Mail Box Post - Two More Good Examples

Example 1:


Continuing with my dialog on good mail box post designs are the following two examples. The first is rather "classic" using 2x4" elements for a simple patterned, modernistic design. I like this one due to its simplicity, interesting patterning and inexpensive materials usage. One doesn't have to spend a lot to get a good looking post.

Example 2:


The next box I like for completely different reasons. This one done by Hartmut Jordan exemplifies good, modernistic design by incorporating the mailbox itself as a design element. The problem with finding a good mailbox post is that often one is stuck with the shape, color and materials of the mailbox itself and so can only focus on the post. What Hartmet did was to use a brushed stainless "classic shaped" mailbox and contrast it with color and the parallel lines of the cedar slatting. He then integrated the shape into the post design by extending the slatting further back, so the box cantilevers from the post, making the whole unit a single structure. You'll find several, poorly executed copies of his design in the neighborhood - the copies don't work well for various reasons (one has a "bulge" that rings below the post that's ackward, the other extends slatting straight down so the box produces a rather phallic shape - sorry to digress about those but neither work for me). I like everything Hartmut has done on his mailbox and hope others use it for inspiration on their own mailboxes and posts.

More to come soon.

-- John

Northcrest Flood 2009.09.21 - More Images

Lake Northcrest


Here are the images from my camera - the Driving Range was taken about noonish- when there was a break in the rain - the rest were taken around 4:30 PM.











-- John

Northcrest Flood 2009.09.21

After being saturated with rain for about 2 weeks, the neighborhood had a hard time coping with 6 inches of rain that fell on the evening of 9/20 - the rain continued through 9/21, adding insult to injury. I've aggregated these shots from posts made by neighbors Susan Ray and William Andrew Cochrum (used without permission - if there's anything here you don't want displayed please let me know and I'll remove). Some other shots were taken from the web. I haven't had time to process my images but I'll add them shortly.

The first set was taken by Susan Ray about 6:30 AM on 9/21



























The second set was taken by William Andrew Cochrum some time later on the same day(when there was a break in the rain) on 9/21:



















This set was taken by Susan Ray later when the water level had dropped a few feet. Note the lines drawn to identify the high water marks.











More images:
This is the downtown connector - it provides a stark view of the damage done by all the water.



And always wanting to end things on a high note is this ironic image floating around the WWW:



-- John

Northcrest Tour 2009

Northcrest Tour 2009
(click for more photos)

On April 26th Northcrest's Hoe 'n' Hope Garden Club had their yearly Tour of Homes for 2009. The garden club does this to help promote the neighborhood, highlight unusual or original homes and gardens, and raise money for the maintenance of the main entry planter (beneath the Northcrest sign). This year the tour featured 3 homes and the Northcrest Swim & Tennis Club:

3636 Northlake Drive
3433 Archwood Drive
3378 Regalwoods Drive
3524 Bowling Green Way

To view photos of each along with snaps I took of the interiors and exterior gardens, click the tour brochure image. Here's the text from the Tour brochure:

3636 Northlake Drive
(click for more photos)

3636 Northlake Drive - Owners Phil and Lora Buonpastore
Phil and Lora's 1963 A-Frame was featured in an early 1960s full-color spread in the Atlanta Journal, and again in the Winter issue of Atomic Ranch magazine. It retains many of its original features - yellow exterior, hardwood floors, mint-green Jack & Jill bath, and the colorful, mid-century "beach ball" pendant light fixture in the living room.

This home is also one of the few in Northcrest with five levels - including a full basement, and is also the only A-Frame with a complete "A" structure (others stop on the right side of the roof line).

Phil and Lora have made a number of improvements, installing energy-efficient windows and doors, replacing the roof, and updating the 1980s Poggenpohl kitchen (won by the original owners in a contest) with quartz countertops.

An avid DIY couple, Phil and Lora embarked on an adventurous basement renovation in 2006, and have completed 85% of the work on their own. Formerly located off the laundry room at the rear of the house, the basement is now accessible from the family room, thanks to some invasive and inventive concrete work. The new basement features plenty of living/entertaining space and significant additional storage. The updated family room features new drywall and insulation, and an under-stairs storage area with a door constructed primarily of wine corks.

Exhausted from the two-year project, Phil relaxes in the new basement, while Lora designs a plan for the upcoming renovation of their Jack & Jill bath.

3433 Archwood Drive
(click for more photos)

3433 Archwood Drive – Owners Scott and Heather Markle
The Markles almost moved out of Northcrest...

They loved the neighborhood and their home, but missed some fo the amenities found in newer homes. More than anything, they wanted a real master suite with a proper tub and shower. Before Scott persuaded her to get married and move in with him, Heather had an apartment with a garden tub - and she missed it terribly. The Markles even met with a Realtor. Reminding them how great the neighborhood and their home are, it was actually the Realtor who convinced them to stay on and simply add the things they were missing.

So the Markles found a great contractor (it helps to have on in the family), and set about creating their dream home. They extended the house with a two-=story addition in back. The top half is a new master suite including a sitting room, two-sided fireplace, and master bath with walk-in shower and Jacuzzi bathtub. Their old bathroom is now a walk-in closet. The Markles also focused on improving the energy efficiency of the home with a new insulated metal roof, HardiPlank siding on the addition, and new double-paned windows and doors throughout.

With this renovation, the Markles strove to maintain all of the things they love about Northcrest, while also incorporating many contemporary features. The result is a home that mixes the best of mod and modern. And the Markles are happy to have created their perfect home.

3378 Regalwoods Dr

3378 Regalwoods Drive – Owner Matt Keller
Matt Keller's love for mid-century modern homes began three years ago, when he drove through Northcrest one afternoon to avoid rush-hour traffic. Looking to purchase his first home two years later, Matt wanted a bargain-priced midcentury home, near 85/285, in need of serious restoration. It wasn't until he'd seen a few homes in Northcrest that Matt realized he'd been here before.

He definitely found what he was looking for. Years of neglect forced a complete gut job - yielding six dumpsters of plumbing, wiring, drywall, insulation, flooring, and a perfectly preserved possum.

Working with a friend full-time, Matt renovated with the home's midcentury style in mind, updating and adding his own personal style - modern, earth-friendly and organic. Lowering and removing walls created an even more open floor plan, while many of the original framing materials were re-used to create interesting new features - a built-in desk, bedroom closet, and a reinvented Hollywood-style walk-in shower. Materials from a poorly-constructed addition were recycled into chunky, angled chairs.

Other unique features include modern, industrial lighting and a bomb shelter original to the house.

From the ground up - insulation, flooring, drywall, trim, even re-staining the tongue-and-groove ceiling - this renovation should be 85% complete for the tour. Matt has definitely turned this former potential tear-down into a neighborhood gem!

3524 Bowling Green Way
(click for more photos)

3524 Bowling Green Way – Northcrest Swim and Tennis Club
We invite you to make the Northcrest Swim and Tennis Club the last stop on your tour. Gather with friends and neighbors to chat about the homes you've seen, enjoy complimentary refreshments, and learn why the Club is truly a neighborhood landmark.

Founded in 1962 by original Northcrest homeowners, the Club quickly became a hub of Northcrest living, with an award-winning swim team and social and recreational activities for both kids and adults.

Today, you'll find an affordable, enjoyable, resort-like experience - reminiscent of a 1960s country club - with its modern trapezoid-shaped pool, Tiki Hut snack bar, two lighted tennis courts, event pavilion with built-in party-sized barbeque grill, multipurpose athletic field and children's play court, all situated within a 3.5 acre park setting.

A packed social calendar features twice-monthly themed dinner parties and social events throughout the season. On most Friday nights, you'll find members firing up the grill for a relaxed, informal poolside "bring-your-own" dinner party.

In the last few years, the Board of Trustees has successfully implemented a "grass-roots" operating plan (nearly every aspect of the Club's day-to-day operation is handled by volunteer members), securing the Club's future as a valuable neighborhood asset.

Ready to join? Call (404) 592-3381 or visit our web site at www.northcrestclub.com for details.

Northcrest Color Brochure Page 1

Color Brochure Page 1
Originally uploaded by johnnyapollo

Have all four pages scanned and uploaded to flickr...

Snow in March? A Cooling Treat for July!

Something to help cool everyone off this hot July

I thought I would post some images that I've been remiss in posting over the past year or so. We had a special treat this year - on March 1st Mother Nature provided us with an unusual, heavy snowfall (I know you northerners will look at this and wave it off as nothing, but for Atlanta, especially in the spring, this is very unusual). I don't remember anything like this in previous years - when we first moved to Northcrest in 1998 (at 3401 Thornewood Dr) we got hit by an Ice Storm late in the year - I don't remember what year exactly but around 1999 give or take. That one was bad due to all the rain we got for about the month prior - then the ice hit, expanding all the wet pines. My next door neighbor at the time was from Mobile and he had never seen anything like it - he was out on the back deck when a limb came crashing down to break his collar bone. In any case, this "snowstorm" started out as a light snow - unusual in March, so I took some snaps. These images are from about 2:00 PM - and I'm showing them progressively so you'll see it started to get heavy:











The next set I took between 2:30 and 2:40 - it really started to come down and was sticking good at this point - you can see the accumulation on our patio furniture. The flakes were gigantic and fantastic to behold...



















The next photos were taken a bit later - between 6PM and 6:30PM (note the state of the full-bloom camilias - they look like giant octopoda!) - we decided to get out in it. By then the temperature came up a bit so the snow was getting really slushy and it's starting to melt on the streets - it was interesting walking beneath the trees - stuff was falling hard and it really pelted the hoods of our jackets.































That snowman ended up lasting a couple of days - sort of a reminder of what once was...

-- John

Mail Box Post - Modern Solution

I wanted to start a series of posts about mail box posts - I've been asked in the past about what type of post would be appropriate for these great modern homes where we live in Northcrest. It's really easier to describe those that aren't appropriate, but I'll leave that for later. What I'd like to talk about are basic design elements that work well with modernism.

If you look at our homes you'll see a lot of parallel lines - most of our homes have horizontal windows original to the house that are level and the houses stretch wide - to me from a design esthetic I would try to also do some parallel lines, either vertically or preferable horizontally, on any mail box post for one of our homes. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with simplicity - a single post, either round (as in metal pipe) or square (like a 4x4" pressure treated or cedar post) would be more than appropriate. The important thing is to simplify the lines and keep ornamentation at either a minimum or within the reason (parallel lines again). Now I'm not expert, and I'm not a professional designer by trade - so I'll keep my comments directed towards actual examples. What I mean is, if you're into a big showy mail box with ornamentation, bright colors, etc. then by all means go ahead - it's all about personal preference. My intent is to provide some examples and guidelines that work with modern design, not tell you what's right or wrong, or tasteful or ugly.

So to start, this is a post I found rather in keeping with our modern homes - it's made from several cedar 1x6es (they look like they might have used some extra fence boards) using some ornamentation via the stacked, parallel boards.



I particularly like the floating stainless steel numbers - I purchased some similar for my house but need to figure out a way to drill through the stone to attach them. More to come soon.

-- John