap around porch, a sun deck, lots of glass French doors, oversized historic fir windows, and a traditional silver metal-seamed roof. The entryway doors, nearly 9 feet tall 1870s era mahogany doors rescued from Philadelphia, were flanked with custom sidelights and stained glass. Also from Philadelphia, 16 massive corbels were restored, and installed under the deep eaves, at each of the house's "corners." |
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With an emphasis on outdoor living, the veranda and decks were a crucial part of this home's personality--approximately 1400 sq. ft. of outdoor porches graces the perimeter of the home. Because of the steep drop on the lake-side portion of the house, historically drawn railings were built and installed. Exposed newels were topped with hipped copper caps. The house boasts a total of 40 Doric columns both inside and out. |
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As you enter through the double mahogany doors, which are nearly 9 ft. in height, the home unfolds before your eyes. A rare octagonal turn of the century pan fixture casts light. Heart pine floors are inlaid with walnut boards, at each break of the octagon's corners, to further reinforce the shape of the house from the interior. Two storage closets flank the sides of the foyer and their antique pine doors are bejeweled with late 1800's bronze & brass Victorian Eastlake door plates and knobs. |
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One of the most challenging design elements of the house was the central staircase. As the nucleus of the home, it needed to be grand, vintage, and have a lot of character. Inspired by the winding stairwells of Southern antebellum homes, the octagon stair design features two walnut newels from an old Thomasville, GA house, century old banisters from two different demolished Birmingham homes, six oak newels from NYC, and over 100 old oak spindles. The major challenge was assembling these salvaged pieces into a cohesive stairway. We had an extremely talented carpenter, who stepped up to the challenge. He milled custom stair treads, risers, stringers from salvaged cotton mill beams, and mitered the banisters into a united piece of art. Like the stair treads, the catwalk's exposed judges paneling and the paneling under the stairs are milled from old cotton mill beams. They have a simple shellac finish and glow with the warmth of time. |
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Opening onto the sprawling first floor, the kitchen allows the chef to gaze out the window to the unfolding lake or to socialize with the guests relaxing in the dining and living rooms. Crafted by the same talented carpenter as the stairway, the kitchen cabinets were designed as simple farmhouse cabinets. The lower cabinets are antique white beaded board with flush inset doors, oiled bronze antique clasps and Victorian bin pulls. The uppers are heart of pine in a simple French country style. Topping the cabinets is a Brazilian soapstone countertop and a farmhouse style Brazilian soapstone sink. A 1910 ornate metal Victorian chandelier mixes with blue art glass pendant lights over the breakfast bar. Stainless steel appliances, a full sized icemaker, and slide in stove add modern convenience to the vintage look. |
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Designing a lakefront octagon home called for touches of whimsy, such as the board & batten siding that can be seen throughout the entire home. The ceiling fans in the living & dining rooms were chosen for their cool industrial look, with a hint of nautical. Quadruple French doors with overhead transoms lead out onto the wraparound veranda. All the door casings, rosettes, and plinth blocks are vintage, salvaged from the New England area, circa late 1800s. They've been stripped of their paint and cut to fit the new openings. All of the heart of pine doors hail from the turn of the century-most were rescued from dumpsters in Atlanta, where they were headed for the landfill. To restore these treasures, they are dipped to remove paint, sanded for approximately 5 hours per side, and then finished with 3 coats of shellac. |
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Baseboards and basecaps are reclaimed Victorian, fancy & fluted, again rescued from their future at a landfill. Coffered beams in the ceiling are milled from salvaged cotton mill beams and align with and echo the walnut accents in the floor, running out to the corners of the house. New Doric columns stand in for structural support, as they have steel rods running down through the middle of the-the home boast 40 columns both inside and out. The living room area
features a built-in,
constructed from re-milled heart pine and faced with vintage Victorian
stained glass doors. In the future, a fireplace with a ventfree
firebox will be installed-the mantel leans against the wall as a
place holder. |
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Quirky angles are a hallmark of octagonal architecture and this house is no exception. This bedroom is far from the usual square or rectangle. Instead, it's a polygon with a sharp corner, loads of French doors and glass, and a coffered beam bisecting the space. The views from this room look out into a copse of hardwoods. A whimsical surfboard ceiling fan pokes fun at the formality of the room. |
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The downstairs bath is an oasis of tranquility. Turkish glass green mosaic tile, crackle subway tile wainscot, vintage reproduction plumbing hardware, and large oversized windows make this a great retreat. The rare Victorian sink and brass gas light are vintage 1870s and hail from Ohio. The rare century-old toilet was saved from NYC and is marked "Standard," the early mark for what is now "American Standard." |
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The upstairs octagonal catwalk circles the downstairs foyer and offers access to all of the upstairs bedrooms. Looking down over the vintage oak banister, you'll see the custom medallion, made by a talented artisan specifically for this house. Like the downstairs, the catwalk is divided up by walnut boards that run out into each angle of this small octagon. Lining the staircase are vintage brass sconces-the stairwell features small electric sconces, while the catwalk features gas fixtures with large globes. Looking up into the interior cupola are eight motorized windows that are controlled via remote control and trimmed out with vintage millwork-the cupola ceiling is 40 ft. from the first floor. |
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This large bedroom offers spectacular vistas of the lake and the convergence of the two rivers. A large walk in closet and an upstairs laundry closet offer up a vast amount of storage. Instead of the reclaimed heart of pine floors, this room features heart fir salvaged from an old North Carolina schoolhouse. |
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The large master bathroom features a rare onyx tiled shower with double shower heads. Onyx is a stone mined from Iran and is like glass in its transparency and is swirled with a multitude of color. A small toilet closet is easily closed off with a vintage pocket door & antique pocket door pulls. A restored clawfooted tub and a 1890s pink granite sink with antique chrome legs grace this bright and airy bathroom. Like much of the house, this bathroom has an odd shaped built in beaded board cabinet with flush inset doors and an antique oak medicine cabinet. |
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Because house's position on the lot (it's a peninsula) and the great height, the upstairs bedrooms all have lake views. The first bedroom, circling the catwalk and facing the country road, looks across neighboring houses to the beautiful lake spanning out and melding into forest. This bedroom has the same large 2 over 1 fir windows and heart of pine doors. An unusual wedge-shaped room, there is a perfect spot for a rocking chair for reading and lake watching. |
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Taking a page from cool colors found in the lake, the Turkish blue glass tile shimmers in this large bathroom. The bath features two built-in beaded board cabinets, a reproduction sink with chrome legs, and a shower with white Thassos marble, accented with 100 year old cobalt fireplace tile, salvaged from an old Victorian. The medicine cabinet was salvaged from an old house and the central light fixture & sconce are both restored antiques. |
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The last bedroom at the end of the catwalk, this room overlooks hardwood trees and a slice of the lake. Reclaimed brass & copper Victorian hardware, an art deco ceiling fan and easy access to the bathroom makes this a wonderful retreat. |
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The dock is crafted of a renewable organic resource: South American ipe. Ipe, also known as Brazilian walnut, has a fire rating of steel, sinks in water, and is nearly impervious to insects and weather. When sealed annually, ipe is a beautiful color, similar to mahogany. This dock reaches 50 feet into the lake for boat docking and diving. At this juncture of the lake, the Little Tallapoosa meets the Tallapoosa River forming the reservoir of Lake Wedowee. |
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The basement, currently stubbed in but unfinished, is slated to become a future game room. There is also framing for a bedroom, a bathroom, and a very large storage area. |
email: paula@laughingsun.com
