Designer Cassandra Byrnes, principal of C.A.B. Designs, at her summer home.
Many of their guests sprawl out on these sofas in the sitting room—they’re perfect for a nap or reading session. The chandelier, which is made of wooden beads, adds to the casual feel.
Byrnes designed the primary bedroom around the reverse-painted-glass bedside tables by John-Richard, which call to mind water and rocks
In the mudroom, Byrnes installed darker elements, from the mesh cabinet doors to the inky tile. “I thought it needed some grounding, plus you can kind of see through them,” she says of the cabinet doors. “It broke up some of the white tones in the room and functionally gave it a little breathability.”
The couple’s wine collection is about 800 bottles deep; Robert Young is a go-to label.
Airy light fixtures keep the focus on the showstopping views.
Byrnes selected a hair-on-hide sculptural chair—the Elka by Bernhardt—to provide texture and an unexpected moment in the foyer; the chandelier is from Shakúff in Brooklyn
Because her husband is an oenophile, Byrnes installed Currey & Company’s Vintner Chandelier above the dining table. It’s made from upcycled wine bottles “with little numbers on them and droplets in the glass,” says Byrnes. “I really try to incorporate personal elements in any design project.”
In the bunk room, up to nine people can sleep comfortably thanks to the full beds.
A deep soaking tub in the primary bath—the Soca freestanding tub by Maax—is a meditative spot for taking in the view; the vintage rug is from Azalea Home & Gift in Niantic.
Twin stainless-steel wine refrigerators flank wall ovens in the butler’s pantry.
The renovation’s new open-plan kitchen blends classic (notice the antique limestone floors) with contemporary (see the stainless-steel appliances).
In a nod to the home’s original design, the kitchen’s ultra-modern stainless-steel farm sink is recessed beneath a deep, classic Tudor arch.
The heart of the renovation is a large, light-filled, open-plan kitchen that features a marble-topped stainless-steel island. A wall of Calacatta Macchia Oro marble provides a dramatic backdrop for the oversized bronze range hood.
In 1931, Connecticut architect Walter Crabtree designed this Tudor Revival to look much older by using irregular bricks and intentionally cracked and slipped roof slates.
The new butler’s pantry has easily accessible marble shelves supported by burnished brass brackets.
The new wing’s family room features an antique limestone floor, a stone-fronted Rumford fireplace, and walls and a ceiling fabricated from white-oak hand-carved beams. The steel windows echo the home’s originals.
A Tudor arch frames this garden room—formerly an open-air porch—that now contains a cozy, intimate bar and highlights the home’s original undulating brick walls.
A nautical-inspired cable-and-wood staircase connects all four floors.
When it came to the primary bedroom, the clients amended the original plan to accommodate a vaulted ceiling. A Brightbound light fixture adds another layer of texture, and the painting by Catherine Erb is from KMR Arts.
A powder room is sheathed in a wallpaper by Crezana, the mirror is from Oly, and the sconces are from Visual Comfort. The vanity in the primary bath is the same shade of blue as the showstopping tub.
On the main level, the family room, kitchen, and dining area are open to one another and enjoy views out to the water.
The residence is dubbed “the hydrangea house” after the wife’s favorite color, hydrangea blue, which appears on the kitchen cabinetry and range hood.
Designed with outdoor entertaining and activities in mind, the lower level leads to a firepit and the waterfront; both the grotto area and the deck on the main floor can be enclosed by screens that lower from the ceiling.
Spring greens, purple, natural oak, white, and a few subtle patterns like the one on the dining chairs complement the blues throughout.
Development had a plan in place for this waterfront residence when the current clients purchased the site. The couple worked with architect David LaPierre to revise certain aspects of the proposed plans, including the addition of a lower-level rec room with a grotto, spool (a smaller pool with spa features), an outdoor shower, and easy access to the firepit and dock.
The primary bath features a Victoria + Albert soaking tub, Artistic Tile flooring, and Watermark fixtures.
The primary bath features a Victoria + Albert soaking tub, Artistic Tile flooring, and Watermark fixtures.
The artwork above the bed in the primary bedroom is by Dave Muller; Betsy Biscone Art Advisory commissioned it through Blum & Poe gallery.
The fireplace’s blue-gray marble surround corresponds with the cushions on a pair of jute-backed chairs; the glass table rests on a trio of white-oak balls.
Anne Collier’s Are You Out of Your Mind, a whimsical painting of an audio cassette with a beach scene on the label, hangs in the living room.
Designers Meghan De Maria and Courtney Yanni incorporated wood accents and furnishings that, along with veined marble, add movement and soften the crisp white kitchen cabinetry, tile, and walls.
Nano glass that reflects the brass framework of the kitchen shelves tops one of the two islands. Colors from the hallway’s Phillip Jeffries wallpaper inspired the blue leather seats on the stools.
The Palm Beach Room welcomes guests to a tropical top-floor sanctuary.
The owners’ affinity for green is most strikingly realized in the family room with its complementary wall art curated by Betsy Biscone Art Advisory.
A runner handwoven by women from Uzbekistan brings softness to the entry staircase; the glam factor comes from a set of handblown glass light fixtures suspended from slender thirty-foot-long strands of wire.
A turquoise vellum-clad buffet from Julian Chichester makes a bold statement in the dining room, while the Apparatus light fixture dangles like loose jewelry above a custom walnut table surrounded by caned chairs with angular backs that resemble sails.
The caned chairs on the back deck echo the chairs in the adjacent dining room, while the base of the stormproof concrete table resembles the walls of a seaside bathing pavilion.
The designers were tasked with taking the edge off a starkly modern primary bath, so they added pale lavender wallpaper and a plush, slightly freeform vanity bench.
The placid waters of the negative-edge pool reflect the surrounding trees, as does the glass on the home’s exterior. “It animates the facade,” explains Parker. The outdoor shower, with its shou sugi ban door, to the left of the TV offers views of the sound.
Silver placed a nine-piece vintage Mario Bellini sectional wrapped in charcoal linen in the cozy family room, which boasts one of the home’s three fireplace
While most of the home’s furniture and artwork is new, Silver hung a metal sculpture from the owners’ existing collection in the primary bath.
A brise soleil shields the primary bedroom’s deck from morning sun.
Looking from the foyer into the dining room, the staircase’s glass rail appears to bisect the edge of the white-oak treads; the dining room artwork is by Jonathan Smith.
Though the home maintains a quiet palette, Silver snuck in a sliver of ocean blue on the leather seats of the kitchen’s Saarinen chairs.
The kitchen’s Treefrog veneer cabinetry reminds Silver of driftwood while the countertop is Caesarstone.
Mar Silver sourced a nineteenth-century bread bowl—its contents change according to the season—as the centerpiece for the fourteen-seat dining table.
Three steps down from the foyer, the living room’s low furniture, rectilinear fireplace, and minimal light fixture don’t distract from views of the negative-edge pool and Long Island Sound beyond.
The exterior is clad in a warm white stucco and low-maintenance shou sugi ban wood; the volume on the right houses guest quarters and a gym, and there’s a garage underneath.
Architect David Scott Parker designed the pool pavilion to act as a proscenium for the view of Long Island Sound. As a symbolic tribute to painter John Frederick Kensett, who once lived on the site and whose circa 1872 painting, The Old Pine, Darien, Connecticut, is part of The Met’s permanent collection, the team went to great lengths to preserve the pine tree (not the same one that’s in the painting) that sprouts from the granite ledge on the left.
Auchincloss commissions his friend, fellow artist Devin Burgess, seen here in 2019, to create the glass shades.
A work in progress in stainless steel with polypropylene shades.
Atlas 3 chandelier in aged brass and black walnut.
Elsa 10 chandelier in polished copper with bourbon handblown glass shades.
Artist Gordon Auchincloss with his Odysseus floor lamp in stainless steel and black walnut.
Sir Fitz chandelier in stainless steel with raw leather shades.
Elsa 14 chandelier in stainless steel with ocean-green handblown glass shades.
XK5 pendant with eight-inch handblown glass shades.
Chester desk lamp in aged brass and black walnut.
Olivia 28 chandelier in antique bronze with ocean-green handblown glass shades.
Customers planning a dinner party get inspiration from a tablescape featuring wicker, Matouk linens, and locally made candles.
Smith favors exuberant fabrics from Schumacher, Thibaut, and Sister Parish for her handcrafted toss pillows and upholstered pieces.
Smith, whose family has long summered in nearby Charlestown, Rhode Island, runs her interior design business out of her shop during the summer months.
The shop is tucked into the historic district of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
“It’s a little wicker wild right now,” says shop owner Kaitlin Smith about her trove of vintage wicker furniture and accessories. She often groups much of her merchandise into vignettes to help shoppers envision how things might look in their own home.
In the third-floor green room, dubbed The Treehouse, a Pierre Frey paper covers the walls and ceiling.
With an eye for detail, Collins adorned pillows with unique tapes and trims for added panache.
Bar stools from Circa Who Furniture sit atop a painted indoor/outdoor sisal rug by Mary Meade Evans and complement the New England Artisan Restoration bar; the antique crab grotto chair from Palm Beach Home Style was a highlight of the space.
In a spot designed for relaxation and conversation, art and decorative textiles add extra flair.
Charming details, such as a vintage turtle from Chairish, can be found throughout the space.
Iatesta Studio dining chairs sport cushions in a Manuel Canovas fabric.
The table is set with custom placemats and napkins by Leontine Linens.
Custom Billy Baldwin Studio slipper chairs in a Porter Teleo fabric flank an Iatesta Studio console and Currey & Company mirror.
Designer Honey Collins anchored one end of the terrace with a custom sectional by O. Henry House and a pair of Circlet stools by Janus et Cie. The chandelier from Currey & Company is a nod to the real-life palms just beyond.
The roof-deck’s original pavers got so hot during the summer that the space was difficult to use, especially for the kids. Bourque replaced the pavers and worked closely with Tuuci to install the exterior umbrellas via crane; everything, including the toss pillows, is weighted so it stays put for safety during life’s inevitable squalls.
In the playroom, the round rugs are actually FLOR carpet tiles; “that way they can get ruined and replaced,” Bourque says.
Designer Beth Bourque went with modular Roche Bobois sofas so the homeowners, who hadn’t moved into the space yet, had plenty of flexibility
“The original kitchen plans were very small, so we added more cabinets and extended it for a seamless look,” the designer recalls. As for the trio of eye-candy orb light fixtures, those are Melt pendants from Design Within Reach.
A Roche Bobois table and chairs bring haute style to this home’s dining space, where the custom cabinetry has an effervescent silver-leaf finish.
The platform bed’s custom upholstery and toss pillows were fabricated by Partners in Design in serene hues.
Built-ins were designed to accommodate specific pieces of art; these porcelain petals are by Valéria Nascimento and attach to the wall with magnets.
With porches and expansive patios on two of the retreat’s three levels, the homeowners have multiple options for enjoying outdoor living.
With its retractable screens, the elegant porch of this New Hampshire vacation home can be converted into an open-air, three-season outdoor room with the push of a button. The homeowners and their guests relax on hearty resin-wicker outdoor furniture while enjoying the home’s views of Lake Winnipesaukee.
Opposite the outdoor room, a smaller covered porch serves as a cozy vantage point of the lake. The owner’s hideaway home office perches above. The trim on the house is painted a custom tint of Benjamin Moore Dakota Shadow.
When the porch screens are raised, the space flows seamlessly onto the patio, which is surfaced in the same Blue Mist granite as the porch.
The porch includes a much-used outdoor grill and serving area that are close to the home’s kitchen and pantry.
The timber-framed porch has a wood-burning flagstone fireplace that makes it a year-round retreat for the owners.
To design this lakeside retreat, architect Rob Carty took his inspiration from several classic regional vernaculars—note the red cedar shingles—and included locally quarried stone to help the home blend in with its lakeside locale.
The team at Makkas Workroom fabricated most of the home’s window treatments, motorized shades, and bedding, including those seen in the rose room.
Behind the kitchen, Austin converted a back hallway into a mudroom and added a five-foot-by-five-foot powder room swathed in Christian Lacroix wallpaper.
Austin pauses in the doorway that leads from the living room to the dining room.
Nineteen steps lead from the street to the porch of designer Dane Austin’s three-story Boston home. “It looks out over the treetops, so it feels like an oasis in the sky,” Austin says.
Austin swapped the living and dining rooms to enjoy the home’s original fireplace more often. He found the Jenny Lind-style chair at an antique shop in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
In one of Austin’s favorite rooms in the house, the robin’s-egg-blue cabinetry has a 1950s vibe. The custom island recalls a provincial kitchen’s workstation.
Austin knows the story behind every artwork in the home, but the painting in the primary bath holds a special place in his heart; it was gifted to him by a beloved client who passed away, and it’s lit 24-7.
Custom-designed twin beds in the gold room flank an antique oyster chest complete with a pullout desk that Austin discovered at the Brimfield Antique Flea Market.
Austin left the original 1905 staircase unpainted and sought to emphasize the home’s origins with an art-deco-inspired chest designed by Laura Kirar for Baker. “It makes me think of the roaring twenties,” says Austin. When we were remodeling, we found old whiskey and gin bottles in the walls.”
The dining room showcases a coffered trompe l’oeil wood veneer ceiling that’s embedded with flecks of mica. “It gives off a subtle sparkle, especially during dinner by candlelight,” says Austin. The settee is upholstered in a velvet fabric by Harlequin.
The pantry features a playful oyster print from Covered Wallpaper.
A Christopher Farr wallcovering lends interest to one of the second-floor guest rooms.
The house has two primary bedrooms, and the one on the first floor contains a grasscloth accent wall in a hand-painted check pattern by Patina Designs; the pendant is from The Urban Electric Co., and the artwork is by Mary Maguire.
Architect Tom Catalano was tasked with designing a summer residence (left) for two sisters on a waterfront property located next door to their parents’ house, which Catalano conceived fifteen years ago. The existing pool and pool house (right) now serve both properties and act as a central entertaining space and social hub.
The office walls were hand-painted by Patina Designs, and both the window treatment fabric and the upholstery on the game table chairs are from Schumacher.
The side entrance opens onto the mudroom, which is lined with vintage French pack and creel baskets.
The clients tapped designer Liz Caan to decorate the interiors, which feature neutral and serene tones as seen in the great room.
The third-floor landing leads to the bunk room and two additional guest rooms.
The clients didn’t want a formal dining room, so Caan incorporated a banquette into the kitchen for casual meals; the barstools are from Hollywood at Home, and the pendants are from The Urban Electric Co.
A third-floor guest room is enveloped in a pattern by Robert Kime. The house has two primary bedrooms, and the one on the first floor contains a grasscloth accent wall in a hand-painted check pattern by Patina Designs; the pendant is from The Urban Electric Co., and the artwork is by Mary Maguire.
A light fixture from Bone Simple Design and a bench from O&G Studio liven up the foyer.
The kitchen sitting area, complete with a fireplace and a television, provides another space for the homeowners to entertain or hang out as a family.
Although the sisters’ home is a touch less traditional in style, it complements the architecture of the parents’ residence in an effort to create what feels like a cohesive compound.
The second-floor primary bedroom, with its views of Nantucket Sound, is equal in size to the one on the first floor. “Because we were designing the house for two clients, it was important that there be two identical primary suites,” explains Catalano.
The bunk room, which contains four full beds and four twin beds, features a lobster-print ceiling paper
The first-floor primary bath features mirrors from Villa & House, sconces from The Urban Electric Co., and a vintage chair.
A nook in the great room contains an unexpected bar area with custom cabinetry, hardware from Rejuvenation, sink fittings from Waterworks, and picture lights from Soane Britain.
The gardens turn meadow-like further from the house to frame the water view with a smattering of perennials and hydrangeas that plays against the strong vertical lines of ornamental grasses.
The periphery grasses are left purposefully unmown to add volume and nurture insects through late autumn when they turn a ravishing flaxen hue.
To give the pool pavilion/outdoor kitchen additional interest, architect Maryann Thompson created a crossbeam double scissor truss. A rot-resistant black-locust deck stays cool in the heat of summer when bare feet are prevalent. Informal plantings create a textural tapestry
The “seeping rock” water feature along the mini-forest path was the client’s idea; it adds a muffled gurgle to the experience.
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