Cracker House
Thick walls in the entryway contain simple Craftsman-style bookshelves. Gatling carefully copied the board and batten paneling from the home's original paneling, extending it across all the walls and ceilings. To get the desired 1930s look, instead of drywall he used sanded plywood, painted with hand-brushed thinned coats of paint. The brushstrokes created an aged feel and texture similar to what was in the original home.
A deep front porch with an overhang for shade. The most compelling cracker element is a large porch that provides shady spots for catching the breeze. The porch's overhang also keeps the sun from baking the interiors. Operable louvered shutters provide shade and privacy when needed, as well as protection from stormy weather. An elevated platform. Cracker houses were typically built on pylons that let air circulate underneath; this home was raised a few feet off the ground, imitating the look.
Wood countertops and vintage-style fixtures. Shuttered transoms let in light, while simple wood countertops, an old-fashioned claw-foot tub and more lights crafted by Pickard give the room an aged look. The big mirror is an old door with mirror replacing the inner part. Easily done by working with the glass and mirror store.
AN IDEA SAVING MONEY ON DOORS No modern closets. The bedrooms do not have closets, which was typical of a casual cracker-style house and a fishing-camp-style cottage. Instead, niches covered by curtains have dresser drawers at the bottom, space to put a suitcase on top and a rod overhead for hanging clothes. Wall-mounted reading lamps save space when there is no room for nightstands.
Look at the ceiling..................... The kitchen and living room are subtly divided within the same space. This side of the kitchen island has cherry bookshelves for the living room. Gatling opted not to put a sink in the island so that it would not look as though it belonged to the kitchen more than to the living room. On the kitchen side, the countertop and island's end line up, defining a breakfast area just beyond. "Several times when I met with the clients, I could see that sitting with coffee and three newspapers and having discussions was important to them; breakfast together was the center of their day," he says. Thus, he made the area carved out and comfortable, with a Brazilian palissandre table and upholstered chairs.
Q