Pillars Posts And Columns

More Fun With Wood - Geometric Patterns to Dress Up Your Carport

October 15th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns

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I didn’t forget the pillars and post and columns series that we were in the middle of. I merely got sidetracked.

The carport in this Beverly Green Home is so much more fun than if it was held up by a couple of 4×4’s.

When you’re remodeling, or fixing up, you can get creative for almost no money at all. Geometric Patterns were a standard of design and architecture in the  50’s and 60’s.

 

 

 

There’s hundreds of great examples of what can be done with 2×4’s and 2×6’s. When you’re driving thru the neighborhoods, take a look.

If there’s one you really like, take a picture and send it to me. This is especially true if there’s a pillar or post or column or design on a backyard patio cover that the rest of us should see.

 

 

Remember to measure twice and cut once, however.

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Pillars, Posts And Columns - Something To Watch For As You Drive Around In Vintage Vegas

September 27th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns

I’ve always admired this front porch awning on a commercial property on Maryland Parkway. The brick wall curves graciously into the front yard and the 2×6’s are cut to match the curve.

 

 

 

 

 

If you know of a creative, or interesting patio, carport or awning support that we should highlight (especially if it’s in a backyard that few of us would ever see) I’d love to have you email me a picture or give me an address.

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Geometric Patterns Are An Important Design Element In The Mid Century Modern Homes Of Las Vegas Design

September 25th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns

This series that we’re doing on the posts, pillars, columns that hold up our patio covers, carports and awnings is about giving you some ideas about what to look for when you’re driving or walking around in the historic Mid Century Modern neighborhoods of Las Vegas.  

On 5^th Place, in the Historic John S. Park neighborhood, you’ll find my 3 favorite trapezoids. Geometric shapes play a big role in the architecture and design elements of 50’s and 60’s homes. 

The symetry of these pillars is not only beautiful, it has bulk and substance. They serve a structural purpose, but don’t shut out the neighborhood. They succeed wonderfully at being open and inviting.  They convey the sturdiness of the homes that were built by real craftsman with real materials – unlike the suburban tract homes of the current era.   

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The Pillars Posts and Columns of The Retro Homes of Las Vegas

September 18th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns, Rancho Manor, Rancho Vista

One of my favorite retro homes in Rancho Manor features 5 columns of block that support the front porch awning.

They’re set at a diagonal to the beam that they support, and lend an element of texture with their mortar lines. I love the angles, textures and the clerestory windows play against each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rancho Manor and Rancho Manor are on the east side of Rancho, to the north of Alta. It’s a neighborhood that was beginning to transition and regentrify before the mortgage meltdown, and is poised to come back strong in the near future.

There’s some terrific foreclosure values at the moment, starting at 120,000 and some well loved and well cared for homes up to 260,000.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Pillars Posts And Columns Found In Mid Century Modern Las Vegas Commercial Buildings

September 16th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns

I’ve been talking about some of the great designs that hold up our patios and carports during the last few weeks. Today, I’m taking the subject to one of my favorite commercial buildings.

It’s on Las Vegas Boulevard in Downtown Las Vegas. It was a US BANK branch for many years, at least since I first saw it in 1985. Today, the ground floor is occupied by the downtown Post Office.

 

 

 

The building is surrounded by tapered columns that support the broad scalloped overhangs.

The reason we’re doing this series is to try to get the public to start actually looking at and appreciating the great Mid Century Modern design elements of the 1950’s and 1960’s buildings and homes.

Designs like these are timeless, and with growing awareness of them, perhaps we’ll be able to save them from future demolision, as well as providing us with ideas that can be incorporated into future restoration projects on our homes and businesses.

If you know a great design hiding in a back yard, or used in a commercial building, I invite you to send picture or get me an invitation to take pictures so we can share it with our readers.

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The Pillars Post And Columns From The Vintage Las Vegas Homes

September 4th, 2008 Categories: Pillars Posts And Columns, Southridge

Another piece of great ironwork design! And there’s a matching gate as well.

These are from St. Louis Ave, in the Southridge Neighborhood of Downtown Las Vegas. Southridge was built from 1951 to 1953. I borrowed the name Southridge for the Neighborhood Association that I  started in 2000 to fight the stratosphere “scorpian tale” roller coaster. However, there’s several other subdivisions that are included in the Southridge Neighborhood Association.

One by one, we’ll be giving an introduction to them as well in this series.

 

 

 

Many of the homes in Southridge were built over crawlspaces and have original hardwood floors. The original floorplans were from 800 to 1200 sf. they were built with 1 bathroom, but most of them have been expanded over the years. Southridge has 151 homes that were built on St. Louis, Howard, Canosa, Bonita and Hassett, as well as on 10th and 11th Street.

Currently there are 5 homes for sale from 99,900 (bank owned and needing LOTS of work) to $142,750. In fact, all but one of the 5 are either bank owned or shortsale.

 

 

 

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The Pillars, Posts and Columns Of The Retro Homes Of Las Vegas

September 3rd, 2008 Categories: McNeil, Pillars Posts And Columns

And there’s support walls also. This one is 1×8 planks with an offset bias.

It’s from McNeil, which is one of the most popular of the Vintage Vegas Neighborhoods.

There’s actually 4 separate subdivision names within McNeil. There’s no rhyme or reason that I can see, as to which streets are in McNeil Park or McNeil Estates or McNeil Manor or McNeil Tract. Therefore we lump them all together to just call this gorgeous neighborhood “McNeil”.

All of the homes were custom built. The developer merely cut up and sold off the lots. There are a few duplicate houses where one builder built the same home on a few different lots, but in general, each home in McNeil is unique and custom.

McNeil runs between Charleston and Oakey to the west of Rancho Drive.  

 

 

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Post and Beam Porte-Cochere In Scotch 80’s

September 1st, 2008 Categories: Mid Century Modern, Pillars Posts And Columns, Scotch 80's

We all love the exposed beam ceilings that often are found in Vintage Vegas. Usually we see them on the insides, but occasionally, such as in this Scotch 80’s home we find a  porte-cochere or carport that sports it as well.

The Scotch 80’s is a custom home community located south of Charleston and East of Rancho.

It’s truly one of the great neighborhoods for a Sunday drive.

Bannie and Silver are two of the rare residential streets in Las Vegas that have center islands with shade trees that create a canopy over the travel lanes.

All of the homes are at least a 1/2 acre, and many Las Vegas’s best examples of desert modern (or Palm Springs Modern, if you will) can be found there.

There’s currently 7 homes for sale. They range from $500,000 to 5 million. However, 2 of them are bank owned, and 2 are short sales.

One of the short sales is the famous “Howard Hughes” house. It’s one of the largest desert mid mods I’ve ever seen at almost 7000 sf. It’s on 2.5 acres, and currently is fire damaged, which needless to say makes it a major fixer upper. It’s ONLY 950,000.

The MLS PICTURES are from long ago.  I know I’ve got a folder full of pictures of it on the old computer, but I did find this one from the history hunt that we did last summer. (If you want to take a driving tour of many of the classic, historic neighborhoods of Las Vegas, this is a good place to begin.)  I’m sure Brian Paco Alvarez will be happy that I published this picture again.

PS: the history hunt is over. There’s no prizes or bonuses being offered. But it’s still a fun way to spend an afternoon!

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My Kind Of Column - The Mid Century Modern Neighborhood Of Paradise Palms

August 30th, 2008 Categories: Mid Century Modern, Paradise Palms, Pillars Posts And Columns

Besides that I love colorful eye popping colors on mid century modern homes, you know how I feel about the decorative concrete blocks.

There’s 3 of this model that still have the original carport design on Golden Arrow Drive in Paradise Palms. There’s others scattered around but they’re hard to find because the carports have been converted into garages, and the columns of block have been removed or obscured.

One of the many goals of VeryVintageVegas is to help preserve the original designs or at least the original intent of the architecture. Many many too many of our great homes have been changed and adulterated or abominated. The more of you I can get of all of you to be aware of the architecture, the designs and the elements, the better chance we have of preserving them.  

The next time you take a Sunday Drive, try tooling around one of my favorite Vintage 60’s neighborhoods. You’ll find lots of eye candy such as these. You’ll also see what I mean about homes that have been “remuddled”.

Paradise Palms is both sides of Desert Inn between Maryland Parkway and Eastern. This pattern is in the part that’s north of Desert Inn Road. There’s 2 segments of Paradise Palms to the south of Desert Inn. East of Spencer and the power lines are the higher end homes surrounding the National Golf Course. To the west of Spencer Ave. are the middle grade homes. Mostly they’re on 10,000 foot lots. Many are classic modernism, and many are ranch style modern.

There’s currently 30 homes for sale in Paradise Palms. At the moment, they range from  $149k to $525,000. Of the 30, 6 are bank owned and 6 are short sales. There’s 9 homes under contract, for a healthier than average 30% ratio of pendings to availables.

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Wrought Iron Columns And Railings Are Prevelent In The Retro Homes Of Las Vegas

August 28th, 2008 Categories: Crestview, Pillars Posts And Columns

It’s especially the wrought iron railings and support columns that are hiding in the backyards of Vintage Vegas that I’m hoping you’ll help me to find. I know there’s some terrific retro designs that deserve to be seen. Mostly the pictures that I have for this series will come from the front yard carports, and porches unless you help me out.

While showing this wonderful split-level in Crestview, I stumbled upon a ladder trellis design that frames the gorgeous and meticulously landscaped backyard.

I’ll take the opportunity to plug the home which is perfect for the “pink bathroom” crowd. The bathrooms are original and in excellent condition. It’s a one owner home that has been loved and cared for. They’ve recently dropped the price to $315,000. which now makes it well worth consideration. It even has the original shag carpet, (which I love, being the retro freak that I am) which will probably need to be replaced. Other than that, it’s extremely clean and move in ready. A thank you to Josephine Reising from Prudential for allowing me to share this with you. There’s more pictures in the MLS Brochure.