For this project, we were asked to give new life to a house near the Long Island Sound which had suffered a disastrous modification in the 1970’s (top two floors unsympathetically lopped off to conserve energy). Prior to that unfortunate misjudgment the building was a good example of Federal style architecture. We were asked to reformat and redress those mistakes by envisioning a new identity for the house and to increase the house size to 10,000 square feet (from 6,000 sf). The clients, a young couple with impeccable taste, were interested in creating a welcoming, gracious Shingle Style home for entertaining in and raising their children.

To this end, the roof was completely revised as an elegant cross-gabled gambrel roof thereby conveying an appealing identity of strength and shelter. Over the circular bay at the family room a unique bell-shaped roof provides a whimsical counterpoint to the main roof structure. First floor walls were retained where possible for budgetary reasons while existing porches and the carport were updated and incorporated into the new design concept.