Bright Breakfast Bay I have always loved sitting in breakfast bays, eating breakfast, and reading the paper. Â These days, the object in front of me is often an iPad or other electronic device, but the wonderful feeling of a breakfast nook is always the same. Â Of course, breakfast bays with windows on three sides will be the brightest. Â Depending on the orientation of the house, the sunlight streaming in can be dramatic. If there are some interesting views, [...]
The Partridge That Came to Stay I love my home's back door. It is close to 200 years old, 2 inches thick, and made to last for centuries. In the 1800s, it was my front door, but like many old homes, the property changed around it, and the back of the house became the front of the house. While my existing front door is quite old, it is thinner, tends to leak air in winter, and needs new [...]
Mudroom with Black and White Stone Tiles Over the years, we have designed many mudrooms.  Sometimes, they are designed as a room dedicated to getting mud off of kids, pets, and everyone coming into the home’s side door.  Other times, they serve light duty as entries with coat hooks and a place to sit and take off or put on shoes. In the design of these mudrooms, we try to make them bright, comfortable, and, above all, functional. [...]
Bedford Garage This winter is turning into one of the coldest we have had in years. Visiting our job sites has been interesting. If not for my YakTrax, I would have hit the ground many times. Alternating between ice, snow, and mud, the job sites have become an obstacle course for both the contractors and the visiting architects. With a few warm days at the end of February and the beginning of March, there will be a number [...]
Ethel the Newborn Lamb It was a bitterly cold Saturday morning, and I had just sat down to drink coffee and watch the news while my wife checked the Lambcam in the barn on her phone. She then yells from the couch, "We have a new lamb!". So we all race up the hill to the barn after quickly dressing for the windy 20-degree temperatures. As we passed the outdoor pen, we heard something like the cry of [...]
New Pantry We have worked on designs of all sizes. Small additions are often part of a larger project, but a compact solution is sometimes best for the available space, budget, and needs. A very efficient design that still accomplishes all of the client’s needs can be challenging but a lot of fun. When working on any very efficient design, it is important to distill the layout down to the most essential elements and then find a way [...]
New Ewe Lamb A few nights ago, under a dark and bitter cold sky, I slept soundly in my bed. Meanwhile, my wife and son—the two shepherds of our family—climbed the hill to our barn to help deliver our first ewe lamb of the season. By morning, I had the chance to hold her in my arms, and she was as sweet as she could be. The ewe was a first-time mother, and we worried she might reject [...]
Our Farm House My wife and I have lived in our old farmhouse for over 27 years. We have raised three children, countless sheep, many dogs, and a cat. There are things I swore I would change the day we moved in that have not been touched and other additions I did not imagine. Built in about 1790, our home was added onto in the 1820s, the 1860s, and again in the early 2000s. In the 1930s and [...]
Kitchen/Living Room When we design a new home or a renovation, light, and views are critical elements we consider. Natural light improves our moods and can save energy costs by minimizing the need for the artificial version. I have included a number of photos illustrating the use of natural light. In fairness, virtually all of our projects make use of natural light, and some are photographed on overcast days. Guest House Hallway Library/Study [...]
Home at Sunset You don't need the perfect setting to have the perfect home, but it is even better when you do. We knew this home on a quiet country road would be special. We had a wonderful collaboration between the owners and Valerie Grant, the interior designer, to create a very special place. This is a getaway place for a young family, friends, and loved ones. It is the perfect holiday destination this year and for decades, [...]
