Oct 24, 2011

Interior Design for the Undead


This Halloween, we have reason to be a little more frightened than normal.  You see, TruexCullins Interiors has been tasked with renovating a haunted mansion.

The property that is the focus of our attention is a hotel that features a Victorian mansion dating to 1885.  So as not to scare the tourists (and to keep the search engines away), we won’t mention the specific name of this hotel, but if you follow our work, you can probably figure it out.

As legend has it, a young girl who lived in the house during the 1800s died unexpectedly from an illness.  Her spirit now resides in room 317.  The former owners of the hotel brought in professional ghost hunters and confirmed the presence of supernatural spirits.  (They then proceeded to offer a “spooky package” to their guests, complete with Ouija Board.)

When we were there, old photos of the original residents still hung on the walls, showing the family before the tragic accident.  If you’re a believer, don’t fret: there are plenty of other beautiful, non-haunted rooms of the hotel that you can book for your next stay.


The former owner of the property produced the following video that tells the story of the haunted hotel room.  His account of the ghost starts at 1:38.


The program for the renovated mansion is still being worked out, but regardless of what the exact function turns out to be, you can be sure it will be a magnificently unique space, a crown jewel for the hotel with so much history and meaning.

And we will be sure to specify a full spirit abatement program with the renovation work.

Oct 19, 2011

Camp for a Day


Each year, our office closes its doors for a day for a staff-wide field trip.   Typically, we venture out to visit notable works of architecture around New England, or visit some of our own recently completed projects.

This year, in response to the widespread damage from the spring flooding and later from Hurricane Irene, we decided to forgo the annual field trip and instead spend a day volunteering our time for some of our neighbors in need.

So on Tuesday we headed to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a Vermont summer camp for kids with cancer.  Ta-Kum-Ta is an independent, non-profit organization that completely relies on donations and volunteer labor so they can offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences to all their children tuition-free.

In 2008, the camp moved from their previous home at Camp Holy Cross on Malletts Bay to their current location in South Hero.  It is a wonderful place to be, with over 150 acres, a cluster of new buildings, and a quintessentially Vermont view encompassing fields, farms, mountains and lake.


While there, we worked in the gardens, the fields, and the cabins.  We did our little part to help, but in the end, we probably got more out of it than they did.  It’s impossible not to be affected by the positive energy you feel from being at this place.

To learn more about the camp and how you can help, visit www.takumta.org.


In this spirit of lending a helping hand to our neighbors, we are also looking forward to more community action this weekend.  Governor Shumlin has declared this Saturday, October 22nd to be Vermont Clean-Up Day.  This is a statewide day of volunteering to assist communities affected by Tropical Storm Irene.

Clean-Up Day is modeled after the state’s springtime Green-Up Day, and is similarly planned to become an annual event.  You can find additional information and learn how to help at www.vtcleanup.org.

Oct 13, 2011

12th Annual Roland Batten Lecture: Line, Form, & Texture


On Wednesday, October 26th, please join us for the 12th Annual Roland Batten Memorial Lecture on Architecture and Design.  Landscape architect H. Keith Wagner will present “Line, Form & Texture”, a brief survey of recent works by H. Keith Wagner Partnership.


The presented projects will show recent examples of the firm’s design approach and collaborative strategies working with architects, engineers, artists and, other design professionals.

HKWP was founded on the belief that landscape architecture is the intersection of art, nature and mankind. They approach landscape architecture as an applied art form and work to craft landscape spaces for live, work and play. Their design combines an artistic approach to material and detailing, regional sensitivity and a refined, almost minimal contemporary aesthetic.

The firm’s reputation comes from designing innovative and sensitive environments in a wide variety of campus, corporate, residential, resort and urban design projects. Geographically, these projects range from New England, New York, Pennsylvania and the Eastern seaboard.

The Roland Batten Lecture series was created in memory of our friend and colleague architect Roland Batten. This event is sponsored by the Roland Batten Memorial Fund, TruexCullins Architecture & Interior Design, and the University of Vermont's Visiting Artists, Art Critics and Art Historians Lecture Series.

The lecture is on Wednesday, October 26th at 6pm at 301 Williams Hall on the University of Vermont campus.  The event is free and open to the public.

Oct 5, 2011

In Memoriam: the Vermont Law School Gazebo


Consider this the first obituary we have had to write for the TruexCullins blog.

The gazebo on the edge of the Oakes Hall parking lot at the Vermont Law School campus was a humble, intimate structure designed for individuals to peacefully reflect and quietly ponder their place in the natural environment.  It was an expression of material, craft and assembly, executed as a simple shelter from the elements.

On the morning of August 29th, the White River raced through South Royalton, overflowing its banks from the forces of Hurricane Irene.  The town of South Royalton suffered $10 million in damages from the storm, with bridges and roads washed out and people’s homes ravaged by the rising floodwaters.  The Vermont Law School thankfully avoided major damage to their campus, but one unfortunate casualty of the storm was our little Gazebo.

The demise of the wood structure was caught on camera in this dramatic video.  The gazebo is shown here eerily floating down the river, posted to YouTube by someone obviously aware of the irony in the situation, as they titled the piece: “Symbolic Bridge to Nature returning to its natural habitat”


The Gazebo at the Vermont Law School was designed by Rolf Kielman, who also led the historic renovation and addition to the nearby Debevoise Hall.  In 2006, the VLS Gazebo was awarded the AIA Vermont Excellence in Architecture Design Award for a Small Project.  The jury thought the project had “charm, pure, simple elegance” and was “very inviting”.

Luckily we had the project documented at the time by our friend Jim Westphalen.  Here are some more photos of the Gazebo that until recently lived at Vermont Law School: