Doors on either side of the living room fireplace offer teasing views into the sunroom.
The long, narrow sunroom is home to a conversation area, game table, and bar.
March wanted the decor to look masculine, as exemplified by the powder room in the entry hall, which pairs a Holland & Sherry plaid wallpaper with a furniture-like vanity from Fairmont Designs.
Rizzo divided the living room into several seating areas united by a soft, harmonious color palette and understated patterns. A heathered-linen wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries provides a textured backdrop for the antique Georgian-style mirror above the fireplace; the auction-house wing chairs were reupholstered in a windowpane fabric from Holland & Sherry.
In the kitchen, brass accents are repeated on the custom ebony-stained cabinets, which open to reveal burgundy interiors. Rizzo collaborated on the kitchen with Mary-Beth Oliver from Karen Berkemeyer Home.
To return the house to residential use, Rizzo stripped away some commercial interventions, replaced all the windows and doors, and added a widow’s walk on top.
When Steven March purchased this Ridgefield house three years ago, the fireplaces were boarded up and carpet adhesive had ruined the floors. Designer Robert Rizzo’s renovation honors the home’s 1899 aesthetic, as seen in the entry hall, where new oak flooring and crown molding were paired with a George Spencer Designs wallpaper.
A Visual Comfort & Co. lantern illuminates a nineteenth-century library table in front of the main entry.
In the dining room, Rizzo set a ninety-inch round atop a seventy-two-inch table, nearly doubling its seating capacity without the need for leaves (or a bigger table).
After causing massive heart palpitations, the antique canopy bed slipped into the primary bedroom with barely an inch to spare; a Mulberry Home fabric adorns the sofa.
The high-gloss indigo wall color in the study was a holdover from the previous owners; “We loved the dark, cozy feel,” remembers the homeowner. Lindsay leaned into the vibe, going a bit more midcentury modern and moody with the furnishings.
A comfy curved chair with a wooden base from Interlude Home sits below two paintings by Harry Underwood that the owners bought at the Outsider Art Fair in New York City.
Lindsay juxtaposed the historic architectural features of the living room with modern curved upholstered furniture.
A largely black-and-white kitchen is in keeping with the home’s neutral palette; the chairs are from Ballard Designs and the light fixture is from The Urban Electric Co
Lindsay sought to create a cohesive aesthetic throughout the first floor; “The rooms don’t have to be identical twins,” she says, “but they have to be in the same family.”
A coveted conversation area by the fireplace is comprised of a pair of plush chairs from Crate & Barrel, a vintage table, and a cowhide rug.
Modern chairs from The Tailored Home in Westport and a custom-designed cerused-wood table with a sculptural base create a sophisticated but “not too dressy” dining room, says the designer.
In keeping with the New Canaan home’s overall aesthetic, designer Melissa Lindsay paired a modern Saarinen table in the breakfast nook with light-wood chairs from Stowed; a piece by artist Shirley Jaffe from the owners’ collection adds a nice jolt of color.
A vintage chaise lounge nestled next to a plaster side table is primed for a good book and a warm beverage.
Lindsay went serene and soothing in the primary bedroom, layering in lots of texture; “The rug,” she points out, “is like a cozy sweater.”
Behind the great room fireplace, a catwalk that leads to the primary suite passes a stairway to a lower-level family space and workout room. The Halo chandelier is from Roll & Hill.
Flooded with natural light, the primary bedroom has a view of the pond. The steel-framed windows reach to the floor; the bottom row of panes opens for ventilation.
The kitchen opens to the cozy covered terrace where the floor-to-ceiling fireplace of reclaimed stone is the focal point.
The fireplace in the living area reflects the house’s stone facade. Sliding glass doors and a windowed dormer allow natural light to flood the room.
The kitchen, designed to welcome guests, features custom white-oak cabinetry, a large island with seating, and a six-burner cooktop with a custom stucco hood. Some of the reclaimed stone was milled into slabs for use as flooring in the entry hall.
A Julia Child-inspired display of well-used cooking pans is at the ready in the chef/owner’s baking corner and pantry.
Some of the reclaimed stone was milled into slabs for use as flooring in the entry hall.
“I love the way the stone gables grow out of the rocky landscape,” says architect Michael O. McClung when describing how the house appears to emerge organically from the ledge. A ribbon of stone steps visually ties the natural and built environments together.
The dining area is defined by one of two oak trusses that support the cathedral ceiling. The space is open to the kitchen to facilitate easy entertaining. The two custom pedestal tables are designed for flexibility and can be reconfigured into one table to accommodate large dinner parties.
Reclaimed church stone milled into slabs lines the floor and walls of the primary bathroom.
Bottle vases with a matte finish by potter Judy Jackson are available in a variety of silhouettes.
Milton Market pairs il Buco Vita splatterware plates with jade-green tamegroute candlesticks.
The store’s central table displays hand-lathed spalted-maple bowls from New England-based artisan Spencer Peterman, vases and fluted mixing bowls by Litchfield County-based potter Judy Jackson, and black vintage glassware.
The Cobble Court storefront’s doors with their hand-forged hinges are flanked by seasonal conifers throughout the winter months.
At Milton Market, owner Martha Fish sets a sample table with her signature panache, mixing vintage transferware, tortoiseshell vases, and green glassware with contemporary napkins, placemats, candlesticks, and bamboo-handled flatware.
In the open living room, Baran’s goal was to highlight the panoramic views out the windows—and imbue the space with furniture choices that would stand the test of time.
“Our client had a wonderful vision to incorporate swings into the house after seeing them on Pinterest,” designer Gina Baran says. Located between the kitchen island and the dining table, the three swings are adorned with soft tufted-leather cushions and are a coveted place to chat during cocktail hour.
The pantry’s sliding barn doors are made from reclaimed wood and add to the rustic aesthetic.
The pantry’s sliding barn doors are made from reclaimed wood and add to the rustic aesthetic.
The two-story dining room features a steel-framed window wall overlooking trees and pasture. The light fixture was designed by Sargent Design Company and made by Beacon Custom Lighting, and the painting is by Anne Sargent Walker, architectural designer David Sargent’s sister.
Like the other four bedrooms, the primary was kept compact because people don’t spend as much time in their bedrooms at a guesthouse.
An interior window brings extra light into the bottom-floor game room, where a Thomas O’Brien chair from Century flanks an antique chest.
Designer Ann Shriver Sargent topped the entry’s heated slate floor with Oriental carpets because they’re durable, hide dirt, and are relatively easy to clean.
A masonry vault on the bottom level supports the living room fireplace above and doubles as a bar. “That was a challenge,” concedes Jeff Page of Housewright Construction, which fashioned the self-supporting vault from fieldstone and reclaimed brick.
The guest barn boasts a full-size kitchen with a pantry (at far left) that includes a half Dutch door to secure a friend’s dog at Thanksgiving.
A custom hooked carpet wraps around the living room’s fieldstone hearth, avoiding awkward gaps between rugs. To expedite construction during Vermont’s abbreviated building season, the structure was built with a timber-frame armature from Bensonwood then finished off by Housewright Construction.
October Rain (2021), 32″H x 48″W, archival inkjet photographic print.
Components of My Mother’s Garden (2021), paper sculpture installation.
My Mother’s Garden (2021), paper sculpture installation.
Components of Mon Hiver (2022), paper sculpture installation.
Mon Hiver (2022), paper sculpture installation.
Kaleidoscope (2022), 32″H x 48″W, archival inkjet photographic print.
Earth’s End (2022), 32″H x 48″W, archival inkjet photographic print.
Coquelicots (2023), paper sculpture installation.
Components of Coquelicots (2023), paper sculpture installation.
A vintage oil painting adds to the Italian-meets-art-deco aesthetic. The honed four-by-twelve-inch marble floor tiles from DiscoverTile match the marble countertop from Cumar.
Designer Tyler Karu points out that cherry is not an obvious wood for a vanity these days, but she appreciates its inherent qualities and deviation from the norm. “It’s an interesting wood that is warmer than white oak or walnut,” Karu says.
Placing the window in the shower allowed room for a double vanity. “It pulls a tunnel of light into the shower and creates a nice mood,” Karu says.
Placing the window in the shower allowed room for a double vanity. “It pulls a tunnel of light into the shower and creates a nice mood,” Karu says.
Karu played with scale on the floor, using two-inch penny tiles with a matte finish
Since natural stone is a no-no in a steam shower—steam elicits rust—Scales chose a glazed ceramic tile in similar tones as the vanity’s backsplash for the walls and a glass mosaic tile for the shower floor.
The wall-hung vanity with gilded wood legs is painted Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue and has petite acrylic knobs that impart a bit of glam.
The Kravet armchair next to the tub is upholstered in Christopher Farr | Cloth Carnival linen.
Designer Sarah Scales chose petal-shaped Carrara and Thassos marble mosaic tile by Genrose Stone + Tile for the floor. “The feminine motif complements the Visual Comfort & Co. butterfly chandelier, but when you stand back it feels quite graphic,” she says.
The niche tile is a one-centimeter broken-joint mosaic.
The hand-rubbed brass ceiling fixture from Visual Comfort & Co. offers a pretty gleam at the top of the room.
A rug from Minori Casa anchors both the dining and living spaces.
The settee and chair in the cozy study are vintage Hans Olsen. A series of dramatic folding panels gives the room gravitas and complements the French coffee table.
The primary bedroom features a brass sconce by Obsolete, antique artwork, and a Roweam bench; the bed is dressed in a neutral grain-sack coverlet and a burgundy linen bedspread.
Designer Blair Moore added paneling to the living room walls to give the space character and a sense of authenticity. The soaring room is painted Sherwin-Williams Shoji White. Two postmodern European pendants are part of a collection of four.
With so many angular points of interest in the kitchen, Moore chose to add a soft curve to one side of the island as an unexpected counterpoint. Both the island and cabinets are white oak. Standing sentinel, a trio of vintage saddle stools from Roweam adds a sculptural note.
In the guest room, a wall that gives guests a sense of privacy divides two twin beds; the painting is by Mary Vogel.
Moore designed a custom console to reside next to the fireplace.
The custom dining table and chairs are from Moore’s new furniture line, Roweam; little is known about the painting, but it serves as an ideal juxtaposition to the Croft House credenza.
With its soft curves, the guest room console pairs nicely with an Italian lamp, Tony Paul stool, and charcoal sketch, all one-of-a-kind pieces from another era.
Gannon added a runner and paneling to the stairway that leads from the street-level foyer to the living room.
The primary bedroom’s wool-sateen drapery wall is the same shade of blue as the Schumacher wallcovering and conceals shelving used for storage.
The living room windows in this 1818 Beacon Hill condo are original (think single pane), so interior designer Robin Gannon devised blanket-like curtains lined in felt to combat the winter cold. White piping on a curved custom sectional breaks up its expanse of blue velvet and brings a touch of casualness to the formal space.
Counter stools (with brass details on the footrests) surrounding the pewter-topped kitchen island were what prompted the wife to contact Gannon.
In the guestroom, the raspberry reds, sunset oranges, and periwinkle blues in the Bunny Williams Home table lamps pick up on colors in the rug.
The elevator-level foyer connects the dining room with the guest bedroom; Formations benches tuck under a console and offer additional seating.
The family room’s fireplace wall extends into the kitchen; Gannon topped the built-in cabinets with stone so the homeowners could use the surface to serve apps and drinks during family get-togethers.
Gannon used the dining table, which the wife had already purchased, as the room’s jumping-off point. She treated the Gracie wallpaper as artwork by creating panels that act as frames. The vintage chandelier is glass, crystal, and yellow-painted wood.
The dining room’s jib door opens to the condo’s elevator-level foyer; when it’s closed, the door all but disappears.
The living room’s coral-colored silk wallcovering changes hue depending on the light. The painting is by Heidi Coutu.
The sofa at the end of the bed faces what appears to be a mirror but is actually a TV. Like almost every seat in the condo, the comfy reading chair pairs with its own drink-drop table.
The sofa in the conversation pit looks built in but was made to order by Partners in Design of Newton, Massachusetts. It is upholstered with a soft-toned Paul Smith fabric from Maharam.
A collection of succulents is arranged as a centerpiece on the dining room table.
Japanese influences continue in the primary bath starting with the sleek black soaking tub. f
A collection of succulents is arranged as a centerpiece on the dining room table. Twelve-foot high-performance Marvin sliding-glass doors seal the living room against the cold while providing a view of the snowy terrace and meadow beyond.
The Zen-like kitchen has no upper cabinets to break sight lines. An adjacent pantry provides plenty of storage, and Knoll stools around the island add contrast. The range hood is Tadelakt Moroccan lime plaster crafted by Jonathan Ives of Shoreham, Vermont. Ceiling pendants and Hakwood engineered white-oak flooring add to the Japanese sensibility.
Floating shelves of richly stained walnut accent a corner next to the textured handmade white subway tile from Waterworks.
The living room’s striking rust-colored floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround is acid-washed steel, fabricated off-site in Silver Maple’s workshop. The ceiling is whitewashed oak accented with timbers salvaged from an old barn.
Looking up at the house from the base of the meadow, landscape architect Keith Wagner says the concrete wall “creates a plinth that gives the house a comfortable stance on this sloped site.” The gable ends on the left wing and on the barn face forward, while the middle structure has a broader roofline, a scheme that helps break up the massing of the 5,890-square-foot house.
For the dining table, Silver Maple Construction built a trestle-style base that allows lots of leg room when guests are many. The wall art is a commissioned piece by Miami textile artist Ana Maria Mariani.
The primary bedroom’s gas fireplace is set in the same Tadelakt plaster that is used in the kitchen.
The built-in bar off the living room is a “little jewel,” says interior designer Kate Kelley.
White oak and stone accents were used throughout the home to lend warmth to the contemporary structure.
Below the staircase is a sculpture by Charles Sherman.
The homeowners like to entertain, so Briar Design imagined a custom sectional with a deep surround where people can perch during a party.
Another client request was a primary wing on the main floor; Made Goods nightstands and Ralph Lauren Home lighting flank a custom bed upholstered in a Nobilis fabric.
The primary suite contains two baths, and hers is sheathed in Calacatta marble.
A light fixture from the clients’ former house brings a touch of sparkle to the powder room, which is enveloped in a wallpaper from Area Environments.
The clients requested a black-and-white kitchen. Most of the stonework is Calacatta Venato quartz, while honed Jet Mist granite provides an element of contrast on the tiered island.
A graphic Phillip Jeffries wallpaper brings a sense of playfulness into the breakfast area, where a custom banquette joins a table from Saloom and a light fixture from The Urban Electric Co.
The lower level includes a spa room, complete with a kitchenette and fireplace; retractable glass doors open for an indoor-outdoor experience.
A light fixture from Visual Comfort & Co. and a rug from Dover Rug & Home create additional interest in the entry; just beyond is a sculptural mono-stringer staircase with oak treads.
One of the clients’ requests was a great room for entertaining. A custom light fixture from Cameron Design House hangs above a cozy sectional, a chair from Anees Upholstery, and a rug from Dover Rug & Home.
A stone-and-copper fireplace separates the great room from the entry.
A handmade chandelier from Studio Bel Vetro hangs above a Century table and Artistic Frame chairs in the dining room; the wallpaper is from Dedar.
The den, which features a Holly Hunt wallpaper, a Made Goods cocktail table, and a custom sectional, can be closed off from the great room with glass pocket doors.
A Kelly Wearstler tile from Ann Sacks was the jumping-off point for the butler’s pantry, which also features a gold-leaf ceiling treatment.
Randolph & Hein chairs upholstered in a Holly Hunt fabric surround a cocktail table by DeKoven Furniture in the lower-level bar area.
Soft colors and plush textures define the primary bedroom; Marment chose the pressed-flower botanicals above the mantel because, she says, “they balance the heft of the fireplace.”
Pristine white Thassos marble tops the bathroom’s vanity.
Sister Parish’s Sintra grasscloth wraps the walls of the primary bath.
White-oak posts and beams define the open floor plan, so the living area feels both spacious and cozy. A fieldstone fireplace complements designer Ellen Marment’s palette of soft greens and smoky blues.
The living room’s quiet color scheme keeps the focus on the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A single slab of Olympia marble forms the stove’s backsplash. Brass hardware echoes the glow of the ceiling light and adds a warm touch to the space.
A simple black light with a gold interior glows above the marble-topped island. The forest-green island from Crown Point Cabinetry was the starting point for the home’s palette.
Texture, in the grasscloth ceiling and wall papers, and pattern, in the rug, window treatments, and sofa, put the cozy in the room the family calls the “cozy den.”
Natural shingles and gunmetal-gray trim let the home blend into its surroundings.
An antique bench sets a welcoming tone in the entry. The handy mudroom, behind a wide pocket door, has enough hooks and storage space to accommodate plenty of guests.
A custom table that expands to seat twelve comfortably anchors the rounded dining room. Marment chose the black wicker chairs with cushiony seats to encourage post-prandial lingering.
A sliding barn door separates the den from the living room.
A chair upholstered in a plush Barnwell Velvet is a cozy spot for enjoying a good read; the pillow is covered in Java Jungle Linen in Maize.
Blue-and-white pillows in the Kerman and Willow Lake patterns add a pop of color to a classic English-arm sofa.
Lee Jofa’s Elisabeth Chairs covered in Chinese Brocade have the gravitas to pair perfectly with the library’s Renaissance Revival architecture.
Lee Jofa’s Whippets Cotton Pillow sits atop an Aurora Chair upholstered in Triana Weave at the Boston Athenæum.
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