The owners of this Berkshire Mountains home—a couple that raised four boys in the house since buying it in 2002—are quick to tell you that they have made no improvements to the mid-80’s Colonial in the more than 20 years that they have lived here.
The boys have all moved out and so now….it’s time!
And so, what started as a conversation with us at their famous backyard fire pit, developed into a multi-year passion project…for them and for us! The boys have moved out and now our friends have returned to their enjoyment of entertaining, playing with the dogs, spending time outside and on the back deck, and relaxing by the fire pit. But their family, ever-increasing with new spouses and children, still gathers here for holidays and other events. And the current house just isn’t set up for it.
The challenge: modify the house to be right-sized for two....but also capable of hosting dinner parties, large reunions, and frequent family gatherings with loads of kids, friends, and dogs!
In studying the house and working through various design options, one big, bold move became clear: relocate the kitchen. This one move opens the entire floorplan up, creating a variety of interconnected rooms that all interact harmoniously with one another. It also allows for a highly varied and fluid set of circulation patterns, providing immense flexibility for a range of uses and occasions.
With this new arrangement of spaces, the ground floor is extremely flexible, offering multiple places to sit, eat, lounge, converse, and hang out.
A new kitchen includes a wet bar, expansive island, and a series of large custom-designed pantry cabinets. It also has a direct connection to a new vaulted screened-in porch through wide, four-panel glass sliding doors.
The expanded Family Room has over-sized north-facing windows that look out over a new deck seating area and into their massive tree-lined back yard.
And central to it all is a circulation spine that seamlessly connects outside with in, providing access to all the primary spaces of the ground level in a natural and cohesive way.
This is one of our absolute favorite projects to be a part of and we look forward to a time when we can get back to the fire pit to see it finished!
Architect: Lo Design
Interiors: Lo Design
Builder: Geary Builders