Wright Chat

DRN · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 1551 Location: New Jersey

hypnoraygun: Please keep us posted on the publishing of your book, I look forward to adding it to my collection.

Wrighter: I guess I'm slow on the uptake. I was not aware you had purchased a Jones house...kudos! I'm sure the house will appreciate your stewardship as much as you will appreciate experiencing life in a "natural house". Congratulations again.

Wrighter · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 311 Location: St. Louis, MO

Thanks Hypno--I knew you'd have the lowdown. I was trying to figure out how the house could seemingly be open to both a green lawn and a deck overlooking the river. I never thought about two different houses! But that dining room carpet is ideal for the space--so simple and so perfect.

DRN--thanks! I keep meaning to post pics and progress--soon, now that the term is on break.

Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 2223 Location: Mason City, IA

Can someone please explain photo #16. Is that a solid fixed piece of glass between the living room and the patio?

hypnoraygun · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 540 Location: Missouri

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8032 Location: San Francisco

That wild stone floor would seem to enhance the feeling of being outdoors ? And you have to love the dining room carpet coordinated to the placement of the table legs. FLLW, take note !

S D R

Education Professor · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 518

I agree, SDR--Jones' attention to detail is remarkable.

hypnoraygun--best wishes on the book. I look forward to purchasing a copy of it.

EP

Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 2223 Location: Mason City, IA

For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting any E. Fay Jones houses, those flagstone floors were a EFJ signature item and appear in most of his houses. The stone is from Paris, Arkansas. I was told that at the time these homes were built these floors cost less than linoleum.

EFJ built one of his wonderful houses on the east coast (I think it was in the Boston area). It is mostly stone. He found it cheaper to truck the stone from Arkansas than to obtain it locally.

Before EFJ died he sat with a reporter and did an oral history (over many months) which included going through each of the buildings he built and recollecting on his memories of the clients and his thoughts on their needs and his design. These audio tapes are in his archives. [Wrighter: you should look up the parts on your house when you visit the archives.]

hypnoraygun · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 540 Location: Missouri

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8032 Location: San Francisco

DRN contributes this photo and the following text:

A little known component of Jones' work at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS was this outhouse located just to the northwest of the Pinecote Pavilion. I was unaware of it until it was noted by the arboretum staff for use by our guests as my wife and I were making preparations for our wedding at the Pavilion in 2000. It is not among his masterworks, but it works well, relates to its context, and has a pleasant proportion. The open gable ends have insect screening which provide good ventilation and daylighting. Not sure if this structure is "book-worthy" for hypnoraygun's purposes, but I thought it a great example of Jones' belief that all elements of a project are worthy of design consideration.

Jeff Myers · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 1741 Location: Tulsa

Wow, now I would use that outhouse, it doesn't even look like one I had to read the sentence twice to make sure I read properly, I thought it was a tool shed.
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Jeff T

peterm · Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:48 pm Post subject:

What a lovely shade of teal that is.

We become so accustomed to Wright's cherokee red and the other autumnal tones, that a color like that can be quite refreshing, especially when viewed in the context of the surrounding forest.

But who knows, maybe Jones didn't specify paint (or stain) at all, and the wood should have been left natural...

Wrighter · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 311 Location: St. Louis, MO

Thanks for the heads-up, Paul--we did just that when we were at the archives.

Hypno--I don't know about the complete progress for the transcription process, but they had the interview relating to our house transcribed, and they were nice enough to provide us with a copy.

PeterM--that's at least the third Jones structure I've seen with some variation of that blue, along with our house and another that Hypno listed as being for sale earlier in this thread. I can't speak for the others, but in the case of the Fisher house, Jones called for wood left natural with a butternut stain.

Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 2223 Location: Mason City, IA

Steve,
Excuse my ignorance, but what color is a butternut stain? I presume it is not blue/gray or teal.

Wrighter · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 311 Location: St. Louis, MO

Paul, I'm still working that one out--it's some variation of brown, not quite light but not quite dark. To my naked eye, the color varied widely in the period slides I've seen of Fisher.

In the spec sheets, Jones calls for "butternut stain sealer (Phelan's lox, or equal)". Phelan's was a period wood stain no longer made--I've seen pictures of old cans online, but haven't found any additional information.

A couple of our light fixtures and carport beams escaped the painter's light blue handiwork. I'm not sure if I have a relevant photo, but I'll post if I can find one. Here's the stain in the can:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4458933102_2a0a2d3030.jpg