Distinctive Homes

of the East Bay & South Coast

PANORAMIC OCEAN VIEWS HIGHEST ADAMSVILLE SALE

A step above

This historic firehouse soars above its neighbors, and after years of renovation is one of the most unique residences in the City by the Sea

BY SCOTT PICKERING spickering@eastbaymediagroup.com

In a city of unique structures where opulence, grandeur and history are commonplace, 25 Mill St. stands tall. Literally.

Once home to one of America’s first organized fire companies, it is today a single-family residence with its own 65-foot tower overlooking the heart of Newport, R.I. Located just steps from the busiest tourist destination in the region, the tower is the highest private observation point in

the city, offering panoramic views of the downtown district, Newport Harbor, Fort Adams and Narragansett Bay.

When the current owner purchased the property for more than $3 million nearly four years ago, it had been divided into separate commercial spaces, with a small apartment in the back. He immediately hired JPS Construction & Design with the goal of transforming the space into one cohesive home, but without any clear vision of what that should be. They did not have a vision either, but they got to work right away. A week after signing the contract, back in January of 2022, they began interior demolition, even before they had any clear plans for the space. By taking out, taking down, and opening up, those visions slowly came into focus. What followed was a three-year odyssey that became the most

memorable, challenging, satisfying and unique project any of them had ever worked on. They designed as they built, and they built as they designed.

“We were designing one step ahead of the guys in the field,” said JPS architect Sue Horwitz, who described this as the project she is most proud of in her long career.

“Working as a team, and working with a client who was willing to go the extra mile, was so rewarding,” Horwitz said. “He was open to us making suggestions, even when they cost him more money. Some of them he said no to, but a lot of them he said yes to. It really was a fantastic experience for me.”

The final result is a home that defies simple

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAX PUTIER, RI COMMERCIAL IMAGING

The 140-year-old building at 25 Mill St. in downtown Newport was once Firehouse No. 1. Today it is an extraordinary single-family residence, with the highest private observation point in the city.

descriptions. Most visitors step inside and within seconds respond with: “Wow!” Which is often followed up by: “Wow!”

This home is dripping with “wows,” at every level and through every space. Designed in a modern style with open spaces, floating stairs, brass inlays, soaring ceilings, custom details and one of the most unique, complex and stunning arrays of lights you’ll ever seen in a private residence, the home soars with visual interest.

Blended with modern styles, dark colors and gold accents are an array of features that reveal the 140-year-old firehouse that lies within. The most visible are the red brick walls, which peek through facades in some areas, or carry entire walls, like in a rich, relaxed bedroom loaded with calm and character. And of course there’s the traditional and historic brass fire pole, anchored to the garage floor and connected to the second-floor living space above. Today it is sealed for fire code compliance, but it honors the days when firefighters slid down to a horse-drawn carriage on their way to a downtown Newport blaze.

From the ground up

At the basement level, everything was unfinished and the space was filled with equipment. JPS emptied it out and rebuilt it with as many amenities as they could fit — a wet bar, a theater room, a sauna, a wine closet, and space for pool table, ping pong table, and arcade games. Beneath the surface, they also made significant structural improvements, mostly beneath the heavy garage floor. The new owner wanted to be able to house three cars in the one-door garage up above, so they installed both a lift and a slide, with the heavy equipment requiring new structural beams and reinforcing down below. That heavily reinforced space below the garage is now a super-cool theater room, anchored by a large screen and decorated with enormous posters from some of Hollywood’s greatest flicks. Project manager at 25 Mill St. was Kevin Sawyer, who has a background in both architecture and interior design. He and Horwitz worked closely on all the choices and execution throughout the home.“We tried to keep some of the historic characteristics of the home intact, wherever we could,” Sawyer said. “So as you walk through the house, you see the exposed brick and other little details. That’s what made this project so much fun.”

To bring more light into the basement space, which has just one small window, JPS dramatically cut open and widened the entryway from above. Now the “float-

RICHARD W. DIONNE JR.

Three of the team members who led the transformation of the old firehouse into a single-family residence are (front to back) JPS project manager Kevin Sawyer, Joel Ferrara (who was there almost every day for three years) and architect Sue Horwitz.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAX PUTIER, RI COMMERCIAL IMAGING

The lower level has been transformed from a firehouse basement into an enticing play space, with home theater, sauna (above), wet bar, wine closet, arcade games and more.

ing stairs” that descend from the first floor into the basement, which themselves are open, airy and individually lit, permit natural light to stream uninterrupted from above.

The house is wired for everything, allowing the owner to control utilities, lights, security, doors, locks, sound, etc. from anywhere in the world. It comes in handy because he splits his time between a Boston residence and the Newport residence, so he can always have eyes, and controls, on what’s happening in the City by the Sea.

Luxury and air

Two floating staircases rise from the first floor to the upper levels. One connects to a mezzanine level, which is an in-between, floating space designed for luxurious comfort. Today it is filled with comfortable seating that seems nested into

its own floating existence. The owner calls the mezzanine his “cigar lounge.” And though it seems like it’s always been there, it is born from creativity and lots of design work.

Said Sawyer, “This floor system had connected all the way through, and there was originally just a staircase over there with a doorway that stepped down into this space. They had a bathroom up here somehow, and this floor was attached to the wall, cutting the windows in half. We wanted to save the floor space, but we wanted to open this space up. So, we pulled it off the wall, connected it, and have it floating here.” The effect is unforgettable. One can relax in this space, hovering above the lower level, gazing up at the main living area, and feel totally connected, or completely independent.

In the main living area, a black stone veneer

appears to float above a large gas fireplace. It looks like simple elegance, but the design and engineering are not simple. “We had to come up with a structure to support it, because it’s basically stone adhered onto the framing to make it look like it’s floating,” said Sawyer. “Sue detailed this area endlessly, to get the lighting in there, to add the brass strips, to define the panels.”

A step above

And then there’s the tower. Rising from a stairway at the front of the main living area, it first opens to a large rooftop deck, which is home to an outdoor kitchen and a dumbwaiter to the kitchen below. Another set of steps leads vertically to an overhead door, which opens to the landing at the top of the tower. Standing up there, one feels on top of Newport, gazing out at

CORY SILKIN

This mezzanine level floats between the first and second floors, creating a unique space within the home — open to areas both above and below. Design features include the exposed brick wall and rich wood flooring with brass inlays.

the vistas and looking at eye level to the steeple of a nearby church. It is breathtaking. On a windy day – literally.

Reaching the tower is simple today, but it was an arduous feat for the crews. “We took out the original stairs, so we just had scaffolding from here all the way up to the top for about a year and a half,” Sawyer said. “And that’s how we operated. When the stairs finally came in, we started from top down. Using a ropes and pulley system, we brought all the steel pieces up and installed them, piece by piece, until we reached the bottom. We didn’t install all the treads until after we had all the steel in place.”

This is one of the first projects JPS worked on that was based on “time and materials.” There was no way we were going to bid this whole project out at the beginning,” Sawyer said. “We didn’t know what he wanted; we just knew he wanted it done. So we approached it as a true design-build. There were no plans as we were doing demo. We were like, ‘All right, demo this, don’t demo that.’ And then we would come back and say, ‘ok, demo that now because we don’t need it.’ That approach with the client was very different, but I think that was the only approach we could have had on this particular project … This was one of the first projects where we had the design team so intimately involved. It was a true convergence of all of our knowledge.”

That convergence resulted in a home that looks historic, feels modern, and shouts “wow” at every level.

Fire Station No. 1

25 Mill Street

National Register of Historic Places

“Built by the City of Newport in 1885, Fire Station No. 1 housed Old Torrent No. 1, which was known as one of the first organized fire companies in America. The Fire Station was home to Newport’s first horse drawn steam engine, however in 1913 the city recommended that the steamers be replaced with motor-driven equipment. The step incline of Mill Street proved too challenging for the early model trucks, and after twenty-nine years of service, Fire Station No. 1 was closed on September 3, 1915. The last Fire Department horses were sold one week later, followed directly by a public auction of the steamer and the building itself.”

— Text that appears on the plaque at 25 Mill St., Newport

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAX PUTIER, RI COMMERCIAL IMAGING

This is the view looking up at one of the home’s truly spectacular features — a six-story chandelier that descends from the tower to the foyer below. There are 60 separate pendant lights, falling at various heights throughout the tower, providing both aesthetic appeal, and light, through all levels of the home. This and other lighting fixtures were designed by Julie Rose at Sladen Feinstein.

The main living area is the largest single space in the house, and it connects to multiple other levels. At right is the stairway leading to the 65-foot-high tower. At left are stairs leading to the dining area and kitchen. Note the LED lights embedded in the ceiling beams and the brass fire pole at the front of the house.

At home on the water

When tearing down and rebuilding this Portsmouth home, the builders had one prevailing theme — keep the water in view at all times

BY SCOTT PICKERING spickering@eastbaymediagroup.com

Blessed with miles of coastline fronting rivers, bays and the Atlantic Ocean, this region is home to thousands of waterfront properties. They range from cottages to compounds, condos to mansions, but regardless of shape, size or extravagance, waterfront is waterfront.

The water has universal impact on those fortunate enough to live at its shore. It can be calming, breathtaking, majestic or playful, and it is always to be appreciated.

Builders Mike and Chris Kent of Kreg New Homes knew this when they dove into one of their more ambitious renovation projects ever. After buying a tired 1975 colonial along the

Sakonnet River shoreline in Portsmouth back in February of 2024, they demolished everything down to the foundation and studs and took stock of what they had to work with.

First of all, they found what Mike called the best foundation he’s seen in 40 years in the business. So they kept that, preserved as much of the framing as needed, waited months to get all their permits in order, and then launched a year-long renovation project that demanded both patience and precision.

“This was a very complicated build, but that’s what made it so much fun,” said Mike. “With new construction, you can build a million-dollar house in three to four months. But with a renovation like this, there are so many details, so many jobs, where one subcontractor relies on the next subcontractor, it’s time-consuming.”

The Kents use an architect to put drawings on paper, but they mostly design and build themselves, often modifying and innovating as they go. In this project, they stayed true to one prevailing theme — keep the water in view at all

times. In laying out spaces, knocking out walls, opening up the roof, or framing the windows and doors, they always had an eye on the water. The devotion began at the front door.

By cutting back walls on each side of the center stairway, at the entrance to the family room, and even in the kitchen on the back side of the house, they created a foyer where someone steps inside the threshold and is immediately met with waterfront vistas.

The new kitchen, built into the same space as the original kitchen, is a dramatic reimagining that did not come easily.

“The kitchen took a while to get right,” Chris said. “We went around and around a little bit.”

But they’re happy with the outcome. A large center island with space for five stools faces out toward sweeping views of the Sakonnet River. A wet bar bridges the space between the kitchen and a large dining area. Large openings connect this central space with family rooms to the left and right, each with its own fireplace.

This waterfront Portsmouth property was home to a 1970s Colonial that was in need of updating. A father-son team bought it, took it down to the studs, and have spent more than a year creating an elegant, 7,357-square-foot family home.

Nearly every space in the house enjoys waterfront vistas, or at least sightlines to the water, including this kitchen and dining area, which connects to an enormous deck spanning the entire back of the house.

Let in the light

The Kents significantly widened the original staircase to the upper level, and they opened a large skylight at the top landing. Combined with large, clear windows throughout the back of the house, the spaces are bright and airy. And then there’s the primary bedroom suite, which is one of the signature spaces in the house.

It stretches for 1,300 square feet, includes two walk-in closets, each with its own cedar closet, his and her bathrooms, a wine/coffee bar, a magnificent dual steam shower that connects the two bathrooms together, and a balcony offering wide, sweeping views of the river and the Tiverton shoreline. It’s like having a five-star hotel suite on the second floor of your home.

The house is lined with custom woodwork and elaborate trim packages, including rich mahogany in key places throughout. And of course the entire house is a “smart house,” giving the owner the ability to operate everything — lights, locks, climate controls, shades, etc. — from their phone.

They thought of everything

Some of the greatest innovations are in the lower, walkout level, which holds a vast array

The primary suite measures more than 1,300 square feet and includes its own wine/coffee bar, two walk-in closets, two bathrooms, its own balcony, and custom woodwork and touches throughout.

of amenities. There are two enormous family spaces, one raised and one lower, both facing out toward a wall of windows, sliders and the water. There is an office, a sauna, a home theater room, a full bathroom, a full kitchen, a wine closet, a workout area, a gorgeous bar with seating on two sides, and of course sliders to what will soon be a bluestone terrace and swimming pool.

The innovations include wall cutouts and glass insets, so that every space, including the office, which is nested at the front of the house and away from the water, has natural light and waterfront views. The same is true in the gym, with glass cutout providing light and water views.

“The entire back of the house is open to the water. You can see the water from every angle,” said Chris.

“They thought of everything. Everywhere you go in this house, you have that water view,” said Realtor RoseMarie Clemente, who is showing the house to prospective buyers. The four-bedroom home has more than 7,300 square feet and is listed at $5,950,000, with interior work nearly complete and only the pool and terrace remaining.

At the end, both Kents had a great time on this project and are thrilled with the outcome. “It was a long job, but it felt good, and the feedback has been positive throughout the process,” said Chris.

The lower level is home to hotel-like amenities, including a second kitchen, a sauna, a wine closet, a theater room, an office, a two-sided bar, and enormous living spaces. To preserve water views throughout, the builders cut glass inserts into walls, as seen at right, where a workout room enjoys a large, open window to the water.

RICHARD W. DIONNE JR.

The team that has spent more than a year renovating this home includes builders Mike (left) and Chris Kent.

Artists in residence

For many in the South Coast’s thriving arts community ‘It’s hard to put into words how magical this place is’

BY LUCY PROBERT

When Kris Donovan ran workshops for artists visiting from across the country at the Stone House in Little Compton a while back, she remembers how enthralled they were with the ocean and farmland scenes before them. “They called it ‘eye candy’,” she says. “To set up somewhere and be so tuned into this beautiful, secluded place and just paint; they still talk about it.” A flourishing art community for decades, the South Coast has seen many artists make their home here, continually inspired by its coastal beauty.

“If you plunked down the same radius almost anywhere else outside of a large city, especially as rural as ours, you’d be hard pressed to find an area with as many artists living and working there,” says Stephen Remick, artist and president of South Coast Artists, which holds Open Studio Tours twice in the summer featuring 75 of its more than 200 artist members in and around Tiverton,

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRIS DONOVAN

A clothesline still life by Kris Donovan.

Kris Donovan painting a still life of pears at her studio in Little Compton.

Sakonnet Lace by Kris Donovan.

Little Compton, Westport and Dartmouth. “The art community in this area continues to grow and thrive,” he says. “And the tours are a great way for people to interact with local artists in their creative working environments.”

Remick, who primarily paints landscapes in acrylic, was inspired by the Robert Frost poem Mending Wall, leading him to paint a series of stone walls off of his property in Dartmouth. “I was literally tripping over subject matter in my own backyard,” he says. From there he’s explored the abstract beauty of shadows and sunlight on snow, forests, ocean waves and open landscapes. Remick’s work can be found at Four Corners Gallery in Tiverton.

Clients who buy Kris Donovan’s art in watercolor, pastel or oil often have a connection to the area, she says. “I did a commission over the winter for someone who had a second home on Sakonnet Point Road, and he wanted the scene for his home in Florida. His daughter, who lives in California, is also interested in memories of here for her home. There is almost always a tie people have to this place that they want to share or bring with them.”

Before basing her studio at home, Donovan

had galleries in and around Four Corners for more than 30 years. “For as long as I can remember there has been an artist community here,” she says. “At the United Congregational Church fair in Little Compton every summer, the highlight was

always the art show under the big tent. It was phenomenal, even back then,” she says. Donovan’s favorite spots to paint include the view across the river from the top of Peckham Road, beach scenes and hay bales. “Recently I

COURTESY OF KRIS DONOVAN

COURTESY OF NANCY WESTFELDT

Three Shorebirds by Nancy Bogle Westfeldt.

came down South of Commons Road and the hay bales were right there, so that’s where I set my easel up,” she says. She also paints still life; a clothes line waving in the wind, a lobsterman with his catch, cows and pears. “I enjoy the little things,” she says. “They’re peaceful and fun.”

The ocean draws artist Nancy Westfeldt to her easel, especially Briggs Beach in Little Compton, which is near where she lives. “I love the drama,” she says. “The light shining through the clouds and the waves with different shades of greens and blues contrasting against the white of the foam. I could sit and watch the waves break for a long time.” Watercolor is her preferred medium.

“I love how you can experiment with colors, dropping them in and seeing how it flows,” she says. Her work has been featured at the Art Café in Little Compton whose gallery highlights local artists.

Even after decades of painting on the south coast Kris Donovan never tires of her subjects. “I will still pull up to a property or a special view, get out of the car and say ‘Wow!’” she says. “And the view of the marsh and the clouds and sky from my studio still amazes me every day. It’s hard to put into words how magical this place is.”.

COURTESY OF NANCY WESTFELDT

Waves on rocks at Briggs Beach by Nancy Bogle Westfeldt.

Easy-to-(crowd) please holiday appetizers

BY LUCY PROBERT

Whether guests are coming for a holiday meal or just to toast and celebrate the festive season, appetizers are always on the menu. With all of the planning, decorating, shopping and cooking, why not make appys that are easy to prepare using minimal ingredients that burst with flavor. Offer these three crowd pleasers for your next get-together and guests will be asking for the recipes by the end of the party.

RECIPES

Artichoke Feta Dip

• 1-12 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

• 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

• 1-4 oz. jar of sliced pimentos

• Chopped garlic to taste

• Crackers

Mix all ingredients together, scoop into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until it bubbles on top. Serve with crackers.

Fig and Goat Cheese Roll with Hot Honey

• 1-10 oz. goat cheese log

• 1 cup pistachio nuts, chopped or crushed

• 5 tablespoons fig jam

• 3 tablespoons hot honey to drizzle

• Crackers

Spread chopped or crushed pistachio nuts on a cutting board and roll the cheese log over them until evenly coated. After placing the

cheese log on a serving tray spread the fig jam evenly over the top. Drizzle the honey over the jam and serve with crackers.

Jam and Brie Phyllo Cups

• 1 package of 15 frozen mini phyllo shells

• 4 oz. Brie, cut into 30 cubes

• 4 tablespoons raspberry or fig jam

• Hot Honey to drizzle

• Rosemary sprigs to garnish

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the phyllo shells on the pan with 2 cubes of Brie in each. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Spoon about ½ teaspoon of jam in each cup and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with rosemary and let sit for a few minutes, drizzle with hot honey and serve warm.