2021 Winners
Murdock Solon Architects
Saniee Architects
Narofsky Architecture
Karen Bow Interiors
Hemingway Fine Homes
Laura Kaehler Architects, LLC
Tim Hine Builders
KKD DesignBuild
New Century Remodeling
James Doyle Design Associates
Robin Kramer Garden Design
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc.
Workshop/APD
CFK Interiors
Foley & Cox Interiors
Karen Bow Interiors
Sage Design
Mare Design
Kitchen Garden Natufia Labs
The Workshop/APD for Arteriors Collection Arteriors
Elements by Tecno Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens
Black Tempal Caesarstone
Faux Floral Collections Diane James Home
DUW Wall Recessed Linear Floor Drain Drains Unlimited Inc.
Blanche Neige Élitis
Art + Loom x Fayette Studio Collection Fayette Studio
Pro-Style Gas Range Forza
Monogram Hearth Oven Monogram
Mark P. Finlay Architects, AIA
Gara + Co.
Haver & Skolnick Architects
2017 Finalist Projects: Architecture
2017 Finalist Projects: Bath Design
2017 Finalist Projects: Garden Design
2017 Finalist Project: Interior Design
2017 Finalist Projects: Kitchen Design
2017 Finalist Projects: Small Spaces
Beinfield Architecture
Although this Rowayton house is well anchored on its waterfront site on Long Island Sound, it feels as if you are aboard a steady ship when occupying any of its rooms, stacked on four levels. Despite an uncannily narrow site, the architects and builder were able to position the house as close to the shoreline as possible, while adhering to flood compliance stipulations that the house be raised 14 feet from the water’s edge. The resulting design is at once coastal-casual and urbanely sophisticated. Materials are melded in such a way that the raw steel and concrete elements are softened, even enhanced by expanses of woods, particular cedar used on the exterior. From every room in the house, views are afforded of the water, accomplished in part with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Architectural elements within are as striking as those on the exterior, notably an open tread staircase, all-wood ceilings and a minimalist concrete fireplace in the family room.Photography by Meg Matyia
Cardello Architects
Houses become dated. But with the right architectural team, a house from another era that no longer works for today’s family can be transformed to feel new, fresh and relevant. The 1950s-era house that occupied the site needed a dramatic transformation, inside and out. The architects began, not surprisingly, at the front door. The steep winding approach to the house was made more direct. Hard, constrictive steps leading to the front door were relaxed with gradual stone steps that meld so well with the front lawn they appear to grow in the grass. The roof was lifted and the second story expanded which allowed for extra bedrooms and a soaring entry foyer. The primary bedroom was relocated to the first floor, allowing for an intimate access to the yard. The architects speak of fashioning a “collage” of accent materials that work to imbue the home with character. White oak beams course the kitchen, stone slabs work as outdoor staircases, brass shelves float in space, a rich metallic surface works as a fireplace surround. The house now welcomes a family of today.Photography by Peter Brown
Nautilus Architects
It’s easy to be hypnotized by the architectural rhythm established by this house on the banks of the Connecticut River. The architects conceived of the structure as a series of identically scaled, simply articulated gable-roofed elements linked by flat-roofed connectors. From the entrance driveway, the house appears almost as a village of individual granite residences. These two elements—gables and flat roofs—complement each other, establishing a dynamic of light and dark, smooth and rough, grounded and floating. “The homeowners had some abstract spatial ideas,” architect Christopher Arelt recalls, “one of them being that perhaps the house could be seen through, to the cove beyond.” Arelt responded to this directive by incorporating large expanses of windows that allow one to literally look through the house from the front yard to sailboats bobbing on the water at the rear. “It’s critical to the ultimate success of a building that it be so well suited and connected to its context that it seems like it could not be anywhere else,” adds Arelt. “We positioned the house to capture this view and, in a way, imbue it with power.”Photographs by Robert Benson
Saniee Architects
The new design utilizes 80% of the existing framing and 100% of the existing foundations and built structures. It recognizes that reduction in the overall embodied energy of the combination of everything needed for redevelopment is not only in the thoughtful use of new materials, but also in maximizing the reuse of the existing. The exterior envelope is renovated to become energy efficient and all new windows were placed such that the house takes advantage of the natural orientation of the site and maximizes passive energy efficiency. All new materials were sourced as close to the point of delivery and all electrical, lighting and mechanical system were upgraded.
The renovated house is modern in appearance, layout and use of materials, with the kitchen and family space as the heart. New exterior spaces are made to be an extension of the daily life and the new large deck connects to the bedrooms, making it function as a private courtyard.
The renovated house is modern in appearance, layout and use of materials, with the kitchen and family space as the heart. New exterior spaces are made to be an extension of the daily life and the new large deck connects to the bedrooms, making it function as a private courtyard.
Narofsky Architecture
After their death, the property sat unoccupied into a deteriorating state. Our empty nester clients who purchased the property desired a home not only to accommodate their needs, also that of their children and many grandchildren. All living in NYC, a family getaway compound. The hobbyist husband also requested a workshop where he can build a boat.
A major obstacle to developing this narrow site were code restrictions from the local Conversation Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Fema and the Building Dept. These restrictions, indicated that the existing structures were mostly non-conforming, leaving only a thin sliver of land to build new “as of right”. After meetings with the various agencies, it was agreed that we could renovate the existing non-conforming structures as long as we did not increase their volume and that we could expand into the “as of right” zone.
A major obstacle to developing this narrow site were code restrictions from the local Conversation Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Fema and the Building Dept. These restrictions, indicated that the existing structures were mostly non-conforming, leaving only a thin sliver of land to build new “as of right”. After meetings with the various agencies, it was agreed that we could renovate the existing non-conforming structures as long as we did not increase their volume and that we could expand into the “as of right” zone.
Our solution was to repurpose the existing structures: artist studio to children’s sleeping and recreational wing, architects studio into a family living area and riverside pavilion into a kitchen and master suite. We then incorporated a sinuous addition with a new entry, mudroom, garage, and workshop. The extension's juxtaposition to the existing structures defines an entry court and rear court, with a pool and outdoor kitchen. The house is clad in charcoal fiber cement panels utilized to unify the disparate sections of the home. The dark cladding contrasts with natural wood elements used to define entry as well as the lush natural landscape.
Murdock Solon Architects
The result is a low-slung form that cuts through the rolling terrain, revealing and concealing the size and scale of the residence at the moments that felt appropriate. Three housing blocks rest under one continuous asymmetrical roof stretching 240 feet. The shifting ridge does more than just shelter, it creates visual play on perspective and depth perception, drawing the eye along the length of the house.
The home serves both a private oasis as well as a place to accommodate entertaining. Upon arrival the residence appears to be only a single level. The main entrance is carved from the volume of the house, and frames a clear view to the sky and to century-old maple beyond. Once inside, an enfilade proceeds along the southern exposure, connecting the living spaces. A Corten-clad fireplace provides raw contrast against the clean and modern aesthetic of the interior.
The home serves both a private oasis as well as a place to accommodate entertaining. Upon arrival the residence appears to be only a single level. The main entrance is carved from the volume of the house, and frames a clear view to the sky and to century-old maple beyond. Once inside, an enfilade proceeds along the southern exposure, connecting the living spaces. A Corten-clad fireplace provides raw contrast against the clean and modern aesthetic of the interior.
The southern facade is defined by the two large terraces which traverse the hillside. The highest point, located off the Dining Room and Kitchen, holds for alfresco dining and a place to sit around a crackling fire under the fading light. From here a lower terrace descends to the pool, used for laps and play in the summer months.
Murdock Solon selected materials in a variety of textures that weather naturally, to acquire a soft patina over time. The façade features wire-grooved western red cedar ship-lap, copper rain screen panels, tinted cast-in-place concrete, a lead-coated copper roof, steel windows, and rough-sawn cedar louvers.
Murdock Solon selected materials in a variety of textures that weather naturally, to acquire a soft patina over time. The façade features wire-grooved western red cedar ship-lap, copper rain screen panels, tinted cast-in-place concrete, a lead-coated copper roof, steel windows, and rough-sawn cedar louvers.
P|H Architects
What began as a modestly-scaled Newtown Colonial house, whose origins date to 1784, has morphed into an 8,500-square-foot residence that manages to retain the feel of the original dwelling. P|H Architects responded to the client’s directive that the expanded home preserve as much of the original architecture—post-and-beam construction with mortise-and-tenon construction, wide floorboards and fieldstone fireplaces. To accomplish this design imperative, the architects kept to the scale, feel and quality of the original farmhouse, while creating a new open floor plan able to accommodate a young family.
Part of that reconfiguration involved designing an expansive kitchen with a center island that melds with a great room, and a vigorously articulated stone fireplace with built-in seating areas. Where possible, the architects ingeniously used existing original chestnut wood to create new flooring and timbers.
Beinfield Architecture
Few new subdivisions deliberately embrace past architectural styles as models for houses meant for living today. But all eight houses in Norwalk’s Windover Commons subdivision are meant to replicate classic New England saltboxes, those handsomely proportioned 18th-century houses noted for their long asymmetrical sloping rooflines from front to back and configured of wood siding. Like a typical centuries-old Connecticut town, the houses in the Windover development are clustered in such a way as to suggest a village green.
Unlike the cramped interiors of classic saltboxes, however, these houses embrace an open floor plan in which the kitchen and living room are one; a separate butler’s kitchen keeps mess out of sight. The master bedroom is situated on the first floor, while additional bedrooms are grouped on the second floor, sharing a central gathering area.
Saniee Architects, LLC
The overriding principle was to allow the materials, the textures and the colors to do much of the visual architectural work. One of the motifs that the architects introduced, both inside and on the exterior, was that of woven sticks.
The vertical boards on the exterior are echoed throughout the interiors, most notably with an intriguing, even sculptural, staircase, whose stick-like motif serves also as an interior wall. Ceiling beams further emphasize the idea of woven sticks. Meanwhile, an expansive glass wall effortlessly melds the interior with the outside.
The vertical boards on the exterior are echoed throughout the interiors, most notably with an intriguing, even sculptural, staircase, whose stick-like motif serves also as an interior wall. Ceiling beams further emphasize the idea of woven sticks. Meanwhile, an expansive glass wall effortlessly melds the interior with the outside.
Michael McKinley and Associates
An open floor plan easily links the components, while keeping each distinctive. A 16-foot mahogany sliding door is positioned at the center to capture coastal views.
An open floor plan easily links the components, while keeping each distinctive. A 16-foot mahogany sliding door is positioned at the center to capture coastal views.
David Preusch Architect
Preusch configured an open floor plan to take full advantage of the site’s pond views and swimming pool.
Preusch configured an open floor plan to take full advantage of the site’s pond views and swimming pool.
For privacy, he placed the two bedrooms at the opposite end of the house from the more public spaces, while upstairs he created a studio/loft that overlooks the living room.
For privacy, he placed the two bedrooms at the opposite end of the house from the more public spaces, while upstairs he created a studio/loft that overlooks the living room.
Reese Owens Architects
This spacious fieldstone and wood residence (set amid a 2017 IDAs Landscape Design winner by Wesley Stout Associates) designed by Reese Owens Architects serves as “the new farm’s emblem.”
The vigorously articulated stone barn portion of the structure contains the main living spaces. Avantgarden helped with the interiors.
The spiral staircase in the silo is a special touch.
The spiral staircase in the silo is a special touch.
Browning Residential Design
Additional Resources:
Landscape design, Oliver Nurseries and Design Associates. Builder, Shostak Construction, LLC. Structural engineering, David Kufferman, PE Structural Engineers. Cabinetry (throughout), Wallace Company Woodworking, LLC. Windows and doors, Jeld-Wen, through Clearview, Inc. Sconces and light fixtures, Cape Cod Lanterns. Rocking chairs, Walpole Outdoors. Sconces (mudroom door, left), Pottery Barn. Rug, Redi-Cut Carpets. Chairs and coffee table, Lillian August. Table, Leonard’s Antiques. Chairs and side tables, RH. Glass hurricanes, lamps and pillows, KL Home. Sofa, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Island chairs, S. Timberlake. Refrigerator, range and dishwasher, GE Appliances. Faucet and sink, Rohl. Artwork, Joan Albaugh.
Those sketches increased the size without increasing the footprint. “I worked hard to get the proportioning and massing and details just spot on,” she notes.
“The house is almost like the original sketches”
— Browning Kufferman
And she added those New England details in the form of a spectacular front porch (that the architect sees the couple using all the time when she drives by); solid cedar posts on that front porch; custom-milled interior paneling that was designed (in pencil) on-site; custom exterior molding; and drawing twice as much light into the house by changing the windows and dropping the sills down.
And she added those New England details in the form of a spectacular front porch (that the architect sees the couple using all the time when she drives by); solid cedar posts on that front porch; custom-milled interior paneling that was designed (in pencil) on-site; custom exterior molding; and drawing twice as much light into the house by changing the windows and dropping the sills down.
The clients wanted a simple farmhouse aesthetic on the inside, which comes through in the addition of a few Shaker furniture pieces and clean, bright lines.
At first glance, the house fits seamlessly into its own vernacular, and seems like it’s always been there. It’s on the second and third and twenty-seventh look that the epic nature of its transformation comes into focus—and clearly.
At first glance, the house fits seamlessly into its own vernacular, and seems like it’s always been there. It’s on the second and third and twenty-seventh look that the epic nature of its transformation comes into focus—and clearly.
Sellars Lathrop Architects, LLC
The architects were dealt a challenging site—long and narrow, without a central distribution point or axis around which rooms would naturally organize themselves
“It becomes the dream house; they want the porch, the kitchen, they want this and that, and it adds up”
— Lathrop
Instead of the typical neighboring farmhouse with lots of tiny rooms, the clients wanted something open and light and bright” and that’s what they got.
Instead of the typical neighboring farmhouse with lots of tiny rooms, the clients wanted something open and light and bright” and that’s what they got.
Massive planes intersect with equally massive windows, and the entire house is a study in airy geometry and careful articulations of frame, color and material.
A double-height living room looks out over the water, two enormous sofas angling in toward each other, while an industrialesque catwalk overlooks.
“For most of the week, they feel as if they’re living in a one-bedroom house,”
— Lathrop
A double-height living room looks out over the water, two enormous sofas angling in toward each other, while an industrialesque catwalk overlooks.
“For most of the week, they feel as if they’re living in a one-bedroom house, ”
— Lathrop
P H Architects, LLC
The homeowners were really sophisticated The house
“ They were very particular about the house having a quiet street presence, and then opening up.”
— Hubbard
Reese Owens
Inside the living room, armless sofas through Liz O’Brien are covered in a Holland & Sherry fabric. Rug is through Woven Accents.
From the outside, the house looks like an enchanted fairytale cottage.
From the outside, the house looks like an enchanted fairytale cottage.
Soapstone kitchen countertops from Tedeschi Tile & Marble complement a Rohl farmhouse sink with Lefroy Brooks fittings.
A reclaimed-wood bunk bed designed by Reese Owens unobtrusively slips into the house’s structure.
A reclaimed-wood bunk bed designed by Reese Owens unobtrusively slips into the house’s structure.
Bright white paint outlines the bathroom vanity (fabricated by Nichols Woodworking).
A bright and airy dining room mixes a sleek and modern table with comfortably relaxed dining room chairs and even more supple armchairs. The tall windows provide a view out into the surrounding nature while the solidity of the wooden beams offers respite and protection.
Robert Dean
On the front entry, a bright white exterior wall works functionally to reflect sunlight and conceptually to offer a moment of visual calm.
Open-plan modernism is continued through the steel and light-wood staircase.
Open-plan modernism is continued through the steel and light-wood staircase.
All of the living spaces, such as this living room, by New York-based Carrier and Company are a personal reflection of the homeowners and are grounded in layers of color and texture.
Douglas Vanderhorn
Douglas Vanderhorn Architects
Nautilus Architects
The site for this pool house, a prominent rise overlooking the Connecticut River near Lyme, is dramatic in its own right, but Nautilus Architects wanted to create a structure that would further define its setting.
Notable details include a black, steel-framed clerestory, a vigorously articulated cantilevering I-beam, and sliding pocket doors that open the building directly to the pool, transforming it into a pavilion.
Notable details include a black, steel-framed clerestory, a vigorously articulated cantilevering I-beam, and sliding pocket doors that open the building directly to the pool, transforming it into a pavilion.
Neil Hauck Architects LLC
Neil Hauck Architects LLC managed to incorporate three distinct design themes within a spacious New Canaan residence and pool house. Both the main house and diminutive pool house innovatively reference the quintessential New England farmhouse that is typical of the region; the spaces within an attached garage and game room evoke a kind of modern-day barn, complete with post-and-beam framing; and the element linking the two structures is a glass-enclosed stairwell, seemingly free-floating, and made of solid American black walnut.
The modestly scaled pool house echoes the detailing of the main dwelling, particularly in its clapboard siding and restrained color palette.
Amanda Martocchio Architecture + Design
This century-old home on Darien’s waterfront had been remodeled so haphazardly over the years that the interior and exterior had become disjointed, even dysfunctional. Amanda Martocchio Architecture + Design was enlisted to rediscover the inherent virtues of the residence while bringing it up to date for a modern-day family.
New windows were installed, a warm-gray stain was applied to cedar shingles, vertical siding was added between windows, and a zinc roof imbued the exterior with texture and form.
Inside, a reconfigured layout involved moving the well-used kitchen to the very heart of the home, while a new family room features a wall of French doors leading to a patio.
Inside, a reconfigured layout involved moving the well-used kitchen to the very heart of the home, while a new family room features a wall of French doors leading to a patio.
One knockout feature is the elegant stone pool house with its arched and columned doorways, massive fireplace and inviting seating area.
A covered porch was also added to the main house, along with a new sunroom.
A covered porch was also added to the main house, along with a new sunroom.
Sabine’s New House with Saniee Architects
Here’s a classic-looking house with farmhouse styling that adheres to both smart and green building practices. It was designed with geo-thermal heating, low-VOC materials and lighting and irrigation that can be controlled via a smart phone.
Called the Greenwich House, it offers fun features as well, including a covered porch with an outdoor entertainment center.
Olivia Charney Interior Design
For years, this barn was used as a garage and giant storage bin, but the young family now residing in the Southport house just adjacent to the freestanding building, wanted it to function as a pool house for them and a guest house for visitors. Because the building lies within the town’s designated historic district, it was necessary that its footprint not be enlarged and that the structure had to look as it always had, even though it required significant structural repair. In reconfiguring the interiors, especially the bathroom, Olivia Charney salvaged as much of the existing wood as possible, using old floor joists, for instance, to fashion the bathroom mirror stand, as well as vanities and doors. Now incorporating two full baths, the building’s most inviting one is accessible solely from the exterior, off of an open porch/cooking area. While the structure overall, and the bathrooms in particular, feel modern and bright, the use of the antique woods and iron hardware keep the barn connected to and grounded in its original context.Photography by Amy Vischio
Riverside Design
In this primary bathroom by Michele Rudolph, two seven-foot- wide by five-and-one-half-foot high windows frame unimpeded views of a park-like reservoir. Depending on the season, magnificent specimen red maple trees appear to grow just beyond the edge of the deep tub and the glass-fronted steam shower, a kind of room in itself. A subtle soft-blue marble, defined by a discreet veining, fosters a prevailing serenity and spa-like feel to the room. While soaking in the spacious tub, the user has the option to view the outside foliage and meadows or watch a sleek mirrored television mounted to the wall, the reflective surface of which acts as another kind of window to the outdoors. A charcoal-hued heated floor grounds the space and allows all of the elements to stand out. Rudolph configured custom vanities that cleverly conceal storage areas and electrical outlets. A large vanity mirror always keeps the natural site in full view.Photography by Michael Biondo
Cardello Architects
Every room needs a focal point, and in the case of this bathroom, the freestanding tub, set on a virtual island of graphic marble, assumes that role in the space. The reason this room is so alluring is that, as Cardello Architects boldly admits, “We prioritized aesthetics.” But they did not do so at the expense of function. “Some of the unique challenges of this design were in executing both form and function,” the firm adds, “though we designed the fixtures to function without shower doors, as they would have impeded the desired look of the entire bath.” The existing room in the home was expanded and split into two distinct areas with his and hers vanities. Vintage brass fixtures were chosen as a way to provide a strong contrast against the otherwise light hues in the room. The spacious shower, whose glass wall is secured by an upright portion of marble, is composed of a Tadelakt plaster (essentially a lime wash treatment) rather than more traditional tiles as a way to maintain a cohesive aesthetic.Photography by Peter Brown
Hemingway Fine Homes
Laura Kaehler Architects, LLC
Karen Bow Interiors
Roomsecret
A warren of small, irregularly shaped rooms is now part of a visually and architecturally dynamic bedroom suite in a home in Greenwich. One of the designer’s secrets to making the bathroom and dressing room so inviting was to use an arresting black-and-white, maze-like pattern for the flooring and tiling in the shower. Because the shower has no step, the pattern flows seamlessly from the entrance hall into the shower area and all the way up to the ceiling. The alluring pattern continues on into the discreet water closet. A clever play on that motif is echoed in a diamond-paned window that replaced a single-paned one. Black hardware further emphasizes the pattern, while vintage-style fixtures and industrial modern touches are expertly combined throughout the space.
D2 Interieurs
While a bathroom vanity is meant for grooming and looking into a mirror, the Calacatta Covelano marble that is used on the walls and countertop here is so visually exciting, even dramatic in its patterning, that it’s likely to get the most attention in the room. This new master bathroom suite was part of a house-wide series of additions. D2 Interieurs paid particular attention to every detail when fashioning the master bath suite. The stone used for the heated floor was cut irregularly to replicate an authentic mosaic treatment; the terra-cotta tiling on the shower walls and ceiling is a weathered handmade Moroccan grade; and every pendant light and sconce is sculptural in effect. The slanted ceiling is cut with a deeply recessed skylight, which floods the room with natural light.
Robert A. Cardello Architects
Upon purchasing the property, the client wanted every room to have a view over Long Island Sound. Robert A. Cardello Architects has ensured that the master bath affords the best panorama. To accomplish this, the designers positioned seven casement windows to form a corner and that, in turn, established the very layout of the room. The client is able to use the floating double vanity, the freestanding tub and the shower without ever losing sight of the water and the lovely Shippan Point coastline. As storage was a concern of the client, Veronica Campbell of Deane, Inc. fitted the 10-foot vanity with mirrored doors so that views were not obstructed. The tub was then placed behind the vanity’s back wall. Cove lighting imbues the room with a glowing effect at night.
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
Yvonne Ferris Interiors
Gara & Co.
Brown cabinets and wall trim echoes the color of the bark on the trees just outside. Brass hardware elements bring some shine, if not glamour, into the space, while white marble floors and a white vanity top provide a contrast to the rich wood tones.
Murdock Solon Architects
To achieve the airy vibe, Shea Murdock and Kelly Solon Murdock strayed from the traditional, installing a frosted-glass sliding door from Westport Glass at the entrance. A foot of clear glass remains near the top of the door, revealing the original brick-and-stone walls. The rest of the space was equipped with glass walls and little-to-no visible hardware.
“All the tracking was placed above the ceiling, in the Sheetrock”
— Shea Murdock
Finding a match for the existing stone structure was a bit tougher “This made it a challenge to match.” Stone from three different quarries was used to achieve the look. And a mosaic of tile in the shower complements the stone that’s visible through the glass walls.
“We believe the gatehouse was built from the excavated stone of the mansion itself”
— Shea Murdock
Finding a match for the existing stone structure was a bit tougher “This made it a challenge to match.” Stone from three different quarries was used to achieve the look. And a mosaic of tile in the shower complements the stone that’s visible through the glass walls.
“We believe the gatehouse was built from the excavated stone of the mansion itself ”
— Shea Murdock
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
The vanity itself shines with polished annealed glass on the face of the cabinets and stainless chrome pulls for the hardware. The structure floats over large gray porcelain tiles from Greenwich Tile. The oversized wall tiles provide a simple, flat tone and reveal almost no grout lines.
““It was neat stuff,” Patterson says. “The walls look like they’re limestone.””
Sage Design
The designer took a page from her own book when choosing the cabinetry material and additional features. explains Hodge.
“ I had done their kitchen about two years earlier, so we were very used to each other”
— Hodge
Clean Design
A Nuevo Lighting chandelier softens hard surfaces. Shower enclosure is through Premier Shower Door ; fittings are Phylrich.
Penguin Environmental Design LLC
The shower is lined with Porcelanosa’s Tokyo Wenge and Bambu Blanco Expo tiles.
Bonnie Gabrys Interiors
Stone Forest black-marble sink and Kohler faucet are through Plimpton and Hills.
Sage Design
When a bathroom is able to get children excited about taking a bath, the design is a success. Sage Design was commissioned to create a master bathroom in a new home that would not only accommodate the couple, but also, on occasion, their five children, who apparently eagerly volunteer for a soak in a freestanding tub wrapped in a stainless steel finish.
Another notable fixture is a double vanity made of stainless steel—at once traditional and cutting-edge—with a top and backsplash clad in white marble.
A blue ottoman appears to float on Lucite legs and makes the bright, airy room feel like a living space.
A blue ottoman appears to float on Lucite legs and makes the bright, airy room feel like a living space.
Beinfield Architecture with Clarity Home Interiors
This diminutive, freestanding changing room/bathhouse adjacent to a home’s swimming pool proves that a small space can assume many simultaneous identities. The inspiration for the design and layout harkens to clean, precise Japanese aesthetics. The cabana has four distinct uses: a communal concrete washbasin wall; two changing areas where privacy is maintained via sliding acrylic panels, not unlike shoji screens; and one side that contains a shower room; and the other a toilet chamber. Beinfield Architecture and Clarity Home Interiors were adamant about using natural and green products throughout, including a polished concrete floor at the entrance and a natural stone backsplash.
Douglas Graneto Design
Sometimes a single decorative detail is all the inspiration needed to create an entire room. Douglas Graneto Design’s client fell in love with a glass mosaic tile pattern, one whose essential form assumes a precise geometric grid. Graneto decided to exploit that by positioning the mosaic as a kind of oversized mat in the center of the room. The mat would not only have practical gripping applications, but also serve as the room’s main decorative element. To keep the entire bathrooom space light and serene, the designer chose to mimic the glass tile throughout, ingeniously adding crystal accents to the light fixtures and window treatments.
Rinfret Ltd.
Our judges were wowed by the fact that this Greenwich master bathroom started as a cramped space, fitted with dark-wood cabinetry. The shower experience is truly spa-like now that the steam fixture is infused with lavender oil and the space has views to the outdoors.
Our judges were wowed by the fact that this Greenwich master bathroom started as a cramped space, fitted with dark-wood cabinetry. The shower experience is truly spa-like now that the steam fixture is infused with lavender oil and the space has views to the outdoors.
Otherwise, the room is a study in white and gray, from the gleaming, freestanding white porcelain tub to the graphite-colored floating vanities.
The judges also praised the wall of floor-to-ceiling window centered behind the tub with views onto a natural setting outdoors.
The judges also praised the wall of floor-to-ceiling window centered behind the tub with views onto a natural setting outdoors.
Milton Homes
Garrett Wilson Builders
Saving part of a house is often more difficult than starting with a new foundation. Such was the case with this transformation. Garrett Wilson Builders was faced with preserving parts of a 1950s house and reconstructing, transforming and expanding upon it to erect a new residence. “This was a major renovation,” says the company’s namesake, Garrett Wilson, “and we had to deal with existing conditions that weren’t true, or, rather, were off, and then had to incorporate them into the new parts of the house.” Essentially, the work involved preserving portions of the existing foundation and first-floor walls and, as Wilson says, “building up from there.” Multi-paned steel windows punctuate the facades, making for harmonious elevations, but Wilson explains, “Large format windows present challenges when you’re working with preexisting conditions. Getting them 100 percent level and plumb isn’t easy, but we did, and the effect is striking.” Wilson points to his favorite moments—an archway from the kitchen into the living areas, and a steel fireplace surround. “I haven’t done a lot of fireplaces like that, and it was a breath of fresh air to construct something different.”Photography by Peter Brown
Lankerd Carpentry Custom Builder
Photography by Robert Benson
P|H Architects
Any house dating to the 1700s has secrets, many of which reveal themselves to the builder/contractor on the spot. When P|H Architects was building a sizeable addition to this former farmhouse in Newtown, virtually every wall that came down or floorboard that was removed uncovered a problem that had to be solved. “When we excavated the basement for the addition,” recalls Philip Hubbard, a principal of P|H, “we had to figure out a very quick remedy to hold up the old foundation. There wasn’t a lot of mortar in the stones and they were stacked precariously.” Then and there, they created what’s known in construction as a “dead man,” essentially a solid block of concrete that works as a support capable of holding up, in this case, a house. “We formed it, poured it, and kept it in place.”
Silver Heights Development
Shoreline Pools
The biggest “problem” of a house designed by architect Mahdad Sainee is its biggest asset. “A house of this modest scale designed by anyone else would have been relatively easy to execute,” says the project builder David Lionetti, president of Shoreline Pools, “but Mahdad’s attention to detail required paying extra attention, at every moment, to all of my builders. Everything he designs is at the highest level of detail—even the plumbing and the fixtures, the alignment of the beams, the doors, the soffits.” Sainee’s house was meant to replicate a typical New England farmhouse, simple in its geometry and unembellished, but he imbued every room and surface with a degree of detail that elevates the residence. “Was this a difficult house to build?” Lionetti asks rhetorically. “Only in the details.”
Advanced Home Audio
From the outside, this house assumes the profile of a traditional-style estate, but inside, its rooms incorporate state-of-the-art technology. As Bill Charney, president of Advanced Home Audio, comments on the work performed by his firm, “The homeowners were passionate about modern living, but with minimal intrusion from the technology. We strove to create a system that could succeed within the complexities of its construction while disappearing into the décor.” So zealous was the team that the house now even features windows equipped with motorized insect screens so that no one inside need ever worry about a mosquito bite. Every window and door features a concealed automated system that regulates everything from blackout shades to draperies, with all devices in the home activated by the touch of a button. Other technological wonders include an 80-inch TV that lowers into the floor. Also, because the family was concerned about safe access to the indoor swimming pool, Advanced devised a biometric fingerprint access system with an audible announcement on the home’s speaker system when any door is opened.Photography by Steve Freihon
James Doyle Design Associates
When planning garden areas for a Greenwich house, the designers had to be cognizant of both preserving existing elements while creating new ones. This thoroughly modern residence stands out on its two-acre site as an architectural presence, but it adjoins protected wetlands that could be only minimally modified. The designers connected the house to its unique site via a bridge, the aim being to preserve natural outcroppings, mature trees and the undulating topography, while integrating the bold architecture with nature. A zinc wall links the front and rear landscapes, while a variety of plantings are used to visually extend that wall further into the property. To create a sunken parking courtyard, the designers leveled out the grade and clad the retaining wall in a handsome bluestone, while planting a variety of sculptural trees, including ginkgoes and catalpas. At the rear of the house, glass doors open to a hardwood deck, linked visually to the lawn with a bluestone slab. A swimming pool occupies a discreet site near a rock outcrop, with its surrounding plants chosen for their color and textures and seasonal interest.Photography by Neil Landino Jr.
Devore Associates Landscape Architects
A 1930s French Country–style home set on six acres warranted a garden and landscape that would complementits architecture. A new sinuous entrance approach, parking courts, series of terraces, and a swimming pool were carefully “grown” into the site. At the rear of the house, a sitting terrace, dining terrace and covered outdoor fireplace now follow a linear route. Here and elsewhere, structured plantings are combined with overflowing softer treatments to create an overall relaxed feel to the property. A vegetable and flower garden below the main terrace is edged in wattle. The periphery of the property is planted with native plants that both screen and frame bucolic views. Invasive plants that had taken over areas were removed and replaced with native grasses and colorful wildflowers. Two restored native meadows are now home to a diverse habitat, through which have been mown inviting pathways. A neglected stream was revitalized and has since become a favorite place for the three children of the family to catch frogs and sail their toy boats.
Photography by Anthony Crisafulli
Carol Orr Landscape Design
Although seven individual gardens are configured along the spine of this Essex property—all the way to edge of the Connecticut River—their designer, Carol Orr, prefers to refer to the sequence not as “a pathway, but as a journey.” She adds, “Being able to design seven intricate gardens with one- of-kind materials is a designer’s dream, and, fabulously, the clients’ design sense mirrored our own design style.” Over a period of seven years, Orr created the series of outdoor rooms, each imbued with its own personality and function. Closest to the house lies the Secret Garden, with its bluestone patio covered with a canopy of dogwood. The sunny east side of the property was reserved for the Rose Garden, adjacent to which is the Auto Court Garden encircled with yews and hollies. An Urn Garden features a trompe l’oeil screen to foster the illusion of depth, while the Loft Garden serves as a landing for guests in a second-floor bedroom suite. Both the designer and homeowner continue to populate the gardens with statuary and artifacts, an assemblage so alluring that people are naturally drawn to its river endpoint.Photography by Peter Aaron/Otto
Robin Kramer Garden Design
We stripped away all of the plant material and began to layout the various areas with a series of hedges. For privacy we used massive Thuja occidentalis and combined them with a stunning, mature hedge of Carpinus betulus Fastigiata. Lower hedges of Taxus x media 'Hicksii' line the entry and scroll down the cobble drive.
Custom modern X design gates and zinc bowl planters create a welcoming entry. A porch swing from Dedon catches the afternoon light and offers a view of the four Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' planted in a quad on the drive.
In the rear we raised the land by 10' to create a level lawn and build a pool garden. A custom fence marries with a privet hedge to add a lush textured romance to the otherwise functional demand of a pool fence.
A McKinnon & Harris sectional and Gandia Blasco umbrellas with a gas fire table rests at the far end of at the playing lawn hedged with 4' Buxus. More Carpinus anchor the pool and lawn seating areas while masses of 'Tardiva' hydrangea dance between the hedges.
Steps up from the lawn is the kitchen terrace seating. Two Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill' flag the staircase and offer fragrant blooms during the very first warmer days of the year.
Geometric Buxus parterres are filled with tulips and ombre allium that deliver a spring riot of color and texture. This gives way to a dense planting of Verbena Bonariensis for flower power right through to the first frost.
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc.
Situated along a tidal creek, the home commands spectacular views of this ever-changing natural feature and the Long Island Sound beyond.
They desired a landscape that could be enjoyed from the home’s high vantage point and expansive windows, as well as from ground level engagement with nature in their outdoor living spaces. Shoring-up the eroding edge of their property along the marsh was a priority, as well as integrating an existing tennis court and pool.
The proximity to the creek, a popular kayaking area, required balancing privacy and views from the outdoor living areas. A beautiful sculptural solution emerged that mimics the sinuous nature of these marshlands. Curved, low gabion wall segments were employed as an organic, contemporary expression, creating a natural edge. Filled with smooth river-stone, they reflect the shoreline location. Peastone walkways and sweeping natural buffer plantings are woven together here, providing a sense of privacy, opportunities for exploration, and visual echoes of the marshlands.
Minimal steel and wire mesh pool-code fence traces a new dry-stone retaining wall, mitigating erosion along the property’s edge, and disappears in the landscape behind textural, salt-tolerant buffer plantings.
Steep slopes between the house and tennis court blocked access around the east side. Corten-steel retaining walls and steps, softened with natural plantings, provided a solution that complements the architecture. Steel hand-railings, fencing and Flexi-Pave permeable walkways add functionality.
At the front of the residence, a redesigned entry courtyard and driveway features permeable Flexi-Pave surfacing, reducing site run-off. A water-rill at the entry beckons visitors to engage with the landscape. A simple planting palette of soft grasses and Crepe Myrtle trees grace the entrance.
James Doyle Design Associates
Approaching the home, a custom designed black mahogany gate and white stucco piers are a prelude to the white stucco home and black front door of the residence. Once through the gate, the driveway is lined with tiered hedges of taxus and hornbeam, punctuated by an allée of cherry trees. The planting focuses the view out to the Long Island Sound before the driveway turns into the parking courtyard.
The oil and stone parking courtyard is planted with sheared London planetrees positioned in squares of boxwood, and enclosed by the same tiered hedges of taxus and hornbeam as the driveway.
In the rear yard, mirroring the symmetry of the house, paired seating and dining terraces were designed with a central oversized pathway between leading straight to the water. The edges of the terraces were defined with boxwood and large planters from Belgium.
A vanishing edge pool was designed to take advantage of the Long Island Sound views. For the pool area, a backdrop of sheared London planetrees and clean hedges define the space. Along the property line, extensive large evergreen plants provide privacy.
On the side of the property, a garden intended for viewing from the inside study was developed. Bluestone inlays define the edges of the boxwood square hedges, and a row taxus and espalier linden trees provide a backdrop and frame for an outdoor sculpture.
Rosalia Sanni Design LLC
After the owners of this 1755 Colonial in Greenwich renovated the interiors to better reflect its origins, they decided to do the same with the landscaping. They had Rosalia Sanni devise a design that would honor the property’s history as a farm, while also opening it up and making it more comfortable for an active young family. Hills were leveled, overgrowths of plants were removed, and precarious walking surfaces were taken out. In their place, the designers configured a series of inviting outdoor living areas. Some of the design highlights include a reconfigured driveway paved with gravel that culminates in a new stone wall; new site gradings in back that made room for a firepit, a contemplative fountain and level lawns; and local stone that was used to fashion walls and steps leading to different areas and levels of the garden.
Sean Jancski Landscape Architects
It’s any landscape architect’s dream to be asked to remake an entire plot of ground. Sean Jancski was, essentially, presented with the idea to create a pool and pool house on a two-acre site of Westport’s Saugatuck Harbor. But rather than bulldoze and reshape what was there, the landscape architect preserved the coastal dune system that was in place. Recognizing that he had to “accept and adapt” to the fact, too, that the site would flood and that any coastal locale is subject to changes, Jancski reinforced and built up the existing dunes, all the while adding plants to help prevent the inevitable erosion.
The dune and grassy area serves as a buffer between the new pool house structure and the pool, which are sited directly on Long Island Sound. A series of wide, terraced steps link the pool to the shoreline.
A shade garden was created using maples, ferns and native woodland perennials. Among the plantings, the designers positioned a large urn, noted for its metal finish, to echo the hues of the surrounding tree barks.
Indeed, while the approach to the house is open and tailored, the rear features a variety of intimate terraces that are perfectly scaled for dining, entertaining and lounging.
Indeed, while the approach to the house is open and tailored, the rear features a variety of intimate terraces that are perfectly scaled for dining, entertaining and lounging.
The entrance to the house itself is announced with a pair of oversize sculptural planters set on plinths that are filled with different plantings based on the season. A minimally articulated series of walkways in front link to those at the rear of the house.
Sean Jancski Landscape Architects
A fieldstone retaining wall cuts through the landscape, serving to level the area of the pool and patio, tying it to a new outdoor dining terrace.
The hillsides adjacent to the pool are covered with lush meadow plants and colorful perennials.
The hillsides adjacent to the pool are covered with lush meadow plants and colorful perennials.
Gregory Lombardi Design Incorporated
Local materials and grades of wood are combined with traditional details to create a series of outdoor rooms, of sorts. A moment of drama occurs at the entry as a sudden turn in the driveway results in a grand view of the main façade. Visitors are greeted there by Belgian block, drifts of purple blooms, boxwoods and a symmetry of canopy trees.
Local materials and grades of wood are combined with traditional details to create a series of outdoor rooms, of sorts. A moment of drama occurs at the entry as a sudden turn in the driveway results in a grand view of the main façade. Visitors are greeted there by Belgian block, drifts of purple blooms, boxwoods and a symmetry of canopy trees.
Haver & Skolnick Architects
The challenge, though, was to fashion a mesh tight enough to ward off birds but ample enough to allow in bees to pollinate the bushes.
The challenge, though, was to fashion a mesh tight enough to ward off birds but ample enough to allow in bees to pollinate the bushes.
Hanging from the center of the dome is a large planting dish, irrigated from tubing within the steel structure.
Espaliered vines cover the base, resulting in a texturally lush exterior.
Espaliered vines cover the base, resulting in a texturally lush exterior.
Louis Fusco Landscape Architects
Fusco kept the lines clean. “It’s all about transitions from the architecture to the wilder areas of the property,” he explains. A sinuous drive bordered with understory trees passes through the woodland edge of the nature preserve.
Three new apple trees in the meadow echo the orchard next door. White-barked Himalayan jacquemontii birch dot the entry court
Three new apple trees in the meadow echo the orchard next door. White-barked Himalayan jacquemontii birch dot the entry court
Two large rain gardens sited within the meadow function as storm-water management; maintenance was a consideration. “We’ve done some elaborate gardens, but not here,prime times.
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc.
After Sandy, the house had to be raised above newly established FEMA flood elevations. Vincenta’s challenge was to connect the house and new garden back to the natural shore landscape
Dune-side, durable custom stainless bars brilliantly emulate dune fencing, enclosing the pool at beach level while maintaining views.
“only minor replantings were needed down by the beach. It’s working out terrific”
— Vincenta
Dune-side, durable custom stainless bars brilliantly emulate dune fencing, enclosing the pool at beach level while maintaining views.
“only minor replantings were needed down by the beach. It’s working out terrific ”
— Vincenta
Conte & Conte LLC
Early design concerns included siting the new house atop a rise, where one catches the best views, and creating a graceful approach into the property.
Garden rooms were carefully sited for privacy. Setting the pool atop a four-foot retaining wall removed the need for a safety barrier; the surrounding low stone wall allows the spectacular views to be enjoyed.
Garden rooms were carefully sited for privacy. Setting the pool atop a four-foot retaining wall removed the need for a safety barrier; the surrounding low stone wall allows the spectacular views to be enjoyed.
John R. Conte tackled the project as planner, environmental consultant and artist. But he is most pleased that the property is now a complete and well-loved family retreat.
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc. with Freddy's Landscape Co.
The natural pool is divided into three zones: swimming, shallow regeneration and deepwater regeneration, with all areas sharing the same body of water. Wetland and native plants provide a buffer at the lawn’s edge. Native emergent and pond plants like Carex, Acorus, Iris, Juncus, Lobelia, Pontederia and Typha filter water in the shallow zone. An Ipe boardwalk runs the length of the pool, providing interaction with the adjacent shallow regeneration area, and connecting to the deepwater regeneration area, designed as a lily pond.
Oxygenating plants like Nymphaea (water lilies) and Ceratophyllum are used in the deep-water zone.
Oxygenating plants like Nymphaea (water lilies) and Ceratophyllum are used in the deep-water zone.
The shallow end of the swimming zone features a beach entry, a flip-turn wall and an entertaining terrace.
Gregory Lombardi Design
The designer took the geometry on the front of the house and connected it to the bigger landscape.
Trees form a grid to one side of the house.
Trees form a grid to one side of the house.
Lombardi designed a series of gates, all as a suite, but with each one unique.The gates are large-scale using classic forms, but the joinery is expressive of modern industrial detail.
Devore Associates, LLC
Classic French boxes planted with lemon trees line the pool by Shoreline Pools.
Architect McKee Patterson of Austin Patterson Disston Architects created a new approach to the house and the gate that echoes details in the architecture. Stone courtyard walls are planted with white climbing roses, wisteria and hydrangea.
Architect McKee Patterson of Austin Patterson Disston Architects created a new approach to the house and the gate that echoes details in the architecture. Stone courtyard walls are planted with white climbing roses, wisteria and hydrangea.
All of the elements that Haver & Skolnick Architects introduced into the garden were meant to highlight the property’s rolling hills, capture the distant mountain views, and reference the land’s agrarian past.
The team of designers created a variety of memorable experiences. A winding driveway lined with maples and rhododendrons passes a chicken coop and ends in a courtyard with views of the nearby antique barns, natural cedar structures, a gazebo and dining pergola, and even a wagon shed.
The team of designers created a variety of memorable experiences. A winding driveway lined with maples and rhododendrons passes a chicken coop and ends in a courtyard with views of the nearby antique barns, natural cedar structures, a gazebo and dining pergola, and even a wagon shed.
Wesley Stout Associates
Wesley Stout Associates recognized that as both a home and working farm, this Sharon property, dubbed Q-Farm, needed to combine traditional farm elements with practical home living needs. Situated high on a ridge overlooking the Housatonic River Valley, the designers positioned a pool court so that it embraced the scenic, far-reaching vistas.
They sited a terraced garden below and erected sculptural fencing on the sweeping meadows that serves to protect the farm inhabitants, which include pigs, chickens and cattle. Just as the self-sustaining farm is a model for modern-day farming methods, so too is the landscaping an exemplar of how a garden can be both practical and beautiful.
Anne Penniman Associates
The transformation of a sloping 20-acre site in Lyme involved rerouting a steep driveway through a picturesque woodland landscape, enhancing native forest and grassland habitats already in place, and capturing as many scenic views as possible of the Connecticut River. The client, who serves on major philanthropic boards, also stipulated to Anne Penniman Associates that outdoor entertaining areas be sufficient in scale to accommodate event tents and be protected with retaining walls.
As an homage to the meandering river that flows just beyond, the designers created a series of stone walls that meander through the site while weaving together lawn paths, rain gardens and planting beds.
with Lear + Mahoney
The plan for this hilltop Greenwich property features an innovative mix of both wild and formal elements. Our judges loved the drama of the espaliered lime trees, as well as the boxwood parterre gardens.
Today, the pool and entertainment terraces wrap around the home as natural extensions of its interior spaces.
For example, the expansive pool and dining terrace are raised up to the level of the house, with gracious stone steps leading onto the lawn, gardens and sandy beach.
Havilande Whitcomb Design
Photography by Amy Vischio
S.B. Long Interiors
The rooms of this shingle-style house feel very tailored, and for a good reason. The client wanted the rooms to have a bespoke masculine feel to them, so Susan Bednar Long responded by choosing textiles, colors and patterns typical of a man’s wardrobe. Stripes, tattersall plaids, windowpane prints, checks, seersucker and crisp solid linens accented with elegant piping work their way through the interiors in subtle but striking ways. A grasscloth wallpaper, for instance, in the great room evokes the texture of a nubby linen sports jacket, while the living room draperies reference the pinstripes on a pair of suit pants. The rooms are furnished with classic American pieces, with a long rustic pew-style bench occupying the entry landing, as a way to announce the style found throughout the home. Shaker-style stools, in a blue and white pattern, are positioned at the kitchen island while antique spindle-back chairs are set at the dining table. While one might characterize the interiors as embodying a quintessential Connecticut style, everything about the interiors is original and inviting.Photography by Neil Landino Jr.
Charlotte Barnes Interior Design & Decoration
Even before Charlotte Barnes uncovered walls that were uninsulated and found roofs that leaked, she discovered something else while redoing a 19th-century Fairfield County carriage house as her new home. “The biggest challenge in redoing the house and in furnishing all the rooms was the fact that I was the client,” notes Barnes. “I can walk into anyone’s house and see immediately what needs to be done, but I discovered that I was my own most demanding client.” What has resulted, though, is, as Barnes says, “a brand new 1800s carriage house.” The dwelling’s historic nature and detailing appealed to her and her husband—but figuring out how to configure its old unconventional layout into fresh livable spaces required planning. In what was essentially a gutting, Barnes added a fireplace downstairs in the main living area, and she created a primary suite upstairs with his/ hers dressing rooms, as well with two ancillary bedrooms. Because this house was the answer to downsizing, she was able to respond to her dream: “To surround myself with all my very favorite things—fabrics, furnishings, objects, artworks, whatever I’ve always wanted.”Photography by Francesco Lagnese
CFK Interiors
We were involved from the very beginning which is always preferable. This put us in a position to dictate finishes that worked with the overall design and concept for the house - from major selections such as door hardware and bathroom fixtures down to the smallest details (such as a sheep fence in one of the daughter's bedrooms).
The client loves colour and embraced bold moves. Some of our ideas pushed the envelope but the client was on board! With the main house around 6000 sq.ft, we were faced with keeping the interiors vibrant, modern and exciting without losing the cosy feel of a small farm house. A challenge but one that we felt was easy to accomplish because the client embraced bold moves.
The house is filled with bespoke finishes from New England, England, and France (with many final flourishes being directly sourced from trips to Paris markets and sources in the English country side). No expense was spared as can be seen on the details and craftsmanship, which make this project so special.
Foley & Cox Interiors
Workshop/APD
Karen Wells Design
The kitchen, family room and living room had always been one space that flowed into one another in this New Canaan home, but there was no true relationship among the areas. Plus, each was needlessly dark with heavy furnishings and window treatments. Interior designer Karen Wells decided to make the spaces cohere, while also being brighter and more welcoming.at the table beckons family and guests.
She relocated and enlarged windows, opened up a space that had been semi enclosed, created a bar area, changed the kitchen cabinetry and layout of the room, and designed a new island and a patterned floor composed of interwoven wide planks. A beadboard ceiling carries from room to room. The new dining area now features wall space to showcase some of the clients’ notable art collection, while elegant banquette seating
Sage Design
You could call this a study in good design, for what was once a home library is now a dining room. Rather than remove any existing books and cases, Sage Design decided to enhance and expand the shelving in the space, while also transforming the area into a dedicated dining room. Built-in shelves were made even more conspicuous by adding a deep mink paint color as backing.
An existing wet bar became both a new spot for additional shelves—in this case housing mostly stemware—as well as a useful focal point for the room; the bar can be concealed behind doors. The designers chose a lacquered ebony dining table, around which they grouped 10 lacquered chairs. Given the extreme privacy of the site, window treatments were deemed not necessary, which helps keep the room bright with natural light.
D2 Interieurs
A large house—in this case, 14,000 square feet with a living room measuring 50 feet in length—can also be intimate. Denise Davies of D2 Interieurs saw to that directive in her interior design scheme for this home on Lake Lillinonah in Bridgewater. She was careful, though, to ensure that nothing got in the way of the tranquil water views. Because of the scale of the living room, defined by an imposing coffered ceiling, she created a series of smaller seating areas, while staying true to a consistent hue.
A sitting/gathering area off the kitchen is decidedly less formal, with its sectional sofa positioned in a room of subtle blue accents. The master bedroom, an oasis for the couple, features custom ceiling moldings and sculptural, rope-like sconces. Davies also designed all of the home’s distinctive millwork.
Davies also designed all of the home’s distinctive millwork.
Davies also designed all of the home’s distinctive millwork.
Calla.Studio
Up the modern staircase, there are gallery-like white walls ideal for displaying artwork.
Reese Owens Architects with Jenny Fischbach Design LLC
What was once a dark, working barn on a farm in Washington, CT, is now a bright contemporary living and play space for an active young family. Reese Owens Architects undertook a gut renovation that involved everything from underpinning the old rubble foundation and installing new windows and doors to building a staircase and bridge to a loft space overlooking the great room, even adding a half-court basketball court and a one-story el that houses a lodge-style club room, exercise space and spa bath.Interior designer Jenny Fischbach introduced color and comfort throughout the spaces that include stylish Gio Ponti chairs and geometric area rugs positioned in intimate seating and dining areas. Wood wallboards from Hudson Company establish a handsome contrast to the steel while referencing and honoring the barn’s vernacular past.
Interior designer Jenny Fischbach introduced color and comfort throughout the spaces that include stylish Gio Ponti chairs and geometric area rugs positioned in intimate seating and dining areas. Wood wallboards from Hudson Company establish a handsome contrast to the steel while referencing and honoring the barn’s vernacular past.
D2 Interieurs
Davies introduced a neutral color scheme throughout, adding elements that were true to the home’s 1950s origins while also being true to today’s needs and aesthetics. She mixed vintage artworks, furnishings and accessories with custom pieces, relying on their colors to provide the visual pops in the rooms.
Davies introduced a neutral color scheme throughout, adding elements that were true to the home’s 1950s origins while also being true to today’s needs and aesthetics. She mixed vintage artworks, furnishings and accessories with custom pieces, relying on their colors to provide the visual pops in the rooms.
A lighting fixture above the dining table, for example, is composed of lampshadesin varying hues; sinuous lamp bases provide sources of form; and geometrically patterned rugs activate spaces.
Calla McNamara Interiors
Starting in the existing living and dining rooms, McNamara introduced wall paneling more in keeping with the formal nature of the rooms.
In the kitchen, the face frame cabinetry has an antique look, while the custom metal stove hood, which runs the length of the room, is an unexpected surprise
“Because the ceiling is lower, there are no upper cabinets, so the stove hood dresses things up and serves as a centerpiece”
In the kitchen, the face frame cabinetry has an antique look, while the custom metal stove hood, which runs the length of the room, is an unexpected surprise
“Because the ceiling is lower, there are no upper cabinets, so the stove hood dresses things up and serves as a centerpiece ”
Claiming her biggest challenge was creating a sense of flow and making sure the spaces had adequate light, McNamara used light paint colors to achieve both. Soft grays dominate with a slightly darker, moodier tone in the dining room.
“The original beams, neutral colors and transitional details help create a seamless flow between old and new”
Last Detail Interior Design
After tricking out the entry with a console table supported by faux animal horns and a stenciled cowhide rug guaranteed to dispel any notion of New England
According to Karlan, the color scheme divides into two camps. “They like blue, so I added cream to the mix in the living and dining rooms
“The darker grays in the family room respond to the colors in the stone fireplace”
According to Karlan, the color scheme divides into two camps. “They like blue, so I added cream to the mix in the living and dining rooms
“The darker grays in the family room respond to the colors in the stone fireplace ”
Morgan Harrison Home
Complementing the swoops and swirls is a delicate palette dominated by layers of greige that responds to the homeowner’s desire for elegance and sophistication tempered by hushed tones.
“To that we added a mix of metals—gold and silver—and introduced artwork and accessories for pops of color”
— Harrison
Throughout the house, child-friendly fabrics like the Endurance velvet on the family room sofa prevail. But there’s a slight shift in the living room
“it’s a fresh and elegant house where all members of the family can feel at home.”
— Harrison
Throughout the house, child-friendly fabrics like the Endurance velvet on the family room sofa prevail. But there’s a slight shift in the living room
“it’s a fresh and elegant house where all members of the family can feel at home. ”
— Harrison
Thornton Design,LLC
The Philip Jeffries Bermuda Cocoa wall covering establishes a beachfront ambiance in the family room, where the sofa seat and back cushions are covered in fabric from Quadrille, and the striped yellow throw pillow coverings are from Bennison Fabrics. The Hanging Shade light fixture that illuminates the dining table is from Hollywood at Home, and a http://www.paulferrante.com/ Nantucket lantern lights the way in the kitchen. Kitchen layout and cabinet design are by Deane, Inc.
A trio of lanterns from Vaughan Lighting illuminates the entry hall where a runner from Turabian and Sariyan tops hardwood floors stained a dark walnut. Vaughan Lighting.
A trio of lanterns from Vaughan Lighting illuminates the entry hall where a runner from Turabian and Sariyan tops hardwood floors stained a dark walnut. Vaughan Lighting.
Calla McNamara
A Kohler sink and hardware from California Faucets complement a custom Athens Grey marble countertop.
Another modern touch incudes a glass-lined staircase. Entry artwork is from Antique& Artisan Center. Barcelona Bench is from Design Within Reach.
Another modern touch incudes a glass-lined staircase. Entry artwork is from Antique& Artisan Center. Barcelona Bench is from Design Within Reach.
Arbonies King Vlock, PC
The entry hall was reconfigured into a gallery where the owner displays her work.
The living room sofa sports Knoll Luxe ultrasuede, a Marrione Scouro armchair has cushions wrapped in Koto Leather on a wood frame, both from B&B Italia. Coffee table is from West Elm.
The living room sofa sports Knoll Luxe ultrasuede, a Marrione Scouro armchair has cushions wrapped in Koto Leather on a wood frame, both from B&B Italia. Coffee table is from West Elm.
The house’s minimally furnished entryway, marked by a circular ottoman, serves as a focal point for five rooms that radiate from the space. Notable design elements include an oak and glass staircase positioned against a white paneled wall that is further highlighted by a multi-globed chandelier.
Curvilinear chairs used in the dining room complement the rectilinear space, while a sculptural pendant light casts light onto the tabletop. Throughout the home, materials and furnishings are kept warm and textural.
Curvilinear chairs used in the dining room complement the rectilinear space, while a sculptural pendant light casts light onto the tabletop. Throughout the home, materials and furnishings are kept warm and textural.
D2 Interieurs
When a European family moved to Westport, they wanted their American Colonial-style home to reflect the old world they knew while also being decidedly modern in feel. D2 Interieurs undertook an ambitious gut renovation that included a new kitchen, the remaking of a butler’s pantry into an arts-and-crafts area for a young child, the installation of trimless windows and doors, a new home office, and a renovated master bathroom and powder room. Within the great room, a custom D2 sectional rests atop a custom D2 rug, along with a custom-designed coffee table. An original Eames chair symbolizes the prevailing modern vibe that now characterizes the home.
Carol Flanagan Interior Design
Although interior designer Carol Flanagan, her husband and their (now grown) children had long enjoyed their 1920s farmhouse-style Greenwich home, it was time for a major update. With the children out of the house, Flanagan teamed up with Two Tall Trees to open up every room to the light and the views that characterized the property.
Clean Design Partners
In this Greenwich home, the designers were charged with a gut renovation of all four floors, a project that also added space to the second floor to enhance the master suite. “This house has a lot of drama!” said our judges, who also praised the dynamic colors chosen.
Downstairs, one of the focal points is the kitchen and dining spaces.
“Every decision, from the floor stain to the accessories, was meant to keep this house feeling open and fresh.”
— CLEAN DESIGN PARTNERS
DEANE, Inc.
a soup bowl or tea kettle, was allowed to block views of Long Island Sound. One method for ensuring this was to build open steel shelving units that maximized storage space while also preserving the water views. Peter Deane designed blackened- steel, open-shelf units over the island and as upper cabinetry flanking the hood to maintain a prevailing sense of light and airiness. While the kitchen itself is, indeed, a distinctive area of the home, it melds seamlessly with the adjacent living and dining areas. The slab-front cabinets with stainless-steel hardware are made of a gray/white rift oak that serves to soften the room as a whole. Clean-lined Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances—along with a sink from the Galley—work to make the space modern and industrial in feel, though intimate, even cozy. Black granite countertops with a Venetian finish add a dash of texture and visual interest to the room. While cooking and dining, scenic Long Island Sound remains in full view.Photography by Paul Johnson
Robert Dean Architects
In keeping with the prevailing English Edwardian–style architecture of this former carriage house, the reinvented kitchen could easily be a period piece out of Britain, yet the room remains firmly rooted in today’s Fairfield County. Although the architects speak of the structure as having “great bones,” the kitchen area was one composed of cramped, oddly shaped rooms. The architectural team doubled the original kitchen, a process accomplished largely by expanding the footprint to capture and envelop a former wraparound porch. Subsequent room was found to build a butler’s pantry and breakfast area, the latter now incorporating views of the rear garden. Ceilings reach 10 feet in the main kitchen workspace with cabinetry detailing that references the glazing on the porch. Cabinets in the butler’s pantry assume a more formal character and configuration, rising all the way to the ceiling, though interspersed with multi-paned glass-fronted units. Color is used in a clever fashion to further distinguish work and storage areas—with light grays used in the main kitchen area and a rich teal in the butler’s pantry.Photography by Neil Landino Jr.
Nautilus Architects
A new recipe was needed to make the existing footprint for this kitchen and dining space function and look better. The Nautilus team refers to the room as originally having a “too-tall sloped ceiling leading to nowhere.” And, yet, the room’s height is one of its best features. “The ’80s-style contemporary house gave us the opportunity to introduce dramatic height in the kitchen environment,” explains Christopher Arelt, of Nautilus Architects. “I opted for the empty space to remain the protagonist.” By reworking the very geometry of the space, the architects created a harmonious, voluminous roof coursed by an even 12-foot ceiling. A dropped ash beam demarcates distinct working/living/dining areas. The room easily accommodates an 11-foot island with dual waterfall ends, generously scaled 36-inch-square porcelain floor tiles, and bold rectangular cabinetry. The architects chose ash wood, neutral glass tiles, and light gray solid surfaces as a way to “convey a Zen-like serenity upon the space,” adds Arelt. Walls of black-framed sliding doors foster an interplay between indoors and out.Photography by Bill Crofton
Sage Design
My client and I decided right away that we needed to tie this space together with a strong color that we could repeat with many textures, patterns and materials. We decided to use navy as our base color by painting the windows, fireplace and the pantry doors a deep hue. The navy glass backsplash is a gloss version of the same color and adds shimmer and texture. The fabrics used are all laminated for high traffic use and vary in their blue and gray tones. The hammered stainless steel island and shelves are a great complement to the navy backdrop.
The family uses this whole space. The second island with the stainless steel base and white marble top is used for homework to stay out of the cooking area or for the kids to have their own "table" when friends come over. The main island has an integrated sink for easy food prep. For family dinner, They all come together in front of the fireplace to share a meal. My client tells me she can never move and find this perfect a kitchen again!
Mare Design
For this all new construction home, the scope of the project for Mare Design included all new furnishings, lighting, millwork and accessories for the entire home. In addition, Mare Design created custom cabinetry for the kitchen that is in keeping with the elegant and refined aesthetic throughout the entire home.
Nailhead detail on the cream stools play off the reflective accents in the dining chairs and stunning chandelier. Elegant yet understated light fixtures over the kitchen island provide an understated glamour to the kitchen space while the striking veining of the marble backsplash indicates that this is a chic and refined space. Layers of white on white bring a calming ambience to the kitchen that carries over to the adjoining dining space and living area. The result is a sanctuary in the heart of the home that exceeds the high expectations of the discerning homeowner. This calming space is where she enjoys relaxing after long days at work.
Mare Design collaborated with Granoff Architects and Byrne Woodworking on this innovative and elevated approach to the open kitchen concept. The total cost for the kitchen was $170,000.
Karen Bow Interiors
Studio Dearborn with Tami Wassong Interiors
A kosher kitchen needs to do double duty. To fulfill that requirement, Studio Dearborn made room in this Greenwich kitchen for two prep areas, two cleanup stations, and separate storage areas for dishes, cookware and refrigerated food items. Concomitantly, the designers fashioned a warm, sophisticated, flexible kitchen, notably defined by expanses of handsome walnut, a material that appears on cabinets, drawers, the stove hood, tambour doors and even on the pendants.
Three soft, saddle-leather stools are positioned at the generously scaled island, which is painted a lapis blue, while a colorful antique Persian runner—not typically a decorative ingredient in most kitchens—completes the space. In conceiving the new plan for the room, the designers fully addressed and met the three critical criteria for any kitchen: aesthetics, functionality, storage.
Huestis Tucker Architects
Proof that opposing styles can harmonize. The challenge for this kitchen/family room renovation and expansion in New Haven was to find a way to seamlessly meld a 19th-century Victorian house with a clean, open, thoroughly modern cooking and lounging space. The clients also wanted the new room to be bright with natural light and to capture unimpeded south-facing views of their garden.
Huestis Tucker responded to the challenge by eliminating an existing L-shaped space to make the room one large square that encompasses cooking, eating and sitting. Doors, windows and ceiling beams were carefully positioned to help differentiate areas of the room. The mullioned steel doors and windows add an engaging, but subtle, geometric element to the room. The resulting overall feeling of the new space is that of a loft or greenhouse in its ability to embrace light and air.
Studio Bartolotta LLC
Andrew Bartolotta answered their wishes by combining a separate family room and kitchen into a unified space. Counter windows ingeniously slide open to create a bar surface on both the inside and outside deck for pool parties. The handsome kitchen cabinetry, whose Shaker-style panels are a stylistic nod to the house’s Colonial roots, was created by Nukitchens. One end of the island, accented by Circa Lighting pendants, features a wood-grain chopping block, while the other end features a casual dining area that opens into the family room.
Gara & Co.
Cabinetry sports a natural hue that references the gradated shades of bark on the trees outside. Existing rustic beams were incorporated into the modern overall scheme. Pale countertops and a slabbed backsplash work to reflect light back into the room. Morse was also careful to minimize the low ceiling heights by not having an overhead hood. Horn and brass drawer handles punctuate the otherwise neutral space.
Cabinetry sports a natural hue that references the gradated shades of bark on the trees outside. Existing rustic beams were incorporated into the modern overall scheme. Pale countertops and a slabbed backsplash work to reflect light back into the room. Morse was also careful to minimize the low ceiling heights by not having an overhead hood. Horn and brass drawer handles punctuate the otherwise neutral space.
Deane Inc.
A walnut butcher block prep area is integrated into the main island, which features a pair of wooden lion heads salvaged from the original part of the home and used as countertop supports.
Caryn Bortniker Design
Bortniker, who had completed kitchen projects for some of the homeowners’ friends, found the decisiveness of her client to be a huge asset. “When I found the Jonathan Adler chandelier, I sent her a photo from the store, and 10 minutes later it was a done deal!” notes the designer. The chandelier sets the tone for the space by simultaneously adding drama and playfulness above the generous island.
Additional Resources:
Cabinetry, New Perspective Cabinetry & Design. Countertops, Caesarstone, through Kitchens by Design. Chandelier, Jonathan Adler. Appliance handles, First Impressions International, through Doorware.com. Backsplash, Ann Sacks. Cabinetry hardware, Emtek, through Klaffs. Faucet, Grohe, through Bender. Flooring, Tile America.
Centering the sink on a pair of double-hung windows created a focal point that let the sun shine in, while open shelves provide visual interest and an opportunity to introduce colors or shapes through whatever is stored there
“ not typical of the suburbs ”
— Bortnike
Calla McNamara Interiors
For the palette, the designer took a slight detour from gray on gray or all white: This home lent itself to a fresh beach palette
“I like the microwave placement”
— McNamara
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
Black leather drawer pulls and dark wenge wood provide a chic contrast to large shiny porcelain panels and Carrara marble countertops.
J.E. Masone Architecture & Design, LLC
The homeowners’ own table and chairs add a pop of color next to the island, topped with honed Statuario marble from Paramount Stone to match the countertops and backsplash.
Rejuvenation sconces hang over Marvin windows that frame the historic beech tree outside.
Rejuvenation sconces hang over Marvin windows that frame the historic beech tree outside.
Mark P. Finlay Architects AIA
Weathered posts and beams add to the rustic aesthetic.
Clean Design
A Lenova sink with Grohe fittings is the perfect place to work while admiring the view. Just beyond, an Arteriors chandelier hangs over a Nuevo Living table.
Sage Design
Yes, many families do like to gather in the kitchen, but Sage Design was cognizant of finding a way to make sure this active family of seven could congregate there to cook, dine and entertain. The client wanted to remove most of the upper cabinets, and Sage responded by replacing them with cantilevered stainless-steel shelves positioned on either side of the sink; other shelves appear to float on the wall.
The marble backsplash was continued up and behind the shelves for consistency; puck lights provide ambient lighting at night. An expansive island is composed of hammered stainless steel, a direct echo of the steel cabinets. Meanwhile, sleek glass doors conceal stainless steel appliances.
Wheelock Design with Alisberg Parker Architects LLC
The traditional and the avant-garde meld seamlessly in this kitchen that was the result of a close collaboration between Wheelock Design and architects from Alisberg Parker. The chief design motif references Scandinavian minimalism through its embrace of natural materials and an emphasis on subtle textures throughout the room.
The open-plan kitchen, which incorporates an inviting breakfast nook, features traditional-fronted cabinetry, a quartz backsplash, panel-fronted appliances, medium-stained hardwood floors, and a handsomely designed waterfall-topped island that is able to seat three. Hanging retro light fixtures, coupled with metallic accents on the hood and faucets, and decorative hardware heighten the prevailing midcentury feel.
Carol Flanagan Interior Design
Once their three grown children were out of the house, interior designer Carol Flanagan and her husband started their empty-nester phase. Her plans for updating and renovating their Greenwich home, a 1920s-style farmhouse, involved a major re-do of the kitchen.
In conceiving the plans, the couple assessed how the roles of the kitchen and other rooms had changed. Recognizing that natural light and views were among the house’s best attributes, Flanagan and architects from Two Tall Trees fashioned an open-plan kitchen where family members could work and socialize. Windows, doors and rustic beams were added, along with period details to create a new aesthetic.
Its focal point is a central island with stone waterfall edges and dramatic pendant lighting fixtures. Warmth is conferred by white oak floor finished in a soft gray and by the light that pours in through the oversized windows and the glass doors that step out onto a covered stone porch.
Matthew Dougherty Architect, LLC
This sleek, modern kitchen offers a crisp contrast to the more traditional exteriors of the owners’ New Canaan Colonial.
Project Playroom
Fabric
Urbane
Alpilles
Fabrics
Designer Hood Collection
Cosmopolitan Table Collection
Merida
Outdoor Midday
for low maintenance. The new Midday pattern, in a natural white, echoes industrial concrete and is embellished with warmer grays and a confetti of cloudy sparks.
Thom Filicia for Accurate
Monogram Hearth Oven Monogram
Pro-Style Gas Range Forza
Art + Loom x Fayette Studio Collection Fayette Studio
Blanche Neige Élitis
This precious artisanal collection brings together ancestral natural materials. They are for the most part worked by hand, in a terrestrial palette of colors - neutral, pearly or shiny.
DUW Wall Recessed Linear Floor Drain Drains Unlimited Inc.
Faux Floral Collections Diane James Home
Black Tempal Caesarstone
Elements by Tecno Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens
The Workshop/APD for Arteriors Collection Arteriors
Kitchen Garden Natufia Labs
The technology of the Kitchen Garden automatically maintains the perfect light, temperature, water and pH level to ensure optimal health for the plants. It also optimizes all minerals, nutrients and vitamins for the non-GMO leaves and flowers. Since it is controlled indoors, homeowners do not need to worry about pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. These are year-round, 24/7, kitchen-to-table ingredients without the concern of weather challenges or seasons.
The seeds are strictly non-GMO, certified both organic and Demeter—today's most strict certification for seeds.
DXV
Relax in cascading water flowing over your shoulders and back with the DXV Drop-in Airbath with Aqua Moment Waterfall, inspired by the soothing tranquility of Japanese hot springs. Adding to the calming experience, the tub features mood-enhancing chromatherapy, plus an airbath system with 360-degree jets for light or deep-water massage and a heated air blower to maintain the water’s warmth. $7,140, available through Torrco, torrcodesigncenter.com. dxv.com.
Delta Pivotal Kitchen Faucet
The Delta Pivotal kitchen faucet suite is distinguished by its angular, high arc design, slanted spouts and sleek handles combined with modern technology. The optional Touch20 capability allows users to activate water with a simple touch. Pull-down, pull-out and exposed hose faucet configurations in chrome, stainless, polished nickel and black stainless finishes are offered. $536, in chrome, available through Best Plumbing Tile & Stone, bestplg.com, deltafaucet.com.
Liaigre
The Sumi dining table by Liaigre received a lot of oohs and ahas for its dramatic design. Reminiscent of calligraphy brushstrokes, the table is named for the Japanese "ink stick." The base is available in oak or wire-brushed oak and is topped with a striking black and white marble. $35,400, liaigre.com
Frank Webb
Homeowners are asking for the latest techno-toilets with all the bells and whistles, according to our panel of designers. They agreed that the American Standard Advanced Clean 3.0 Bidet seat offers a great option for upgrading an existing toilet, providing a spa-like experience with remote-control options, including adjustable dual water spray nozzles, a heated seat and a warm air dryer. $1,650, available through Frank Webb, frankwebb.com, americanstandard-us.com.
Brizo
Touted for its sculptural appearance and use of raw materials, the Vettis single-handle concrete faucet by Brizo scored high marks. T.J. Eads’ imaginative waterfall design, sculpted by Christopher Shannon, is formed in a textural hand-poured concrete. Introduced as a limited edition, only 500 of the faucets are being made. $2,500, reserve online at brizo.com/vettisconcrete.
Linherr Hollingsworth
Solving the necessary evil of awkward and ugly pet gates, interior designer and dog owner Linherr Hollingsworth engineered an architectural, freestanding gate secured with a pair of bronze metal feet. Neodymium magnets embedded in the gate doors allow the doors to swing open for human access while keeping pets in their place. Price upon request, available through Linherr Hollingsworth, linherrhollingsworth.com.
Native Trails
Citing the streamlined silhouette, coupled with the organic nature of wood and stone, our designers had high praise for the Native Trails Solace vanity. The clean, transitional style of the vanity base is offered in a choice of two oak finishes—a dark, black Midnight and light-colored Sunrise—and is paired with a cool NativeStone concrete top and integral shelf. $1,750–$2,750, available through Bender, benderplumbing.com, nativetrailshome.com.
Carol Kurth
Architectural with minimalist lines, the Urban Edge hardware collection is made in Connecticut, shown here in black iron with an oil-rubbed bronze finish. Created by architect and designer Carol Kurth, the circular pulls and hooks are her answer to a void she discovered in the hardware market while searching for her own projects. Price upon request, made to order with a variety of finishes, the hardware is available through Carol Kurth Interiors, carolkurtharchitects.com.
Linherr Hollingsworth
Presenting a fresh face for window treatments, interior designer Linherr Hollingsworth’s Tanti Baci passementerie was a winner with the judges for its practicality and creativity. The sculptural metal trimmings, in organic, classic and geometric shapes, are magnetized, adhering to new or existing drapery panels and shades for a no-sew embellishment. In addition to dressing up drapery, the magnets allow panels to close completely to block outside light. Price upon request, available through Linherr Hollingsworth, linherrhollingsworth.com.
Tidelli Outdoor Living Pendulo outdoor swing
GROHE GrohTherm Smart Control Shower System
Plexi-Craft Nexus table
Brizo® Vettis two-handle faucet
Eldorado Stone Vintage Ranch stone panels
Élitis Morotai wallcovering
XOKR KERRI ROSENTHAL Studio Floor pattern
American Standard Beale MeasureFill pull-down kitchen faucet
Luca Andrisani by Lenox Readers' Choice
Robern, Inc.
Robern, Inc. Profiles collection
Linear SteamHead, Mr. Steam
Jules Chandelier, John Pomp Studio
Pinna Paletta, designed by Laura Kirar for Kallista, marries textural geometry with sleek finishes. Handle and spout engraving details are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian-like patterning, while a variety of polished and antique-matte finishes amp up this basin set’s playful nature. Starting at $1,195, through Klaffs, Norwalk.
Outdoor Living Signature Grates, Coyote
Outdoor Living Signature Grates Coyote
The process of making the textiles of Fabric & Steel's Collection 2 begins in Belgium, where the linen is harvested and manufactured.
Robern's Balletto vanity boasts long, slender legs reminiscent of a stiletto’s heel and the pointe work of a ballerina.
Robern's Balletto vanity boasts long, slender legs reminiscent of a stiletto’s heel and the pointe work of a ballerina.
With an eye on the horizon, DXV recently introduced an entire collection of 3D-printed faucets. Shadowbrook (shown here) features 19 separate waterways and was crafted using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering).
Time to keep the real gems of your house outside of the cupboard. The Freya pulls by Matthew Studios—available in amethyst, clear quartz or smokey quartz (shown here)—combine luxury-soft glimmer with angular metal and stone. Finishes in polished brass (shown here), nickel or chrome modernize the timeless piece. Price upon request, through Katonah Hardware, Katonah, NY.
Time to keep the real gems of your house outside of the cupboard. The Freya pulls by Matthew Studios—available in amethyst, clear quartz or smokey quartz (shown here)—combine luxury-soft glimmer with angular metal and stone. Finishes in polished brass (shown here), nickel or chrome modernize the timeless piece. Price upon request, through Katonah Hardware, Katonah, NY.
A refrigeration system in the bedroom may seem out of place, but it’s the ideal location for many cosmetics that do better in a chilled environment. True's new Spa and Makeup station combines the brand’s signature refrigeration system—keeping contents as cool as 33 degrees Fahrenheit in its 15-inch under-counter refrigerator—with an understated vanity. $3,200, through Aitoro, Norwalk.
Painho Chair Tidelli Outdoor Living
MGS Milano
THG Paris Monte Carlo Faucet
Finally, junk drawer begone! Aluminum interior accessories from SieMatic offer endless configurations with supplemental inserts that can be easily rearranged to create utensil compartments as needed. Elements are precision-engineered to fit any drawer. Starting at $1,200, SieMatic (T), A&D, 212-752-7900, siematic.com.
Urban Jungle
Our editors loved this all-in-one hardworking sink by Kohler! The stainless steel Prolific sink features three work zones and five accessories that fit into tiered levels for a customized workspace. Price upon request, through Best Plumbing, Stamford
Curves Ahead
We adored the shimmer of the Longmont pendant’s glass shades, formed by laying strands of brass in molten glass while blowing it into shape, creating bubbles that glow with warmth. $2,625, Hudson Valley Lighting, through Klaff’s, Norwalk, 203-866-1603, Danbury, 203-792-3903, klaffs.com, hudsonvalleylighting.com.
California Faucets reworked the drain with ZeroDrain—the first “pop-down” drain. Two simple components sit flush with the sink, eliminating an unsightly pop-up. $129, through D&D Fine Homes, Darien, 203-655-4455, calfaucets.com, dndfinehomesllc.com.
California Faucets reworked the drain with ZeroDrain—the first “pop-down” drain. Two simple components sit flush with the sink, eliminating an unsightly pop-up. $129, through D&D Fine Homes, Darien, 203-655-4455, calfaucets.com, dndfinehomesllc.com.
The ultimate in beauty inside and out, Robern provides integrated bathroom organization with the AiO cabinet. In a mirrored finish, it features dimmable task lighting, electrical and USB outlets and magnetic storage for grooming tools. Price upon request, through Ferguson (T), D&D, 212-688-5990, ferguson.com, robern.com.
Wish you had a doctor for your soil? The Edyn Garden Sensor is a revolutionary device that, when inserted into soil, reads such factors as moisture, nutrition, humidity and sunlight, then provides tips to help plants thrive. Information is sent directly to a corresponding iOS app. Garden sensor, $100, through Home Depot, homedepot.com, edyn.com.
Roughan Interiors
There is fun to be had in a swimming pool but also other kinds of fun in a pool house, like this one designed by Christina Roughan. The columned, pitched-roofed structure punctuated by an oval attic window relates directly to the existing house, with its ample use of stone and sturdy clapboard siding, materials able to weather the New England climate. Inside, expanses of teak wood are combined with blue stone and bronze, materials particularly evident in the shower, kitchen, powder room and on the doors. A soft palette of blues, ivory and coral subtly work their way though the structure—a space that is at once chic and sophisticated, but also inviting and approachable. There are multiple areas for lounging and entertaining—at the vigorously articulated stone fireplace with its giant TV screen, around the pool itself, and at a multi-seat outdoor bar. But while the owners and their guests certainly like to take a dip in the pool, the outdoor shower, a virtual room in itself, beckons too.Photography by Jane Beiles
Cardello Architects
Pun intended: The driving force behind this structure is a 1950s Corvette convertible, so valued by its owner that he wanted to display it as a work of functional art on his property. The client commissioned the Cardello team to design what he adamantly emphasized was to be a car barn and not a garage. To best accommodate the request and to best show off the gleaming vehicle, the architects fashioned a dark, minimalist structure that highlights the car while not overpowering the property. Skylights in the metal roof allow for natural light to pour through by day, while hanging light fixtures work as display spotlights at night. As a result of a newly positioned driveway, the client can effortlessly drive his car in and out of the triple-panel industrial steel doors, and should he wish to add to his collection, there is room for two additional vehicles. Frosted glass panels conceal the car from the roadway, while sliding glass panels on the opposite side keep it in full parked view.Photography by Dennis Carbo
Saniee Architects
In New England, it makes sense for a pool house to be something else in the off-season. As architect Mahdad Saniee says, “The program for this pool house called for creating a calm and modern pavilion, which feels like an open gazebo in the summer, yet is fully usable year-round.” His sleek, elegant, Modern structure is about opposing elements: open in summer versus closed in winter, shade versus sunlight, hard patio materials versus “soft” pool water, public areas for lounging versus private ones for changing. Indeed, the open pavilion plan embraces the pool and lush grounds, while during the rest of the year, its solid masonry mass makes it a thoroughly livable dwelling. A daringly dramatic roof extends and slants 12 feet over the front glass to capture sky and sun, while interior skylights bring in natural light in colder months. An engaging rhythm of slats filter light and allude to a traditional pergola structure. Glass panels open at the touch of a button, transforming the space from an enclosed room to an open pavilion.Photography by David Sunderberg/Esto
Gara + Co.
Formerly a tiny 1960’s Compo Beach summer bungalow, it is now a year-round residence of an owner who enjoys entertaining and presented a floor planning challenge.
The “dining room” (previously the front porch) is a total of 135 square feet and has an awkward configuration, 17 1/2 feet wide by only 7 ½. The living room, is but 208 feet .
The first decision was to use a limited palette, keeping the visual flow as seamless as possible; all white was chosen and used in every conceivable texture.
The solution for the dining room was to construct a banquette covering the 17 1/2’ feet length thus eliminating the need for room to push back chairs on one side and to split the table in two so diners can more comfortably move in and out. This creatively resulted in a bonus that provided the opportunity to soften the whole area with beautiful cushions and throw pillows inviting very casual dining and lounging around the tables.
The living room was also challenge; there was no room for more than a loveseat seat size sofas. So instead a pair of chaise lounges were chosen which offered a longer and more slender look but provided deep comfort and lots of seating.
The entire scope of work included a complete renovation of the space, new oak floors set in a chevron pattern, and a newly a designed fireplace using local river rock. Additionally several ceiling beams were added to the existing structural ones to give the low 7’5” ceilings some enhanced style.
Haver & Skolnick Architects
The program included a central lounge with visual connection to the swimming pool, a gym which could be used throughout the year, a pantry, powder room, laundry and storage for pool toys and accessories.
Mark P. Finlay Architects, AIA
Designed with transparency, the symmetric and oversized black steel window frames provide a sight line through the entire building. Deep blue barn doors are suspended on a track to fully open and close.
Clarity Home Interiors
Upon approving the design of their in-ground swimming pool at their Darien home, the homeowners decided to dive into yet another project simultaneously—a pool house that would reference not only their main house but also the pool itself, a serene, square watery oasis. Although the main house is sizeable in scale, the clients wanted the pool house to be casual and open, to function as an extension of the outdoors.
Clarity Home Interiors came up with a plan for a 319-square-foot structure that feels much larger because of a pergola, as well as a two-story brick fireplace that incorporates a grill. Within a decidedly small footprint, the designers expertly configured a kitchen with beverage storage, a washer/dryer unit concealed behind a cabinet, and a changing room with a small full bathroom.
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
It would be easy to invoke musical metaphors to describe this Redding barn—but, truly, all of the elements harmonize. Upon being commissioned to transform this former barn into an informal venue for music, Austin Patterson Disston Architects described it as a “kaleidoscope of a structure with various circa 1970s additions.” The designers stripped away more than 2,800 square feet of it to reveal the original 19th-century structure, which might likely have one time functioned as a cider mill.
That original structure once belonged to the famous 20th-century violinist Jascha Heifetz, who often invited musicians to play with him there. By sheer coincidence, the new owner’s grandmother had been one such musician, and the owners were intent on restoring the barn to its former role. Now, within the weathered board and batten pine structure, musicians gather again for small recitals.
Kelly + Co.
This small house came with a big directive. Kelly + Co. was given two months to transform this Roxbury farmhouse into a thoroughly modern, thoroughly livable weekend getaway for a glam newly betrothed Hollywood couple. They wanted everything in place for themselves and their guests by the time they took their vows. Every inch of available space was used by the team of designers, including 18 inches in a kitchen closet that allowed for a tub in the bathroom.
All existing window frames were painted a soft black and left without any heavy draperies, a new front door brought in much-needed natural light, and window seats were fashioned to take in woodland views. By wedding time, the house had become a hybrid of California-cool, Boho chic and farmhouse casual. The designers were invited to the wedding.
Denemede
Peyton Cochran for EPiC
Robson Leonard Design
The renovation process involved lifting the barn structure and adding a new support system below, which allowed Deirde O’Farrelly Architects to expand the footprint. In redesigning the interior spaces, they were able to create a working kitchen and tiled full bathroom. An interior staircase was then added, as well as a small pool house and a picturesque potting shed.
The renovation process involved lifting the barn structure and adding a new support system below, which allowed Deirde O’Farrelly Architects to expand the footprint. In redesigning the interior spaces, they were able to create a working kitchen and tiled full bathroom. An interior staircase was then added, as well as a small pool house and a picturesque potting shed.
Peyton Cochran Designs
In daylight through the clerestory windows, vibrant purples and oranges combine bohemian flare with the tropical tones of the homeowner’s beloved vacation spots.
“He doesn’t like contemporary design that feels sterile, and that’s where the wood plays a very important part”
— Cochran
D2 Interieurs
The playfulness continues with the loft’s canary yellow accents: Vibrant artwork, citrus candles and the kitchen backsplash’s backlit painted glass emphasize light and color in an otherwise whitewashed space
“I wanted it to have this illusion that everything was floating”
— Davies
Laura Kaehler Architects, LLC
Incorporating Douglas fir beams helped to elongate and warm the 783-square-foot interior. While Kaehler chose the light pewter gray paint, the client and his wife decorated the space themselves
Austin Patterson Disston Architects
Amid a grouping of tall white pines that flourish on this property now stands a 40-foot dovecote folly that beckons family members and their guests. Not unlike the garden pavilions that once figured into the gardens of Italian Renaissance edifices, as well as English estates, this 106-square-foot folly, designed by architects from Austin Patterson Disston, serves as a structure solely for relaxation.
Situated amid the trees like a stage set, the dovecote is defined by 12-inch diameter wood poles, galvanized steel brackets, and a metal staircase with a sheep-and-goat-motif railing that leads to an upper deck and a studio. Small barrel arches at the top playfully reference a traditional dovecote.
Wheelock Design with Alisberg Parker Architects LLC
In what is regularly cited as one of the state’s most picturesque sites, overlooking a Connecticut River cove in Lyme, a new 600-square-foot pool house by Nautilus Architects melds seamlessly with an infinity-edged pool. The architects erected a terrace plinth to support the structure, as well as contain the pool and an outdoor living space. The pool house functions as both a casual retreat on the property and a self-contained dwelling, complete with a kitchen, built-in bar-height table for dining, a defined seating area, and a changing/shower space. When 25-foot-wide pocket doors are slid out of sight on the pool side, the dwelling transforms into an open-air pavilion.
In the small space, the designers managed to pack in reception, kitchen, work and lounge areas, all the while relying on favorite materials to confer an ease and elegance, including a white lacquered floor, matte clay walls and bleached wood beams.
The soaring ceilings and walls of glass in the main living area create a sense of elegance, while the adjacent kitchen and lounge spaces are more relaxed.