Portrait House

Victorian Inspired Contemporary

Where Traditional and Modern Shall Meet

Flanked by traditional homes, this house deftly walks a stylistic tightrope down a narrow lot within a celebrated downtown community. Its design is a showcase for one of Geist’s favorite challenges — using progressive massing and traditional details to introduce inventive architectural design into our historic neighborhoods. Inspired by some of the more elegant architectural details of adjacent homes, Portrait House becomes an abstract portrait of its district. It hosts an array of Victorian architecture, Second Empire architecture, Colonial Revival architecture, Arts and Crafts architecture, a hint of Row House, and even Arabic Mashrabiya inspired oriel. Tying all these elements together is a carefully balanced material palette of traditional brick, stucco, and wood.

The spatial arrangement is an exercise in maximizing a small building footprint while still providing a rich experience for the inhabitants. On the ground floor, the guest room can operate independently from the main house, and other ground floor spaces provide generous room for a workshop and storage. The main level holds family common areas as well as the master bedroom. The common areas are at the front of the house while the master and the study are toward the back and can be closed off to create a suite. The top floor was intended to be a place where children can sleep and play. The media room looks down upon the living room, volumetrically connecting the two while a whimsical bridge leads to a charming reading nook.