I took a number of pictures of this tower walking round which set of diffent moods. I like this one for its brightness.
Heart Island, North Shore George Boldt came to America in the 1860’s from Prussia, the son of poor parents. A man of tremendous organizational skills, daring and imagination, he became the most successful hotel magnate in America, managing /profit sharing the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, and the Bellevue-Stratton in Philadelphia. As a testimony to the immense love he had for his wife, Louise, Boldt set out to build an elaborate summer home for her. He purchased Hart Island, then changed its shape to more resemble a heart, and changed the spelling of the name of the island. Boldt purchased another nearby island to mine granite for its construction so that all of the granite blocks would be matching in color and pattern. In 1904, before construction was complete, Louise died. On her death, Boldt ordered construction to stop, sending all 300 workers home, never to return. George Bolt never returned to Heart Island. The outside of the castle was completed, but the interior remained unfinished. The home stood abandoned for 73 years. In 1977, a private road organization, The Thousand Island Bridge Authority, purchased Boldt Castle. The Authority is maintaining the property and finishing the interior to preserve this romantic story and amazing construction project. It is operated as a museum, a very popular one. There is a long dock for tour boats to dock, which also houses a United States Customs Office for the Canadian and other foreign visitors to enter the U.S. for the time it takes to tour the Castle. Heart Island is less than a half mile south of the Canadian border. The long dock can be seen in the lead photo. At the right end of the photo, you can see Last Dance, an appropriately historically significant boat to be at the dock. Heart Island, South Shore The main building’s architecture was modeled after 16th century European castles, with intricate, classical details, towers, and medieval forms combined with modern features such as large, plate glass windows and extensive verandas. Rising six stories from the indoor swimming pool to the highest tower room, an elevator served 127 rooms. The main foyer is three stories tall, with landings on the second and third floors, a grand staircase, and topped with a stained glass dome. The first floor of this summer cottage has marble and wood floors in rooms for entertaining and gatherings, including a ballroom, music room, game room, den, and living room. The second floor has chambers (bedrooms) for the Bolts and their daughter and a number of guest chambers. Photos are of the Bolts personal chambers. On an island north of Heart Island, Boldt built his boat house, which is large enough for the three Boldt yachts, including the houseboat, with interior slips 128 feet long and doors 64 feet tall to fit the sailing yacht. Today, the boathouse is home to some of the Wooden Boat Museum’s collection, including This, the other of the Bolt runabouts. This had two other owners, one naming her Yesterday. Lying at the dock of the boathouse is the Boldt steam launch. The original steam engine and boiler are on display inside the boathouse. The boathouse also has living spaces, as one might want to linger at the boathouse, and housing for crew and maintenance staff. The arch, modeled after Roman monuments, provided a formal water gate for launches, delivering guest from larger yachts anchored in deep water, friends from other islands, and visitors from the mainland. The playhouse is a whimsical design built more by intuition and imagination than formal plans. It provided places for both the adults and children to play. This building was finished and the Boldt family lived in the Playhouse at times during the construction of the castle. The basement housed a two-lane bowling alley. The architect designed a mini-castle to house the power generating plant. Gas and diesel fuel were to be used for generating steam to power turbines generating electricity. The highest tower provided river traffic with illuminated clock faces and musical chimes. Of course, gardens were important to people of those times and social status. The gardens and grounds are being maintained in the appropriate traditions.
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small castle in the middle of the forest
I wish I had Rick Pierce for a neighbor! (I think thats him peeking out from behind his 'Treehouse') Just look at these amazing Doll Houses he creates! Don't you just want to move in???
Its the first time ever on the market for this residential estate just twelve miles from Edinburgh with an impressive Scots Baronial property as its heart
le chateau d'if, cabinet de travail d'alexandre dumas
Leo Dowell Designs.com
On a train journey along the Rhine Valley from Mainz to Koblenz I took this photo of Burg Pfalzgrafenstein. The building situated on a tiny island served as toll station until 1866. Since 2002 it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Sources / More Info Burg Pfalzgrafenstein toll station… Continue reading Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in Kaub
They are called Storybook Style homes. [Well, the name is obvious.] Storybook homes were a product of the early 20's and had passed from popularity by the late 30's, a casualty of the Great Depression. The depression put a bit of a damper on all that quaintness and probably the $$ it took to create them... They originated in California, and so they have some of the best examples - but there are storybook style homes in many parts of the country and the world. These storybook homes are in beautiful Carmel, California They're adorable. The town they are located in is adorable. The setting is magical - ocean, beach, cypress trees and fog... like a fairy tale.... They are picturesque, quaint, and charming. They have cobblestone paths, arches and arbors, cottage gardens, forged iron lanterns, Whimsical arched doorways, wee little chimneys that would rival Disney's best efforts and steeply pitched gables are part of the charm. Some have steam shaped shingles made to mimic thatched roofs. Some have eyebrow windows and exposed timbers, others have multipaned windows overlooking cottage gardens It seems the setting is as important as the house itself. Los Angeles county is also home to many of these homes - this one located in Glendale... Away across the pond, the British village of Blais has a few of these quaint homes... and more - found all over the United States and other parts of the world... This home is known as the witch's house - located in Hollywood, California. Although it could resemble a fairy tale involving one, the name came from the owner who liked to hand out Halloween candy dressed as a witch... The Witch's House is one of the earliest storybook buldings, built in 1921 by a Hollywood art director, originally serving as the offices for Willat Studio - a silent film studio. It was moved to Beverly Hills in 1926, (or possibly 1934 - accounts differ). A real estate agent purchased it upon hearing that interested parties were going to tear it down and build something else. He and another Hollywood art director undertook a comprehensive restoration of the home and brought it back to its former glory. But whatever the story, these Storybook Style homes are a whimsical and charming part of history that delight the eye and warm the heart, whether found in the US, the UK or Europe. France Europe New Zealand I look at these tiny little fairy tale cottages and the curmudgeon in me wonders... "What if you lived in one of them and woke up one day and couldn't take another minute of 'cute'? Or became sick to death of 'charming?' What if you craved plain. Unadorned. Strait lines. What then? . . . But I do like this place... Still charming, but not overdone... with a little english country garden style yard that is perfection and inside, more classic than cute - I could live in this kitchen without a minute's hesitation And they lived happily ever after..... QUESTIONS FROM READERS: Hi, Your blog is just Dreamy!! I love houses and design oh so much. I joke with my mom and husband I should wear a sign "will work for money to design". Doing it yourself is my main way to go as I have young kiddos and a limited budget. I just spent 4 days transforming a yucky oak kitchen with beigy-pink Formica to white painted cabinets with black painted Formica counters 😄. Painting oak is not very fun at all- but super rewarding That being said I have to ask you about the exterior of our home. We just redid the front porch as it was literally collapsing from awesome 1960s construction in Chicago. I am trying to convince my husband that our house was born to be painted brick or washed. Would you please share with me your opinion? I truly respect it and believe you will know the right choice. Here is the exterior. Our master is in the back with terrible white vinyl siding. That's another great reason to paint it all white, then the siding will blend in a smidge better.😉 Thank you thank you for any insight you may provide. The shutters definitely need to be redone and sized properly; but I am waiting until we decide about exterior so that I don't have to change colors on new shutters. Thank you thank you!!! First, Brava! on your kitchen repaint - looks great! Can't wait to see it with the hardware on - you will send a photo, won't you? So your home is what is lovingly referred to as Greek Revival. People who wanted to emulate classic Greek architecture, back in the day, painted these homes white to look like white marble - It was a very formal look - a power look as you will see by the most familiar photo below... That's right, The White House. However, your house is not a state building or a national monument... it is a home - and so we want it to look welcoming - right? Your new porch is beautiful and I love all the detail and the stately columns. As far as painting the brick goes, however; I'm not seeing white as the answer. I fear white would blend into the porch and make it disappear and you would lose all that lovely detail you just created. A whitewash on the brick could work if the wash allowed the brick to show through enough to offer some contrast. This is popular in the South - and I wish we had more brick here in Southern California just so I could do this - but alas, we dwell in stucco land... As you can see on this partially whitewashed brick house, it mutes the common red brick and softens the look. Hard to find an example with your exact portico, but use your imagination a little and you will get the gist of it. As for paint - I think that a medium beige/gray would keep the stately feel and allow the porch to shine. Similar to these colors... While these examples are not Greek Revival, they do show the white against the gray and beige tones. There doesn't have to be a lot of contrast, but enough to be noticed. Not necessarily recommending Yellow, but I love how the architectural elements pop against the house when they are entirely different colors... just not '90's colors.... You mentioned trying to match the vinyl or aluminum siding. There is paint specifically designed for siding, so I wouldn't worry too much about trying to tie in to that color. If it is white, the portico may be enough to tie it together, as in the photo below... If it is a more unfortunate color, both Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paints have a product specifically for painting aluminum and vinyl siding. I'm sure it comes in a wide variety of wonderful colors! Good luck! So happy you enjoy decorating and reading the blog! Best, Claudine
It was built in 1922 and was home to author James Oliver Curwood, who used one of the turrets as a writing studio.
I hope I see something good today after the office meeting. I looked at the list last night and didn't see any cottage castles on the broker open house tour. One can always dream about them though.
(via Château Belle Epoque, Linxe,Aquitaine,)
spectacular castles, palaces, manor houses, fortresses and follies
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Broadway Tower lies prominently on top of a hill close to, and overlooking, the village of Broadway in Worcestershire. It was built for the 6th Earl of Coventry as a folly on his Springhill Estate, and was completed in 1799. The Tower is in the shape of a castle. It is 65 feet tall and its top (at 1089 feet above sea level) is said to be the highest point in the Cotswolds. As with so many follies or curiosities, more than one reason has been given for its creation. The most likely is that it was used long ago as a signalling beacon since it was visible both from Springhill and also from Croome Court, another family estate some 20 miles away near Worcester. In later years Broadway Tower was used as a holiday home. One occupant was William Morris, relatively well known (amongst other achievements) for designing fashionable wallpaper - some of which can be seen inside the Tower today.
spectacular castles, palaces, manor houses, fortresses, cathedrals and follies
Morning Darlins, Summer is the season when we dream of a small getaway cottage. A vintage charmer. A little space that we could simply get away to! Here is a dozen I fell in love with... & thought you might too! Just add vintage accessories & furniture! Do you have a favorite yet??? Something makes me happy about a beautiful charming cottage.... My Design tip: Small spaces can hold everything you need, pare down & simply live in the space. You will be surprised how cozy and fun it can be. Hop over to SECOND SHOUT OUT BLOG for my SATURDAY"S "DESIGNING WITH VINTAGE" SERIES & shop for your cottage or summer home! A beautiful summer weekend to you, xo, me All photos today on this post Pinterest
The Fort Louvois with high tide floats, or almost© photo marc bourbon droits réservés – copyright marc bourbon all rights reserved. le fort à marée basse: A marée basse: the fort in low tide: © p…
Japanese artist Takanori Aiba built this unbelievably intricate mini-castle in and around a potted Bonsai tree using stone clay, epoxy putty, copper line, plastic, and resin. I can’t get over the amount of time and effort this must have taken. Via Daily What and My Modern Met
Just a few of my favourite things. New Zealand born, raised and living ... www.pinterest.com/jen_luff
These White Castle Sliders are a copycat recipe of the famous sandwich from the White Castle restaurant.
'Casa Loma (Spanish for House on a hill) is a museum and landmark in uptown Toronto, constructed as a neo-romantic castle. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911-1914.' - Wikipedia This was taken from Casa Loma's garden
in Pau (France)
Wolfgang Staudt Die Reichsburg Cochem ist eine Burganlage in der rheinland-pfälzischen Stadt Cochem an der Mosel. Sie ist ihr Wahrzeichen und steht auf einem weithin sichtbaren Bergkegel mehr als 100 Meter oberhalb der Stadt. Als Gipfelburg gehört sie zum Typus der Höhenburgen. Die Anlage, die im Mittelalter als Zollburg diente, wurde den Ergebnissen aktueller Burgenforschungen zufolge wohl um 1100 oder in der ersten Hälfte des 12. Jahrhunderts errichtet. Nachdem sie im 17. Jahrhundert zerstört worden war, ließ sie der Berliner Kaufmann und spätere Geheime Kommerzienrat Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené gemäß dem Geschmack der Burgenromantik in den Jahren von 1868 bis 1877 wiederaufbauen. Burg Cochem ist damit ein gutes Beispiel für ein Bauwerk, das im Stil der Neugotik während der Zeit des Historismus gestaltet wurde. Die Reichsburg Cochem ist ein geschütztes Kulturgut nach der Haager Konvention. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greetings, So often we over-complicate our own lives and our own wardrobes . . . when sometimes . . . it's just this easy. La...
You may remember John Farrier's post about the Bonsai Tree Castle, which was created by Japanese artist Takanori Aiba. Well Takanori's art certainly doesn't stop there, and would you believe that the rest of his miniature worlds (structural sculptures) are even more fantastic than the tree castle?! With a style ripped straight from mythology and every minor detail accounted for, these tiny kingdoms look like a great place for fairy folk to call home. Link --via Booooooom!...
Creativity Doesn't Sleep sometimes it drives you completely crazy, sometimes it's heaven & when you see something completely beautiful, something that takes your breath away, you know someone's vision, in their own minds, has made it possible, they wouldn't accept anything less than what they envisioned. no matter how difficult to actually design & build, they remained determined. when I saw the image below, at first I thought it was a painting, looking closer I knew it wasn't. imagine actually building this. or the person who conceived this incredible installation art, hanging Chinese lanterns at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, October 2004 or this... beautiful & perfect little tree house, oh yes, we must know that someone determined to complete it with perfection was harassed by their own creativity until it was complete. or the art director who styled this photo shoot, featuring bedding, actually had to build this platform in toto and then had to wait for the perfect moment, when the mist & fog made their entrance, to actually photograph his creation. an old boat, ruined by time, imagined as a sitting area in a garden... then digitally made it the colors of the story they were telling. or this, a few years ago this would have been thought impossible, but a gymnast, dancer, someone, envisioned how dramatic it could be, and worked 100's of hours to make it happen. WHAT IS CREATIVITY ANYWAY? An Article by Jan Phillips for the Huffington Post, 2010 "Have you ever had the thought, "I'm not creative. I can't even draw a straight line"? If so, you're not alone. Many people think that there is some essential relationship between creativity and the ability to make art. If they can't paint like Picasso, sing like Josh Groban, or sculpt like Henry Moore, they don't dare claim to be creative. It feels like an arrogant thing to say about yourself, if you're not an expert, not making a living from your creations, not well-known and publicly acclaimed for your imaginative gifts. Why, when creativity is our very birthright, do so few of us feel creative? Why, when we're asked to think of someone creative, do we rarely think about ourselves, but of the public figures that have defined creativity over the years? We think of Monet, Mozart, Jackson Pollack, Martha Graham, Ansel Adams, always the figureheads, when the real truth is that every one of us is a born creator. That's the hallmark of being human: the ability to create, to turn something invisible into something visible, to forge a poem out of a feeling or a song out of a sorrow. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, says that creativity doesn't happen in our heads but in the interaction between our imagination and our social context. It's a matter of experience and response, a matter of relationship to others and a commentary on the significance of our encounters. Creativity is the vivid expression of who we are in the world--our imagination begets our thoughts, our thoughts beget our words, our words beget our actions, our actions beget our experience, our collective experience and expression begets our culture. Each of us is contributing to the creation of the cultures we participate in. The world is not divided into two groups of the creative and the uncreative. If there's a distinction, it's between those who are creatively productive and those with unexpressed potential. We're creative by default. We're genetically predisposed to create. Each of us, to varying degrees, is intrinsically motivated to create, to be original and to solve challenging problems. The question to ask is not, "Am I creative?" but rather, "What inspires me to create?" Personal creativity is not about intelligence or information. It's about inspiration, from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath, courage, the soul. " Creativity is about being fully alive, living courageously, or as the painter Joan Miro´ says, "Expressing with precision all the gold sparks the soul gives off." When is the last time you felt fully alive? What is it that calls forth your courage and trumps your fear of sharing your soul? Knowing this is the key to discovering the creativity that is waiting to be expressed through you." I love this philosophy. I know every endeavor is creativeness. Think about medicine, advertising, business development, system integration, hardware, software, setting a table, gardening, teaching school, etc. (maybe not politics or lawyering) Everything begins as an idea. Tell me, what do you think about this? The precious little sign Creativity Never Sleeps is from an Etsy artist, you will find the shop HERE posted from the hill country of Texas where one has time to think...
The story of this house: When the german were in Denmark in worldwar 2, they took over a mans farm. This man moved into the deep forrest and made this house of stone. Around the house is a moat. This plase is in Jylland, behind Tirstrup airport.