Project Description
When the new owners of this 1930s structure asked, “Can you make
this home livable for us?” architect Charles Moore was intrigued by the
challenge.
Known for his talent reviving homes that seem past
their useful life, Moore faced a home that was charming but cartoonish,
blemished by poorly constructed additions, awkward circulation, and
insufficient space. Restrictive zoning precluded tearing down and
rebuilding.
Stripping the home down to its simple saltbox shape
gave direction to the addition’s mass and enabled the space to be
rearranged. Moving the stairway and kitchen to the center created an
axis around which the pantry, family room, powder room, mudroom, living
room, dining room, and study circulate. Four bedrooms and three
bathrooms now fit easily upstairs, where new dormers maximize space and
light and emphasize the home’s original lines.
The judges admired
the home’s modesty and consistency, noting its tastefully detailed
connection to indigenous materials. These include a plinth of locally
quarried stone that seems to anchor the structure to the earth, Virginia
soapstone countertops, and flooring made from reclaimed oak cider vats.