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Site Plan
Materials and furnishings
In the Arts and Crafts movement, material expression remained a major approach to design. Consistent with this philosophy, at Homewood, Edwin specified white-washed plaster, wood and brick, allowing the simplicity of the materials to shine through and enhance the space through contrast. Of color, Lutyens suggested that: “Black is conductive to magnificence. It gives life to white molding.”
Lighting
With natural light as his main light source, Lutyens took advantage of this source in all rooms but the drawing room.
Spatial Adjacencies
Typical for Lutyens’ houses, the plan takes the form of an H or a square. Users accessed minor and servant spaces with corridors, wherein public rooms, the designer fashioned a promenade for users to move through. At Homewood, Lutyens distorted the square plan to accommodate a larder and scullery, both related to kitchen uses.
Did you know?
Homewood, also known as the Dower House, served as the residence for Dowager Lady Lytton who later became Lutyen’s mother-in-law. With an Arts and Crafts aesthetic, Lutyens purposely made this place “simple and vernacular,”. belying its complexity when looking at it closely, revealing a complex and clever design “incorporating mannerist detail.”
When arriving at 602 North Mendenhall I didn’t know what to expect on the inside. When first approaching the house you come to a bright yellow door. However, when you enter, you encounter a living space, that with the design of the owner is very modernized. While still keeping the historic look with the trim work and fireplace and mantle design, this house has an astounding foresight. The living room and dining room area have an open division where you can see whats going on in the other room. Every other room has its own division where it occupies its own space. I really enjoyed the overall look of this Historic house.
