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This new Shingle-style home in coastal Rhode Island overlooks Ninigret Pond and Block Island Sound, and the homeowners wanted to make the most of outdoor living for as much of the year as possible. “It’s a really special spot, and they love to host lobster boils,” designer Mitch Votolato of Sweenor Builders says. “We designed the deck and a three-season porch for their family gatherings.”
Originally, the house was envisioned as a vacation destination for a Massachusetts couple and their two teenage daughters. After the home’s completion, however, the family decided to make it their full-time residence. The Charlestown location is filled with memories for one of the homeowners, and other extended family members have homes nearby. Family gatherings and indoor-outdoor living drove the design of the first-floor spaces.
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Mosquitoes, biting yellow flies and countless other insects and critters make screened-in porches a must for comfort on the Florida panhandle. A couple living in Atlanta hired architect Danny Martin to design a home for their retirement in a new panhandle community called Draper Lake, and a screened-in porch plays a key role in the home’s design and in their lifestyle.
The couple uses the screened-in porch for dining, grilling, lounging and enjoying a favorite hobby — making pizza in a wood-fired oven. Working within a tight lot overlooking a dune lake, Martin also used the porch as a key connector between the carriage house, the main house and the yard.
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“After” photographs by Bernardo Grijalva
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two grown children and four grandchildren
Location: Los Gatos, California
Size: About 193 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Nicole Burton of Design Matters
Contractor: Burton Design & Construction
The house is on a hillside not far from downtown Los Gatos, and the new primary bathroom, pictured here, opens to a small deck and the backyard.
Prior to this primary suite remodel, Design Matters had worked with the clients on several other renovation projects, including their kitchen and a downstairs bath. For this bathroom, the overarching aesthetic aim was to create a light, warm and spa-like design that matched the clients’ style and harmonized with the rest of the home, Burton says. From a functional point of view, they wanted a spacious area with abundant natural light, storage and privacy. And a large tub for soaking and reading was a must.
One of the owners is an avid gardener, and her greenhouse is visible on the uphill slope. Her desire for the suite to capture an indoor-outdoor feel led to the most dramatic element of the bathroom’s new design: a corner made of two large retractable glass doors.
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After: The renovated sunroom has the same footprint as before but feels like a different space. All-new windows offer an indoor-outdoor connection and a beautifully framed panorama. Gridded panes on the top half of the windows lend a traditional cottage feel, with single panes on the bottom offering unobstructed backyard views. The ceiling line matches that of the new porch, easily accessed through the propped open door seen here.
Amato envisioned a space that would embody indoor-outdoor living in a classic New England summer home. She wanted to “make you feel elevated but relaxed enough to spend the day your pajamas,” she says.
She used a mix of vintage finds, strategic investment purchases and some pieces the homeowners already had to create a comfy space for napping, reading and enjoying outdoor views. Patience is key, Amato says, when pulling together a layered, lived-in look like this.
Windows: Pella
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Taking the house down to the studs created the opportunity to replace all the plumbing and electrical systems. Now, the house also meets California’s Title 24 requirements for energy efficiency. The design moves included using low- or no-VOC finishes, adding solar panels, maximizing natural light and choosing double-pane fiberglass windows.
The overhangs from both porches reduce solar heat gain. “This house is very passive, even when the air conditioning is off, due to the orientation, overhangs and natural ventilation,” Rosenberg says.