Royal Barry Wills Reconsidered

Wellesley Farms, MA

This grand Royal Barry Wills–designed 1941 center-hall Georgian Colonial suffered through renovations that diminished its charm: 1960s bay windows replaced double-hung ones, and rooms were stripped of molding and trim. To correct this, new gambrel-roofed, white clapboard and red brick additions were designed to replace two 1950s wings.

These additions were set into regraded landscaping that minimizes their impact on the property’s classic character. The two-story carriage house wing, for example, looks like a single-level guest cottage when seen from the inner courtyard. Restored windows, new chimneys, and brick soldier courses, meanwhile, honor and elevate the past.