Shot-Gun Houses

It is often stated that the "shot-gun" house got it's name because you can stand in the front doorway, fire a shot gun, and the bullet would exit right out of the back door.

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A shot-gun house is a narrow linear home with the rooms arranged one after the other, so that each room leads into another without a hallway. Typically one room wide and two to four rooms deep. Usually the house is adorned with a back and front porch.

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This style of home is well suited for hot climates because if both front and back doors are open it allows air to flow through the entire house. Shot-gun homes can be found all over the southern regions of the USA.

One particular city comes to mind.... New Orleans.

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Many historians believe the style of the "shot-gun" was brought to New Orleans by Haiti immigrants, where the Haitian shotgun was a blend of West African and West Indian architectural styles. The style was popular because it was a building style Haiti immigrants were familiar with but it was also a very economical way of building for low-income families. 

The house's exterior started off basic and as the shot-gun evolved through the 19th century, Greek Revival and Victorian Gingerbread were of many decorative elements incorporated into the style.

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Hurricane Katrina's devastating affects have brought on thousands of shot-gun renovations and even some-what of a revival.

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The Make it Right projects in the lower 9th ward were inspired by the shotgun (with a very modern aesthetic). See above pictures from one of their projects. (The FLOAT house... It actually floats!)

See more other inspiring pictures of "shot-gun" style homes around the country:

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Trend Alert: Architectural Concrete Pavers

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Spring is upon us and is calling all outdoors! Architectural concrete pavers are a great way to create the ideal outdoor space you want to be in!

"Pavers are created from molded concrete formed into tiles to either resemble stone or brick, or proudly look like what they are: concrete. Concrete pavers generally fall into two types. The first is the thick durable interlocking paver. Resembling bricks in density, interlocking pavers are often used for driveways as they can handle the weight of a vehicle. The other variety is the thinner, and more visually pleasing, architectural paver.  Architectural pavers are commonly used for paths or patios where aesthetics are more important."

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The installation of pavers is somewhat dependent on the use of the paver. A driveway differs from a simple garden path, but there are requirements that most installations have in common. The ground beneath the pavers needs to be compacted, and then a base layer that usually consists of crushed rock will be covered with a top layer of sand.  Then the pavers will be placed on top of the sand. Gaps are left between the pavers and depending on aesthetics, structure, and what is being placed in between will determine the size of the gaps. Is it grass? Plantings? Gravel?

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Above: These pavers act as a large rug that defines this central fire-pit, with gravel in between and grass and flower beds surrounding.

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Above: Pavers that fill a small patio garden space. The large scale pavers (in the small space) help make the space seem larger, with grass in between.

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Above: These pavers serve as an island oasis for a lounging area in this beautiful backyard.

Notice the pictures above show that several different materials like plants, grass, gravel, mulch and pavers are important contributing factors to a successful outdoor space, and all work together to add lots of differing colors and textures. The use of the different materials in separate areas help define different types of spaces, such as lounging, gathering, playing, etc.

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Above: The pavers here are used for a walkway and patio space around the front door of these homes, making the entrance much more defined.

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Above: An example of pavers being used for a driveway.

Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair - 1928

Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair - 1928

Did you know? "Marcel Breuer designed and built the chair Cesca Chair in 1928 working with the steel tubes with the intention of creating a session that would ensure both comfort and elegance. The use of tubular steel was quite widespread during those years and other designers such as Mart Stam and Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, had made extensive use.

The chair was named "Cesca" as a tribute to his daughter named Francesca.

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"Michael Thonet (for another history lesson on Thonet, click here) was the first to manufacture the chair in 1928, then known as model B32, for about $24. Thonet produced the chair until World War II. In the 50's Dino Gavina, a furniture manufacturer in Foligno, Italy, started making the chair with Breuer's permission, under the name Cesca. In 1968, Knoll Associates, now the Knoll Group, bought the Gavino factory, which conitnures to produce the chair today. About 250,000 Cesca chairs have been sold since 1968, said David Schutte, a product manager at Knoll."

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"It's among the 10 most important chairs of the 20th century," Said Cara McCarty, associate curator, department of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art. It's also among the 10 most common.

One of our designers, Logan Ramirez, says that she sees them all the time while thrift shopping. In fact check out this craigslist post! 

If you find a chair that needs some repairing, don't feel intimidated, check out this video!

Here are some inspiring pictures if you're looking to 

incorporate the Cesca Chair into your home:

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