Guest and Pool House

When the owner of this beautiful pool came to us, she had Italy on her mind. The first question was where to locate the pizza oven. We had no problem creating a small getaway with homage paid to an Italian villa. Inside there is every comfort of a small home with a comfortable second floor nestled under the rafters. A few steps outside the well appointed kitchen, is a brick pizza oven that would make any pizza connoisseur happy.

Simple Garage

This three-car garage couldn't get much simpler, except for the fact that we included a walk up space above the garage that could become a studio some day and a covered wood storage area to serve the fireplace in the main house. Neither of these items was a great addition to the overall cost of the project, but is a great bonus to the functionality of the building. I recommend that any new garage have space above, which can accommodate current or future useable space.

Pool Accessory

When the sun is beating down, all the owners of this pool house will need is a cool drink in their hands to be transported to another world. Not too far from the main house, this pool compound feels connected yet unique. Like a short vacation, sitting by this pool takes you to a very special place.

Garage/Guest House

Our clients often build projects in phases. This structure is phase one of a new home project including guest quarters and a garage. While the main house is being designed and built, this structure acts as a great weekend home with the kitchen and breakfast room disguised as a garage bay.

A bonus of phasing is that the owners will have a comfortable place to stay on the weekends to follow the construction progress. In the long run, their lucky guests will have a spacious home away from home, which has been broken in by their hosts.

Guest House

This guest house and garage recalls the spirit of an Eighteenth century carriage house. Set in a beautiful valley 75 miles north of New York City, it is a part of a family estate, comprised of a large clapboard main house built in the Eighteen hundreds, several barns and other accessory buildings.

The owners wanted to house their guests and their cars in a building which fit the context and felt as though it had been built in the same period as the main house. The ground floor includes a heated two-car garage with indoor and outdoor storage. The second floor guest room features chestnut flooring and hand-hewn beams.

Greek Revival Pool House

This jewel box of a pool house serves as an entertainment area for our client and her guests. The client and design team decided to highlight the Greek Revival details of the main house and to keep the structure as small as possible.

A key feature of this design is the openness of the plan and the focus on light and views. It is all about the wonderful views and the lush gardens.

Red Barn

This red barn is home to a variety of small animals including miniature horses, goats and donkeys. The owners wanted to have a small-scale petting zoo.

The barn was designed to fit into the surrounding countryside. Materials include stained board and batten siding, simple doors and windows and asphalt shingles. A cupola with windows on all four sides allows light to penetrate deep into the hayloft. The interior is divided into stalls, an area for washing the animals and feed bins.

The Perfect Accessory

What more can you ask of an accessory building than to house your family and friends as well as keep your cars snug and warm. Fitting in with the main house (Berkshire Retreat) was an important goal we achieved without plagiarism. Like farm buildings associated with the farm house, different functions call for different designs, however similar details and sensibilities tie the buildings together. No guest feels slighted by walking across the courtyard to spend the night at this cozy guest house.

Pool Pavilion

Set in the rolling hills of the Berkshires, this open air pavilion with fireplace and kitchen completes the poolside entertaining package. The nights can be a little cool in the Berkshires even in the summer. The fireplace takes the chill off, while the generous roof lines shade from the sun.

Entry Portico

The primary entry to this beautiful eighteenth century wood and brick home was an uncovered, awkward, side door. The owners wanted to walk into their home protected from the elements and to gracefully create an entry and garden space. We used antique brick which matched the existing walls in concert with bluestone slabs and copper roofing to make a maintenance free entry portico. From below, the portico creates a private garden with a classically balanced stairway as the focal point.

Collector's Garage

The owner of this transformed garage is a collector of vintage automobiles. We took a mundane storage building and turned it into a place to maintain, visit and enjoy fine vehicles. Three inch thick custom made carriage doors lead you into three bays for storing and working on cars featuring a hydraulic lift and pit. The fourth door opens into a double height display space with stairs to a viewing gallery and lounge. This building combines both beauty and utility.

Pool and Spa House

Designed as a destination, this pool house contains changing and bathrooms, a kitchen and dining area, and a guest bedroom overlooking the pool. Located on the exterior wall, is an outdoor shower. The spa house encloses a deep soaking tub surrounded by heated tile and features heated towel bars, a wet bar and sound system.

In the design of both buildings, we kept the forms simple which was in keeping with the 18th century main house. These buildings were featured in House Beautiful and won a design award sponsored by Hudson Valley Magazine and the American Institute of Architects.

Potting Shed

The design of this shed evolved from the compromise between a husband who wanted a wood shed and a wife who wanted a potting shed. Viewed from the house and garden, it seems to be only a potting shed. From the barn, it is a wood shed with two large wood bins. Functionally the shed has two storage rooms with benches for potting on one side. A walkway through the center leads you to the two woodbins on the barn side. The building serves to tie the house and garden visually to the barn. This building was featured in Country Gardens and Country Living Gardener.

Pool House with a View

We kept this pool house simple and sweet. Set in a bucolic farm region, the architectural styling takes its cues from the many hard working buildings on the surrounding horse farms. While the building exudes a quiet elegance, it is every bit as hard working as many of its neighbors. The back side encloses the mundane pool equipment, while the side facing the pool provides a half-bath and an accommodating wet bar. It strikes the perfect balance between work and play.

Shingled Guest House

The owners of this shingle-style, circa 1890 country house requested a design for a pool house and additional guest quarters. We felt that it was important to create a simple design that echoed the forms and materials featured on the main house. This allowed the new construction to complement the existing structure and create a cohesive relationship between the buildings.