“We needed to open the house and build in some more soul while, at the same time, respecting the interesting architecture.” The golden glow cast by aging wood ceilings and floors was quickly remedied by lightening the former and staining the latter a rich chestnut color. But only demolition could fix the closed-in ambience. Banishing the wall between the entry and solarium opened the house both physically and spiritually. The new entry consists of a generous doorway, two half walls and a graceful transom, all of which frame the view. Today, the first thing the owners see when they open their door is endless blue water and sky. It’s a beautiful snapshot they can tuck away in their memories to carry them through winter. In keeping with the couple’s desire to use green materials whenever possible, the table in the solarium-turned-dining room is crafted from one sustainably sourced mahogany tree. The base is the tree’s trunk. Metal-framed chairs from Arteriors offer comfort without bulk. It was paramount that nothing stand in way of the windows. “We wanted livable, not boring,” says Needham. With kids, dogs and a revolving guest list, anything too precious was out of the question. Instead, she brought in art and favorite finds to smartly energize the house. A birdcage filled with faux birds, for example, discovered at the Conran Shop in New York City, landed in the kitchen—a fitting accompaniment to reproduction 1960s Acapulco chairs. Summer place or not, guess where everyone gathers: the kitchen and adjoining family room, home to the TV, of course. Clad in sturdy Sunbrella fabric the family-room sofa is practically immune to mishaps, and the same goes for the laid-back wool and jute rug. The owners copied the existing galley layout for the kitchen but swept in modern appliances and bamboo cabinets. New countertops of poured cement are crowd friendly. And accents in shades of blue from turquoise to cobalt riff on the colors outside. “The views are amazing, but we like to think the longer people are here the more they begin to appreciate the subtle touches, the little treats,” says Light. He is, of course, referring to the endless
The first thing the owners see when they open their door is blue water and sky. It’s a beautiful snapshot they can tuck away in their memories to carry them through winter.
96 New England Home March–April 2013
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2/15/13 12:12 AM