Straw bale architect-magician (and Delaware County resident) Clark Sanders

  |  July 14, 2011

Just click on the Times' article for even prettier straw-bale porn.

I’ve been fighting the urge all day to post the photos of Upstate resident Clark Sanders’ gorgeous straw bale houses, featured in the New York Times’ today. I’m going to be a good girl and not commit copyright infringement, but trust me, the photos from Sanders’ website I’ve posted above don’t do his work justice.

Yes, his houses are made from straw bales, the stuff you see in barnyards. It’s locally-sourced straw to boot, and these homes (at least according to Penelope Green) are cool in the summer, snug in the winter and even”inexpensive” to make, though the article doesn’t give any figures. And don’t worry, they’re not itchy: the bale is then tucked into a frame and coated in plaster. The real selling point, though, is they’re really, really pretty: swirly magical medieval village pretty, but without the poor lighting and the outdoor privy.

Oh, and Sanders lives in East Meredith, NY in Delaware County, in the northwest corner of the Catskills, where he built eleven of these beauties for his neighbors. I don’t know East Meredith—let us know if you do—but Penelope describes it as “rural, arts-focused community in the northern Catskills, a part-time home to many in Manhattan’s creative classes.” Sanders doesn’t have a computer, so he’ll probably never see this love letter, but if anyone ever makes it up to his magical village, please tell him I love his homes.

Read On, Reader...