Today yours truly is going to play the role of local Architectural Critic.  Actually most of my comments are going to be positive, as Decatur residents really “get it” in terms of smart growth and also the rehabbing of old bungalows.  It’s one of Atlanta’s oldest suburbs and is the first suburb you hit heading east from Atlanta.  This means there are a lot of old houses – some palatial (which I have not included here) but most are modest bungalows.  Houses were a lot smaller back then, as a 4-bedroom, 4-bath, master closet and full basement were luxuries most people didn’t need (or want).

I took these photos with my cameraphone instead of my camera.  The reason is that it looks a lot less suspicious in the middle of the day of a guy taking random snapshots of houses.  In fact there were a few others I wanted to show but didn’t since there was someone in front of their house or a neighbor next door working on their lawn.

The first two examples are of the newer version of the Craftsman style of house.  The nice thing about these houses is that while the actual house is rather large, the front of the house is unassuming and not imposing.  A full porch along the front also makes for a nice touch.

The next example is what I wanted to show as a perfect example of creating a large home that fits in with the neighborhood aesthetic while still giving the owners plenty of living space.  Note the very unassuming front of the house.  It looks rather small actually.  Then you go to the side and see that the size of this house is hidden very well, using the steepness of the street is straddles to create a long, thin living quarters with multiple levels.

I’m amazed that they were able to make this lot into a usable living area.  This was an empty lot until last year because the pitch of the land dropped to a seventy degree angle a few feet from the sidewalk.  They used a lot of dirt to fill in the front and created this house.  My only issue it the color of green they used but that is purely subjective on my part.  This color seems to be the new thing for houses in the area, as there are several others that have this color scheme within the past year.

This picture doesn’t do either house justice but I love both these small bungalows.  The one on the left would look like a postcard if we ever got a foot of snow in the area.  The house on the right is a combination of American bungalow (not to be confused with American Gigolo), Japanese design, and a touch of influence from Frank Lloyd Wright.  Foliage really covers both houses so the picture only shows maybe a third of what these houses look like if I weren’t standing across the street.

Here is Ally’s soon-to-be-school (she starts kindergarten in August) – Clairemont Elementary.  The school blends in well with the neighborhood and you have no idea how large this structure is by looking at it from the front.

This is a partial picture of the side.  I didn’t want to be seen snooping the grounds with a camera since that would look suspicious but I think you get the idea of how well this place hides its size.

I’ve included two houses in the area (I doubt they’re more than 10-15 years old) that aren’t small but they don’t stick out like sore thumbs; rather they add to the beauty of the neighborhood.

Yes, I know, the angle of this “walk-by” shot was not level at all.  They have a lot to the right (not shown) that is multi-level and manicured immaculately.

Tomorrow will a similar post but this time it will be about houses that I don’t think were designed with the neighborhood in mind.