This whole-house remodel brought new life and a modern sensibility to a brick Tudor that was dated, dark, and disconnected from the garden and lake views. Designed for two book lovers, it incorporates over 300 linear feet of bookshelves and cozy seating areas throughout the house. Modern details complement traditional elements while steel windows, doors and exposed structure open the once-gloomy interior to light and lake views.
On the main floor, heavy plaster walls between the entry, kitchen, dining, and living rooms were replaced with steel beams and open bookshelves. Faux beams were removed to lighten the living room ceiling. Likewise, an awkward sunroom addition was replaced with an elegant glass volume surrounded on three sides by steel doors that fold back to open the room to a new bluestone terrace.
At the main stair, the "Word Wall" rises three floors to a pair of skylights and includes favorite writings--ranging from family recipes to quotes from literature to Yogi Berra--that were selected by seventeen members of the extended family. The stair itself is composed of a slender blackened steel railing, oak treads and structural steel sections (used elsewhere to open up walls and form the entry arbor).
The interior palette is a dialogue of old and new. Minimal steel windows and doors provide counterpoint to the heavy brick masonry and maximize light and views. Stained white oak floors, cabinets, and interior doors combine with natural stone and neutral paint colors to create a sense of calm and continuity. Classic modern furniture is surprisingly at home, as are the owners' eclectic collections of ceramics, miniature chairs, and wood boxes.
The second floor includes a master suite, guest bedroom, and office. Where a previous bathroom addition once turned its back on lake views, the master suite now enjoys pride of place and sweeping views. Light floods the master bathroom and its elegant soaking tub. An alcove off of the master bedroom provides a cozy spot for reading before turning in for the night. Individual offices for the owners are stacked one above the other and both look out into a private garden courtyard. One office has a sunny bay window; the other, a pair of French doors that open to the garden.
