Friday, August 1, 2014

Gordon's Column, Remembering Gordon, Cherishing our Gordons.

I watched as the chief mason looked over his shoulder tilting the brick, looking back at Gordon for the proper angle knowing he was building something special. This glorious column and fencing made the little porch into a welcoming outdoor room.

Most of Gordon's clients have things like this. It could be a piece of furniture, a painting, bowl, color, fabric, or nicknack, something we couldn't imagine working. We call them "Gordons" and we smile. Why did we ever doubt him?

When I'm in Decatur, I drive this great little street to see this little 1925 house, to remember Gordon Stringer via this column and that moment with the mason.

 
Gordon designed this renovation, designed everything inside and out. He punctuated it with two "crazy" columns.

IMG_9398 2014-07-28 Gordon Stringer Column fruit brick mason Ponce Place Decatur
Gordon gave me a tour when it was all studs, walls moved, ceilings raised, skylights in, bathrooms laid out, kitchen roughed out.

Inside were the lanterns, the curvy metal fencing, the fruity urns and plinths, a drawing of the shutters, color samples of everything. These were the details. You can see that Gordon pulled the color of the fruity urns into the window and door frames.

IMG_9396 2014-07-28 Gordon Stringer Column fruit brick mason Ponce Place Decatur detail
Gordon shopped Scott Antique Market among other places. He'd find things that fit his vision, knowing he could make it work. I don't know if the purchases came from the vision or the vision from the purchases. Probably both.

If you could keep up with him, shopping with Gordon was big fun.

IMG_9396 2014-07-28 Gordon Stringer Column fruit brick mason Ponce Place Decatur detail
I was there the day the masons built the columns. Gordon directed every brick course by eye.

The chief mason knew he was building something unique and special, building a Gordon.

Every time I drive by I smile.

3 comments:

  1. What a sweet memorial. Wouldn't you have loved to step inside his mind at times just to see how he perceived things!

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    Replies
    1. Gordon would tell you what he was thinking but that didn't mean I could do it. And his brain was always churning ideas. And he tried things out and changed his mind.

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    2. i like a background nice to visit and great walk :)

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