The smart house
Spring 2013
When Peter Karlovich and Steve Herforth were searching for a site on which to build their new home, they could not have known that a decade later much of Pittsburgh would know it as the Smart House. Completed in 2003, the modern residence sits on the edge of Mt. Washington, but on a quiet street that boasts the same spectacular city vistas as Grandview Avenue without the holiday crowds and tourists.
Museum quality
From the outside, the home is striking—a classic Georgian executed in subdued red brick. It looks neither new nor old, with immature landscaping the only hint that the owners have lived in it less than a year. The pleasantly symmetrical exterior sheathes a most extraordinary interior. More than a labor of love, the residence took seven years to complete from design through the construction process. Perfection requires time and money, both of which the owners have lavished on their new residence. more >
A peaceable kingdom
A fabulous hilltop estate in LigonierMarylynn UricchioFall 2012A flock of picturesque suffolk sheep graze in the verdant pastures, and a bit farther down the long, empty road, a herd of Red Angus cattle stands lazily in the hot sun. Miles of split-rail fencing continues once you turn onto a drive that meanders uphill. Here there are horses, as if placed by a set designer to complete the perfect country idyll. The fields are mown and very green, as are the trees in the orchard a bit nearer to the house, which finally emerges ahead. more >
New country classic
This Sarver home looks as if it has always been thereHalf of the charm of a new home in Sarver is getting there—it’s a 25-minute drive north from Fox Chapel, where the owners used to live. more >
A Southern Patina
New Orleans chic in Shadyside Marylynn Uricchio Spring 2012The homes on this leafy street are quintessentially Shadyside, which means an eclectic mix of periods and styles. Though all are grand, one stands apart from the rest with quiet dignity. Painted white from top to bottom, the pristine exterior accentuates the symmetrical lines of its columned entrance, the three sets of French doors, and the boxwood shrubs that edge the limestone terrace.
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Painting with light
A modern classic by Richard MeierWhat price beauty? When one lives in a house designed by Richard Meier, the costs are as monumental as the Pritzker-Prize-winning architect’s international reputation. more >
City chic
An elegant home in the heart of ShadysideMarylynn UricchioFall 2011Like many diamonds, the house that sits discreetly back on one of the most beautiful streets in the city was in the rough when the owner first saw it. more >
Beachy keen
A Pittsburgh family’s oasis in Boca GrandeMarylynn UricchioSummer 2011Waiting at the drawbridge for the fishing boats to pass, a bag of fresh crabs in the back seat and a lazy Gulf breeze ruffling the palms, it’s easy to see why a family from Pittsburgh would want to linger in Boca Grande. more >
La petite maison
Detailed living in Squirrel Hill Roy EnglebrechtSpring 2011Unlike most of the homes designed by architect Brandon Smith, the stucco, brick and limestone residence in Squirrel Hill isn’t large or imposing. It was built in 1948 for a retired couple who were downsizing, but who wanted an elegant and formal town house. more >
A Bauhas masterpiece
The Frank House: a Bauhaus beauty Winter 2011At a glance, the buff-colored residence nestled among the more traditional homes on Woodland Road seems an oddity, an almost institutional-looking structure resplendent in its obscurity. more >
Glorious Glendorn
Escape to the great outdoors The monogrammed silver vanity set sits, as it has for decades, on the dressing table in Miller’s Cabin. There aren’t many resorts that would leave such a family heirloom lying around, but then again, there aren’t many resorts like The Lodge at Glendorn. more >
A comfortable classic
Comfy formality in Squirrel Hill This is my dream house" says the owner of a classic limestone mansion in Squirrel Hill. “I used to drive by with my agent and say that’s the house I want to buy.” more >
