On the Drawing Board

Primary Bedroom with Screened Porch Over the years, we have designed many first-floor bedrooms.  Often, homeowners request a first-floor primary bedroom or one that could function as either a guest bedroom or primary. Sometimes, these bedrooms are part of a new home; other times, they are added to an existing home.  Currently, we are designing several first-floor bedroom suites which, in the short term, will be for guests and, in the long run, can be converted into a [...]

Double Sided Fireplace Some of our clients are purists regarding fireplaces; for them, it is wood-burning or nothing at all.  That’s fine. We love wood-burning fireplaces.  Most often, there is a mix of fireplaces in the homes we design, some burning wood and some gas. I have an old home, the core of which was built from about 1790 to the 1860s.   We have 4 wood-burning fireplaces.  I am uncomfortable sleeping with fire (or embers) burning in [...]

Simple Guest Bedroom Having guests can be a wonderful experience, however providing a place for them to stay, can sometimes be a real challenge.   Of course, it is easier to find a place for visitors when building a new home or guest house.  Our clients generally want their guests close enough to be included in family activities, but far enough away for everyone to have their privacy.  To complicate things, visitors with small children have very different [...]

Riverside Kitchen My family and I love to cook.  This passion for food goes into high gear during the holidays.  Someone is always in the process of baking cookies, preparing a soup, sauteing, blending, roasting, or prepping for one of the above.  As a group, we interact more in the kitchen than anywhere else in the home.  For me, and most of our clients, the kitchen is the most important room in the house.  No wonder that the [...]

Kitchen Almost Finished As always, some of our projects are about to finish up, while others are either under construction or are waiting for building permits.  Right now, the Health Department and some building departments are overworked and understaffed, leading to delays, which frustrates everyone. Exterior View Back Patio New Home Exterior New Home Interior New Home Interior Cold Spring Renovation Cold Spring Renovation [...]

Front of Home Afer Front of House Before Looking back at the 'before' images of homes we have renovated, I sometimes find it hard to believe where we started.  Ideas and directions we take during the design of a home renovation are rarely linear.  The final outcome is almost always a collaboration between Crisp Architects and our clients but sometimes includes input from friends and family members.  Our philosophy is that a good idea should be [...]

Closet to Pantry Pantries are quintessential organizers.  It is sometimes shocking how the addition of shelves, cubbies, cabinets, and other organizing built-ins can change a room.  All rooms start out with blank walls, and then we add finishes and cabinetry that create a place to live. Organized Pantry Mudrooms can be simple or elaborate with sinks and cabinets.  Cubbies, shelves, coat hooks, and benches complete the organizational pallet in a mudroom. Mud Room With Laundry [...]

Gus at Orvis       Photo by Alicia Crisp Every Monday, I shoot sporting clays with a group of friends at Orvis Sandanona in Millbrook, NY.  It is a lot of fun hitting and missing clay pigeons and bearing the catcalls and praises of long-time shooters while no one is keeping score.  At Orvis, I have taken shooting lessons and fly fishing lessons with my family, learning skills that will last a lifetime.  We are very lucky to [...]

View From the Water Living on the water is an extraordinary experience.  Our clients decided to build their full time home on the coast and we tried to make sure their new home lived up to the location.  We worked within the very strict building codes to create a family home that would become a legacy. Kitchen Island Reclaimed Wood Floors Living Room Patio Connection Dining Room Bar/Butlers Pantry [...]