Living Room with Bookcases and Fireplace Living rooms are the place we gather with friends and family. They come in all sizes, shapes, and decors, and are as diverse as families themselves. In my living room, it is not uncommon for us to light a fire in the fireplace in front of the couch and then watch TV in the corner of the room. Not a perfect setup, but my home is an old farmhouse from the 1790s [...]
Rhinebeck Greek Revival Home In Rhinebeck, we were asked to design a new home on the site of a nineteenth-century house that had been lost to fire. The goal was to honor the original while creating a more comfortable, efficient home for a modern family. The result is a classic Greek Revival-inspired house, with a strong front gable, carefully scaled corner boards, and generous trim at the eaves. Tall windows and a well-proportioned entry give the facade a [...]
Rodger and Marley It has been a fun journey from a pile of wood to the final touches, as my new front door was installed by Roger Manley, the builder. The door knocker is very special to me since it came from the Writer's Cottage of William Styron, the author of Sophie's Choice. Two of my favorite clients gave it to me when I commented about its quirkiness during a site meeting. Marley's Ghost I remember [...]
Library with Fireplace Despite it being the 'Digital Age', most of us still love our books. I personally have a very eclectic book collection, spanning everything from classics and travel books, to architecture coffee-table books, and my favorite hobbies. Some of our clients have so many books that their libraries can no longer hold them all. Some people decide to create a dedicated library, and others spread their books throughout their homes, and still others do both. [...]
New Home in Millerton It has been a busy month at Crisp Architects. We have seen the completion of several projects and many new projects landing on the 'drawing boad', including projects from Maine to New Jersey. Luckily, we have become very comfortable working long-distance (in part because of our experiences during Covid). It certainly helps that much of our work is digital—and most of our clients are comfortable working that way, too. There is no substitute for face-to-face meetings, [...]
Library Fireplace Some of our clients are purists when it comes to 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) [...]
Major Renovation with Georgian Design Principles If Colonial houses were America’s sturdy starting point, Georgian homes marked the moment architecture took on a new sense of refinement. By the early 1700s, the style introduced symmetry, balanced proportions, and a touch of formality; qualities that still make a home feel welcoming and “just right.” A Brief History of Georgian Style Georgian architecture began in Britain during the reigns of the first three King Georges (roughly 1714–1780). It brought classical [...]
Mo Helping Me Feed the Sheep For a few days, it was just me, the dogs, and the sheep holding down the fort while most of my family were at the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York. It is a yearly event at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds that celebrates all things wool. My wife and two of my 'children' set up a booth in the Breed Tent to educate the public about Romney Sheep, which originated [...]
Simple Colonial Revival Home We Designed We’re excited to introduce a new series exploring the architectural styles that shaped early America. From the humble beginnings of Colonial homes to the refinement of Federal, Georgian, and beyond, we’ll highlight how these traditions continue to inspire our work at Crisp Architects. Each post will blend history with modern relevance, showing how timeless design principles live on in the homes we create today. Stratton House, Northfield, Franklin County, MA - Building/structure dates: after. [...]
Fresh Copper Accents We often use metal roofs as accents. They are great for porch roofs, dormers, and cupolas to break up the great expanse of another material. Of course, there are many different metal roofs, and their prices vary greatly. Probably the most expensive is lead-coated copper, and the least is either galvanized or painted steel. Painted steel comes in a great variety of colors. One question we are often asked is: Is a metal roof too [...]
