Project Details
- Project Name
- Willow Hill
- Project Types
- Single Family
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Awards
- 2016 Remodeling Design Awards
- Team
-
Treffle LaFleche
Russ Macomber
- Consultants
- Landscape Architect: Michelle Crowley Landscape Architecture
- Project Status
- Built
- Room or Space
-
Kitchen ,Mudroom ,Architectural Detail
Project Description
This 1907 colonial revival had historic charm the homeowners loved but a layout that didn’t suit their needs. “They wanted to create a new space at the back of the house that reflected the way they lived,” says Treffle LaFleche of LDa Architecture & Interiors. The homeowners wanted an addition that would show their “interest in contemporary de-sign and accomplish it in a way that didn’t compromise their pride and enthusiasm for the historic home.”
LDa Architecture & Interiors modeled the design for the family room around a traditional sunroom, but gave it a contemporary twist. Storefront-style windows cover the expanse of the back of the house, bringing natural light into the space and allowing the family to enjoy views of the property. In order to create an uninterrupted wall of glass, the team built the supporting steel structure independent of the windows. After deciding to extricate the structure from the windows, the team elected to showcase the steel and leave the beams and support columns exposed.
The large wall behind the couch in the family room was considered for the TV, family memorabilia, and a gallery wall before the homeowners and designers decided to feature bold, geometric-patterned wallpaper to “make the wall the art itself,” LaFleche says. The wallpaper also serves as a “second counterpoint” as a contemporary addition to the historic home.
Both of the homeowners are cooks, so a generous kitchen was a must, LaFleche says. The dual-island concept was part of the homeowners’ dream for their new space; the efficient design makes it easy to access necessities, while sleek cabinets from Poggenpohl provide plenty of storage. The island designated for food prep sits farther back into the space, while the serving island sits more forward to “help the family room and the breakfast room spatially connect to the cleaner, more casual gathering island,” he says. Custom stained white oak floors cover both the kitchen and the family room.
“I really like this steel addition onto this house,” one judge says. “It’s one of the few additions to a historic house that I thought was contemporary that worked within the vernacular and made it a cooler, more modern house on the inside.”
Another judge praised the home’s “dialogue on the exterior between old and new,” adding that “it’s in very good proportion.”--by Marisa Mendez