There are two types of people in the home/development industry - those who are passionate about creating beautiful, functional and lasting spaces for people, and those that just work in the industry. Brent Hull is one of the leaders in that first camp. He is an expert in the field of historic homes but he’s not just a historian, he is using his knowledge and passion to create products that we can use today in construction, consulting on architectural design, managing home construction and preservation, and educating us all on millwork and mouldings, scale and proportion, and the history of design on YouTube and now here on Substack.
Last week, I sat down with Brent Hull for a conversation here on Substack, and I left feeling so inspired. We didn’t hold back on our honest opinions on all things - like the state of design and development particularly in America, practical things like where we would suggest people invest in their homes, and we even talked about the-elephant-in-the-room in design - that a lot of the good design we all love and admire is unaffordable for 95% of us and what to do about that.
Today we’re sharing the recording for everyone to watch (both paid and free subscribers). And if you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, we’ve called out a few of the highlights below.
~3:00–7:00 A house isn’t well-designed simply because someone built it or because it sold. Successful houses have “a narrative, layering, a story, a clear definition and style.”
~6:30–8:00 The paradox of choice. How understanding architecture styles is the framework we need to make choices for our home.
~11:00–16:00 Historic architecture should be studied for its principles, not blindly copied.
~15:00–16:00 “95–98% of houses we’re building today aren’t very good.” Brent explains that people often reject classical architecture because they’ve only seen it done poorly, clients need to be educated.
~19:00–25:00 You don't need more details - you need the right details. “It’s not necessarily the stone—it’s the way the stone is laid”. What decisions make a difference (choosing hardware, stone, windows, materials, etc.) Careful decision making is key.
~25:00–29:00 How to know whether something is appropriate for your house. Marianne gives an analogy comparing how we choose what to wear based on the occasion is similar to how we choose which elements to include in our homes.
~36:00–40:00 Beauty is what we’re chasing or pursuing, not necessarily Classicism. Good design is something people can recognize and it changes their behavior.
~39:00–43:00 The real issue isn’t traditional vs. modern—it’s intentional vs. arbitrary.
~48:00–51:00 Good design can actually help you spend less money. The biggest waste of money is building something that won’t last. Brent talks about spending less by avoiding unnecessary details and focusing on proportion rather than adding moldings everywhere.
~53:00–55:00 People will pay more for beauty, don’t be scared to invest.
~55:00–57:00 Proportion is something everyone should be taught - once you understand this, you’ll never see life the same.
~56:00–59:00 Hiring a designer isn’t an indulgence - it’s protecting the investment. They compare hiring a designer to hiring a financial advisor.
Books that Brent recommended in our discussion & more from his Substack:
The Timeless House in an Instant Age by Brent Hull
The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
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