Page 144 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

WHEN DANA AND GINA MARTIN decided to build their house in Sequoyah Hills, they were presented witha particular challenge. The lot, which they loved, was narrow and deep, but they wanted to have a house that was large enough to accommodate visiting students—called seminarians—from Sacred Heart Cathedral.The result, designed by architect Jonathan Miller and constructed by Knoxville builder Fred Trainer, meets the requirements in a splendid asymmetrical French eclectic style.“There are some fun challenges to building on what we call an ‘in ll’ lot in an established neighborhood,” says Miller. “We decided that we would place the garage at the back and lower the roo ines, which would keep the front of the home in scale with the other houses on the street.”ELEMENTS OF STYLEDetails vary, but French-inspired homes are distinguished by their distinctive steeply pitched hippedroofs and ared, or belled, eaves. This example of the style uses a lemon-ivory painted brick, bronze detailing over the windows, decorative gutters and dual brick chimneys with cylindrical tops. The mortar is cut ush to the brick, with exception for raked joints around the entry, giving the look and feel of stone.It may be no accident that there are three stone steps leading up to the covered porch, just as there are three steps leading up to the chancel of a cathedral. The recessed o -center front door with its central knocker and arched design all echo the ecclesiastical feeling and are the result of a drawing by Gina.The brick exterior is set with an interesting dental detail, large casement windows on the main oor, and three setsof windows with diamond-grill patterns on the upper oor. “These windows add a lot of personality to a home,” says Alyce Greitzer of Home Choice Windows and Doors. “We think they add a touch of elegance without being overwhelming.”Certain spaces in a home can generate a feeling of importance. The street-facing study windows were selected to generate this feeling. Three-wide large (84X90) casement windows with transoms front this space, adding drama and prompting a sense of important occasion. Natural landscaping from Greenstalk uses native species and creates a low-maintenance “naturescape.”INTERIOR DESIGNEntering the home, you are struck by varying ceiling heights used to lend interest and signi cance to particular spaces. These contrasts help the house feel light as well as lend an historic142JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017