
Three-Season Porch
There are some design ideas that, for a while, are the latest trend, but come and go quickly. Many of our renovation projects include undoing the latest trend of 10, 20, 30, or more years ago and replacing it with designs that are meant to last. Below are a few ideas that we feel are timeless.
Porches That Feel Like Outdoor Rooms With Seasonal Flexibility
The best porches are not treated as leftover exterior space. We design them more intentionally — with furniture groupings, lighting, fireplaces, ceiling details, rugs, and materials that encourage people to linger.
A good porch should feel like a room without walls. Especially in the Northeast, screened porches continue to evolve into true three-season living spaces. Retractable screens, removable panels, infrared heaters, fireplaces, and tighter detailing allow porches to remain comfortable well into fall, and sometimes winter, and ready for early spring.

Three Season Porch With Glass Panels
Well-Designed Laundry Rooms

Laundry/Mudroom
Laundry rooms are no longer relegated to the back corner of a damp basement. They are bright, attractive spaces that make a family chore a little more fun.

Laundry/Dogwash

Home Office in Stately Home
Darker, Moodier Rooms in the Right Places
Libraries, studies, dining rooms, powder rooms, and bedrooms often benefit from deeper colors and lower light levels. Although we love bright, open rooms, sometimes the contrast of a dark, brooding room can bring out the best in both.

Dining Room with A Tempest Mural

Basement Pub

Mudrooms That are Good at Welcoming Guests and Hiding the Chaos
In the Northeast, we rely on our mudrooms to handle our muddy or snowy boots and to welcome all comers to our home. Kids, dogs, and grandparents all pass through this well-used space many times a day. Paying attention to its design makes sense for such an important part of the home.

Lake Home Mudroom

Primary Bathroom with Tub as Focal Point
Primary Bathrooms that Feel Both Personal and Timeless
No two bathrooms designed for a homeowner are the same. It is a place to splurge because we have earned it. That bathroom is the first place we visit in the morning and the last place we visit at night before bed. In our case, when the kids were growing up, it was the favorite bathroom in the house. There were times I wished it wasn’t so nice.

Primary Bathroom with Natural Stained Cabinets

Covered Entry
Front Doors That Let You Know You Have Arrived
One of the most common requests we receive from homeowners is to create an entry to their home that guests can actually find. The need is brought home when I go to the wrong door on my first visit. When we design a new home, creating a strong entry is pretty straightforward. The same task on an existing home can be challenging

New Entry Porch

Breakfast Nook
Sunny Breakfast Nooks
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not enjoy it in one of most beautiful places in the house. The sun and the views wake us up and help take us through even the toughest days. A sunny breakfast nook will never go out of style.

Litchfield County Breakfast Nook
Photos by Rob Karosis Curated Brochure by Crisp Architects: Portfolio
To get my monthly newsletter, On The Drawing Board, click here. Jimmy Crisp
