On The Boards, A Classic Cottage

I've recently begun the design for two new houses that will go on an infill lot in a neighborhood of classic traditional houses. The client is a small real estate developer, who seeks to build small, quality houses in "walkable" neighborhoods. Our hope for these new  houses is that once completed, a passerby will be hard pressed to say whether they are new or recently renovated homes vintage to the neighborhood.

We capped the square footage at 2500. While the neighborhood homes range from 1600-over 8000, we wanted to create "right sized" houses...put the money into nice details and finishes rather than a lot of superfluous square footage and soaring ceilings.

Here's house one:

An asymmetrical gable with a swooping roof marks the entrance to the house. A porch stretches across the front of the house...perfect place to greet neighbors and enjoy the breeze. Exposed rafter tails and clipped gables are common architectural features in the neigborhood that we repeated here.

The first floor is designed to include all the spaces for day to day living. A large great room with fireplace and built ins is open to the foyer and the bright kitchen and dining area. A tray coffered ceiling brings height and detail to the great room. The master suite is convenient to the laundry room, meaning fewer steps with the dirty clothes. A large walk in closet and 5-piece bath make for the kind of suite usually only seen in larger homes.

Upstairs, a bright staircase with a deep plant shelf leads to the secondary bedrooms. Two are large, with double windows and ample closet space. The third is smaller, perfect to use as a home office, exercise room, or hobby space. All share a large bath with double sinks.

 Not shown here is the basement level, which includes a two car garage and storage space. While the total square footage is only 2300, the house lives larger.

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