Blogs or books about the design of rowhouses?

July 16, 2009 11:10 AM

Are there any good blogs or books specifically about the design of rowhouses or other long, narrow spaces?

We're currently planning renovations for our 1920s Baltimore rowhouse, and could use some ideas. Apartment Therapy is helpful, but we're looking for something geared more towards the long, narrow spaces in a typical rowhouse (about 14 feet wide, in our case).

While we have plenty of space overall, getting ideas for the use of the space is tricky, since AT and most other sources tend towards the squarish shape of the rooms in most apartments and houses.

We're not opposed to taking out walls, since there aren't any interior load bearing ones, but that seems like it would make the spaces longer and more difficult to design around.

Anything with floor plans and photos of how to lay out rooms and furniture would be ideal.

posted by electroboy to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

There have been a ton of open houses in my neighbourhood in the SE. Maybe you could hit some, see what other people have done? I've seen some horrors out there, along with an interesting idea or 3.
posted by QIbHom at 11:35 AM on July 16, 2009

Anna at Door Sixteen details her renovations to her rowhouse in Newburgh, NY. It's one of my very favorite home design blogs, and makes me yearn to give up my 50s ranch for the high ceilings and hardwood floors of a rowhouse.
posted by scarykarrey at 11:48 AM on July 16, 2009

I can't remember any specific books, but I've seen more than one on the subject of narrow Dutch houses (some artifact of the real estate situation in Amsterdam in the 1600s?) and the adaptations they made to that shape.

Google gives me a bunch of photos of the outsides of narrow houses around the world but nothing on their interiors.
posted by hattifattener at 12:05 PM on July 16, 2009

Project Rowhouse is about a rowhouse renovation in baltimore. their blogroll lists some other rowhouse renovation blogs as well.
posted by ellebee at 1:29 PM on July 16, 2009

A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander et al. has a pattern about long narrow houses. IIRC, one of the arguments is that a long house affords longer interior sight lines, but another has to do with more wall area allowing more windows, which doesn't help much with row houses.
posted by Bruce H. at 2:10 PM on July 16, 2009

The Baltimore Rowhouse is the best I have seen. It is a true, scholarly look at rowhome design, history and implementation in Baltimore.

Proud owner of a B-More/Highlandtown rowhome complete with marble steps and painted screen. Old school all the way.
posted by extraheavymarcellus at 2:29 PM on July 16, 2009

Single wide trailers Manufactured Homes are between 12' and 16' wide. Looking at floor plans on the internet could give you some good ideas though they aren't as restricted as they can put windows in the side walls. I looked at lots of these when I was designing earth sheltered homes which have the opposite constriction (wide and shallow).
posted by Mitheral at 8:45 PM on July 16, 2009