Our Story #8
Let’s switch gears and talk design. Carlton Landing, like all DPZ designed communities, has a Living Tradition Design Code. It is 156 pages and references another companion book by architect Steve Mouzon, titled Traditional Construction Patterns. Every private and public space built in Carlton Landing must be reviewed and matched to this code by the Design Review Committee. I read it front to back as soon as I got my hands on it.
What a rich learning it provided?! Not just for designing my own home, but for understanding urban planning, in general. Much like Get Your House Right had influenced the way I now viewed home construction, this document shaped how I saw other built environments like neighborhoods, towns and cities.
It is standard practice that homes in Carlton Landing are designed by architects. However, at that time the town architect, Jim Hasenbeck, had a backlog of projects. So, he let Daryl and me design my house and said he would review it for us before we submitted it to the committee.
I pulled out my reference files, like my mom had always done when she was working on a project, and Daryl and I began. I had room layouts, ideal dimensions, inspiration photos, and classical mathematic formulas from which to work. I have an extensive design book collection and admit that I don’t just use them for styling but actually read them! I know, shocker.
Some of my favorite books are Billy Baldwin Decorates, The Decoration of Houses by Edith Wharton, and anything by Gil Schaefer. I also learned from Ben Pentreath, Mark Hampton, David Hicks, Patrick Ahearn and the bloggers Laurel Bern and Cote de Texas’ Jonie Webb (may she rest in peace.)
I wish I could remember how many hours we worked on the design in my living room on Park St. For me it went by quickly, but Daryl may recall differently. We had been discouraged that our house in Tulsa didn’t sell immediately, but the extra planning time ended up being such a blessing.
Photos of some of my fave books and one of our creative sessions (pic by Aimun Nieto)
51 Ridgeline Rd Carlton Landing, OK 74432
