|
Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Local firm goes Hollywood Historical Concepts updates film star’s Georgia retreat
By MONROE
ROARK Reading the client list at Historical Concepts can sound like an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Heads of companies such as BP/Amoco and Ralph Lauren have commissioned the Peachtree City-based design firm for work on their homes, and the top brass at Disney brought them in to help put together the town of Celebration in Florida. Hundreds of buildings in a number of states reflect the unique stylings of a company whose name says exactly what it does. Drawing inspiration from the grand traditional homes in Atlanta and other towns throughout the Southeast, Historical Concepts founder and president Jim Strickland has built a unique niche in the design industry that has drawn praise from a variety of circles and garnered dozens of awards over the years. One current project has Strickland and his team returning to a site of their previous work, making improvements for a new owner who is perhaps their most famous client yet. As nearly anyone who follows celebrities will already know, Ben Affleck purchased an estate on the 2,300-acre Hampton Island about 35 miles south of Savannah. With more than 80 acres and only one access point by land, Affleck’s tract is expected to be an important locale in the actor’s quest for privacy when he is not working. He has used the estate over the past year to spend time with actress Jennifer Lopez (although, according to recent news reports, he probably won’t be doing so anymore). But Historical Concepts’ relationship with this home goes back much farther. The firm began its work there in the late 1990s, when the site was owned by John Morgan, a former head of Invesco. Beginning with Morgan’s vision, the team fashioned a Greek-revival plantation home overlooking the river and marsh area, whose low elevation and flood plain necessitated that the structure be raised 10 feet. The main house, with 16-foot ceilings and multiple fireplaces, contains such rare features as a three-inch-thick front door and floor-to-ceiling windows of the same thickness. While perfectly balanced so that nearly any adult can raise them, each fully-raised window will allow a 6-foot, 1-inch person to walk underneath and each one required five men to carry and put into place. Beyond the main house, there is an exceptionally large guest house that sleeps up to 20 people. Fashioned after an old oyster factory, the structure boasts bunks salvaged from an old ship (with bunker labels intact), beds suspended from the ceilings and hammocks on each of the corners of the house, as well as rocking chairs on the covered porch. There is also a summer house with a permanently moored 38-foot boat, once used in a film about Ernest Hemingway, which has been converted into a guest quarters. The team from Historical Concepts — which includes Strickland, Terry Pylant, Sandra Guritz, Andrew Cogar, David Bryant, Aaron Daily, Daniel Osborne and Maria Greenawalt — is currently working on designs for the guard gate at the entrance to the property as well as a manager’s cottage and a large barn that will house up to eight automobiles. Strickland spoke fondly of his meetings with Affleck, whom he described as very laid-back and smart, with a lot of definite ideas for how he wants his property to look. Because of the scope of their work and the costs often involved, it is no surprise that Historical Concepts is very much into the details. “We will sometimes do 100 drawings on a single project,” said Strickland. The firm is working in several states right now, with more than 20 people employed at the Peachtree City office and a half-dozen or so in other locations. Their work has been featured in Southern Living, Coastal Living, Southern Accents, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and other publications. For more information about Historical Concepts, visit www.historicalconcepts.com.
|
||