center-hall colonial with good bones. The layout was seamless, too, which meant walls wouldn’t have to go up or come down. The real challenge? Bringing 7,000 square feet down to a comfortable, livable scale, while simultaneously creating a space that would suit the couple’s slightly divergent aesthetics. “The husband is more traditional than the wife,” notes Spaidal. “She’s more transitional. We wanted to strike a balance, so they would both be happy and comfortable.” “They know who I am,” agrees the wife. “I’m not as conservative as Fairfield County. I was open to a lot of ideas.” So with her blessing to push boundaries a bit, the two designers set to work. The first item on the punch list was to replace all the doors (the originals were of a mahogany that gave Winter 2016 New England Home Connecticut 81
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