Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Andrew Calhoun House





One of the most beloved houses in Atlanta is the Andrew Calhoun house, more commonly referred to as the "Pink Palace". Built in 1922-23 and designed by architect Philip Shutze, who was at that time an apprentice at Hentz, Reid, & Adler, the Italian Baroque-style house was inspired by Shutze's studies in Italy.  When the house was originally built, one entered the drive from West Paces Ferry Road, through magnificent gates which gave visitors a stunning view of the house's garden facade (photo #2).  The entry was at the rear, where the view was rather austere though still quite dignified.  (Photo #1) 

Some of the more notable features of the house are the ornate plasterwork (just look at those door surrounds, below) as well as a few Allyn Cox murals, of which only one remains.  You might recall that another notable Atlanta house, the Goodrum house, also boasts an Allyn Cox mural.

The first seven photos of this post came from the September 1978 issue of House Beautiful. At that time, the interiors were the work of the well-respected Atlanta designer, T. Gordon Little. (Click here to see more of Little's work.) Little wisely chose quiet furnishings for the home, allowing the house's architecture to play the leading role. With plasterwork like this, who needs bold prints or bright colors?

To bring this story current, I am also including a few photos that appeared in the February 2012 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. The magazine printed a really terrific article about the Calhoun House with recent photos by Atlanta architect Peter Block and comments by several other Atlanta architects. (Do click the link to read it; it's an intriguing read.) The house is currently on the market, although it very well could have sold recently and I'm just not aware of it. I sincerely hope that the future homeowners, as well as the designer of their choosing, will respect the house's architectural integrity and its stately Southern charm. The last thing this house needs is a makeover in the Belgian cum Southern rustic look or Hollywood Regency style.  Now that would be a crying shame.



One of three Allyn Cox murals originally executed for the house, the entry hall's Roman-themed mural is the only one that remains.





The living room as decorated by T. Gordon Little.




The dining room with its plaster medallion of Michelangelo, which is original to the house.





The doorway that leads to my favorite room of the house, the ballroom.





A detail shot of the house's front, or garden, facade.



This recent photo of the ballroom, taken by Peter Block, looks more or less as it did in the late 1970s.




The living room retains much of the furnishings that were selected decades ago by Little.


Photos #1-#7 from House Beautiful, September 1978, Peter Aaron photographer. Peter Block's photos, which appeared in the February 2012 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles were used with express permission from the magazine.

25 comments:

  1. Despite the loss of property, it's still a great house. Hopefully, appreciative new owners will find it and will furnish it more compatible with the original design intent of the house.

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    1. I hope so, too. I'm holding my breath that whoever buys it will indeed appreciate the design intent and architectural integrity of the house.

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  2. What a delightful home, full of dignity and yet, quirky charm. That house should be landmarked. Bet the "missing" murals could be revived by removing the paint that was slapped over them, since I doubt anyone "removed" them.

    Looks like a great party venue. Couldn't a club be induced to buy it? The state?

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    1. The house is entrenched in a residential neighborhood, so not sure what the restrictions are in terms of a club or even the state buying it. The problem in Atlanta is that historical preservation is only important to a handful of us (most especially to those of us who are natives.) A coveted address is more important than an architecturally significant house, hence the recent trend of knocking down old homes to put up new monstrosities.

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    2. Yikes! Same thing was happening in my aunt's neck of the woods in Greenwich, CT, handsome homes going down for monstrosities that will be knocked down too when people can't maintain them, not to mention the bad taste they exhibit. Nothing more ludicrous than a home, even a well-designed one, filling (or should we say overflowing) the lot.

      I would have thought a bunch of Steel Magnolias would have established a strong historical society by now, as in Savannah or Charleston; Atlanta is no longer the step-child of the South. Paging Julia Sugarbaker...

      We need to start thinking of our built environment like enlightened Europeans.

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  3. Absolutely stunning home. The lavish amenities, such as the moldings, mantel piece, incredible ceiling and the furnishings speak of attention to detail and great design. Sadly many of the architectural details that make this home so grand are hard to come by today and not appreciated as much. Thanks for providing such a wonderful example of extraordinary craftsmanship!

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    1. Dear Ellen, The craftsmanship is extraordinary, and of course very hard to duplicate today. Let's hope the new owners appreciate these details!

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  4. Oh, I love this house!! It is still on the market for $2.5M... http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3418-Pinestream-Rd-Nw_Atlanta_GA_30327_M68615-65196#

    According to "Curbed" it has been listed and relisted at least five times since it originally hit the market in September 2011 for $3.5M. http://curbed.com/archives/2013/05/09/beautiful-atlanta-pile-dubbed-pink-castle-asks-25m.php#more

    That honestly seems like a really good price for such a monumental home, although I'm sure it is in need of extensive repairs. Yes, let's hope the new owners maintain the integrity of the home! It is a true masterpiece!!

    XOXO,
    The Glam pad

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    1. Andrea, Thanks for the update! Very interesting. I do think it's a good price considering the heritage and craftsmanship of the house.

      Let's keep our fingers crossed....

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  5. It is spell-binding. Praying for the perfect buyer who will the the soul of this house.
    Mary

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  6. keeping everything crossed for a great buyer who will "do right" by the home. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  7. Jennifer,

    Always have loved that Calhoun house, but I never knew that Mr. Little had decorated it. I was lucky to know him, and remember his white Rolls Royce, and his associate, Mr. Roger Remaley, who was a most elegant man, he taught at AIA when I took classes there in the late 1970's...! Stan(Topol)was the chairman!

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    1. Dean, I don't remember Roger Remaley. I need to Google him!

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    2. OK, he looked like Robert Redford crossed with Cary Grant, always wore a suit, lived in Colony Square, and drove a burgundy Jaguar sedan, with the radio tuned to "disco" remember disco? !

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    3. I need to see a photo of this guy!

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  8. Thanks for this post Jennifer. It is a wonderful house, one of Atlanta's best. I have heard through the grapevine that the owners really want to preserve it and that it could bought for around $1 million.

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    1. GBL- Sounds like a bargain to me. I would love to see the inside of the house for myself. I just have to see that ballroom!

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  9. The ballroom is perfection. Long one of my favourite, unvisited, houses in Atlanta. I hope it is treated with respect. Given that within the last two years buildings by Shutze and Reed have been torn down, I almost fear for the house's future.

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    1. Blue, it's an unvisited house for me, too. Maybe we should call it not-yet-visited.

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  10. Jennifer, Quatorze should know, there is something called the Buckhead Heritage Society - buckheadheritage.com and the house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I never knew that in the early 20's it sat on a hundred acres! The Calhouns were in real estate, and Mrs. Calhoun founded the first garden club in Atlanta-

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    1. Well, if it's listed, at least it won't be knocked down, though the interior is still dependent for survival/restoration on an understanding buyer. Thank goodness the Heritage Society pushed to have it listed.

      The Real Estate Board in NYC just released a study that claims almost 25% of the City is landmarked, and they feel that this inhibits business and growth. The Landmarks Commission and others point out that the study was very narrow and, even it it were not, landmarking, of both individual structures and whole areas with distinctive looks and charm, saved this city and its treasures, which lead to NYC's remarkable comeback and boom. It is amazing how short sighted business can be, and how weak US local government is in comparison to European cities, which know the value of what they have, culturally, aesthetically, socially and monetarily...

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  11. ...oh i am so very happy i found this post!...born in atlanta 65 years ago...and having lived here all those years...i have of course known of the pink palace all my life...it is such fun to peek inside...my little girl's imagination was not disappointed...a palace indeed...blessings laney

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    1. Laney, So glad you like it! Nice to meet a fellow native Atlantan. :)

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  12. I know Atlanta has changed a LOT, since I lived there back in 1975-77 but it is sad that the definition of progress, is out with the old and in with the new! I hear that the traffic is often like Mumbai- and some people cannot even get out of their driveways- too much congestion. Thanks for sharing, the thing is, if one can afford to buy an old pile, in a chic part of town, then they usually also have the bucks to make extensive alterations, or just go ahead and raze it and start over, which is actually more cost effective. Maybe some tax abatement could be offered to prevent non-landmarked buildings from being demolished. DF

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  13. Mitchell Owens3:11 PM

    If I am not mistaken, and I don't think I am, Ruby Ross Wood decorated that house for the original owners. The information is somewhere in my files.

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