Four Calling Birds

Christmas is almost here!  There are Christmas songs being sung, gifts being bought, and our families to think about.  At this time of year, when I think of the word "calling" I think of the words from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas:  Four calling birds.

What is a calling bird?  A quick internet search tells me there are a lot of other people who have this same question.  However, instead of focusing on what bird was originally in the song and when the lyrics were changed, I'd rather think about birds calling to each other.  

There are days when, after I've gotten my daughter on the bus and I'm walking back home, in the stillness of the morning I listen to the birds tweeting and chirping.  It's when I hear certain chirps from two different birds right after each other that I recognize a conversation is taking place.  It's a beautiful thing to hear.

So, as we gather to celebrate Christmas this year, my challenge to those reading this post is to follow the example of the calling birds and take time to listen to each other.  Listen to what is being said and then engage in a conversation together.

Plantation Cottage Interior

Sometimes we get requests from people who want to know what our cottages look like on the inside.  We received these pictures of the Plantation Cottage exterior and interior a couple years ago.

 

The Plantation Cottage has a large, covered, wrap around porch with detailed railing. This house has extensive windows throughout to let the outdoors in, a basement garage and four bedrooms.  

 

 This picture exposes the "drive-in" garage area in the basement of the Plantation Cottage. You can see how the front porch wraps around the house to provide shelter from the elements and relief from the summer sun. The detailed porch railings give this home southern charm.

 

 The Foyer of the Plantation Cottage is open to the second floor and has an L-shaped stair. It provides a large welcoming space to greet your guests.

 

The open living room and dining room of the Plantation Cottage provide plenty of space for your family to spread out for their various activities.  A built in wall cabinet provides additional storage.

 

 The open floor plan of the Plantation Cottage gives you views to the front and back of the home and provides a great space for a family to live and grow.

 

 The Plantation Cottage kitchen is open to the living room and dining room.

 

 The open kitchen of the Plantation Cottage has a large island and lots of cabinet space. The island provides a great place for a snack or a space to lay out your buffet. 

 

 The stairs in the foyer are open to the living room of the Plantation Cottage and connect you to what's going on upstairs and down. The living room's built-in wall cabinet provides storage for this large spacious room.

 

 The upstairs den of the Plantation Cottage provides a family space at the top of the stairs. It is a perfect place for your family to relax and spend time together.

 

The back of the Plantation Cottage includes a spacious covered porch off of the dining room. It is perfect for entertaining.

If this looks like your ideal home, this house plan can be purchased on our website at www.southerncottages.com.  Once there, you can also look at the floor plans, see some of the room sizes, and find out the cost of the plans.

A Copper Dream

Patina is one of the words I learned in architecture school.  It’s a compact and fancy word to describe something we’re all familiar with:  the oxidation of a material that results in a change of its color.  The most common material that patinas that's used as an architectural element is copper. 

Copper is one of those amazing materials I’ve dreamt of using on a building, but have not yet had the opportunity to use.  When it first goes on it’s a pretty metallic peachy color, which looks good on its own.  Then, over time, it slowly changes to the beautiful blue-green.  The variegated color that results gives so much character to a building.

Here are some structures that have a beautiful patina:

Statue of Liberty

Copper Dome

Clock

Medac Building

A modern-day example: The Medac Building (above) is one of my favorite buildings in Wilmington, NC.  The variation in color of the copper panels creates movement along the facade.  It's a nice surprise in the sea of mundane buildings.

-S.L.