Nicely-boned large fixers from the Victorian through Craftsman eras have always attracted me. In the first place, their exterior designs are often beautiful, and almost always handsome. Clearly, that was the goal of their first owners who wanted to live in a home suitable to their station in life. Building plans by mail and in book form were widely available, so everyone had access to elaborate plans. The best builders in each town were putting up grand homes outfitted from huge catalogs of trim and fittings. In the case of the grandest homes, only the best materials and workers were used. Today’s fixer might have been a Sonoma County luxury home of the times.
To see a former classic now experiencing diminished glory can be a sad experience. On the other hand, my focus is all about finding new owners with the energy and vision to undertake a major projecdt. I’m looking for people who share the sense of value in historic places. Who can pause in front of an old window with wavy glass and appreciate that five or six generations of people have looked at that same view. Who can visualize families gathering around the piano to sing art songs which would have been the entertainment of the day. Who can imagine summer evenings on an ample porch serving as the social gathering spot for a neighborhood. Who can understand that the best way to serve their town is to salvage a piece of it.
There are always fixers available. They may not be cheap. They may not be grand, but if the idea of saving and living in a piece of Sonoma County history appeals to you, get in touch or click on any of the images below to get more details.
This classic farm house on six acres is architecturally pleasing on many levels. The three dormer roof lines echo the larger gable and break up the roof plane. The wrap around porch makes a symmetrical division of the house height and creates blocks of space that comes close to fitting into the “golden ratio” that has always been a pleasing shape. The house itself from the peak of the gable to the width of the entire structure is also close to the golden ratio.
The photograph to the right uses color masks to show the way the house’s design is a series of golden ratios. The use of these proportions is probably an unconscious element on the architect’s part; just good design that pleases the eye.
The Potter Schoolhouse in Bodega is one of the few remaining buildings from Alfred Hitchcock’s filming of “The Birds”. It’s been a schoolhouse, bed and breakfast, and private residence. I’m a fan of the simple symmetry of the building with the round-top windows, corner columns, and octagonal tower. It’s a timeless building without the gingerbread of a Queen Anne or the stripped down plainness of the Craftsman style. There are a couple of other buildings in Bodega that I really like.
