July 26, 2010
This newly built, double-gabled house takes its asymmetrical aesthetic inspiration from the shingle-style homes of the 1920s and ’30s surrounding it. Though ample in square footage, the hilltop residence masks its overall size in a series of volumes that sit proudly but relatively low on the landscape.
A height of thirty-five feet would have been allowed, but the house stands just twenty-six feet, the better to create intimacy. Its placement on a grassy plinth formed by a low stone wall gives it presence, however, while the European-style motor court, formed by the carriage-house wing, offers a dramatic feeling of arrival.
The front door, set under a shed roof between the twinned gables, leads to a foyer, family room, secondary living areas, and a patio behind. Above, the second floor’s master and guest suites open to a deck running the length of the house, seamlessly connecting these spaces to the outdoors.