So Stylish Life/Style |
By Andrea McHugh
Barbara Mariconda wanted a place to be inspired by nature, where she could write her popular children’s books
Something to Write Home About Barbara Mariconda knows a thing or two about starting new chapters. A longtime author, she’s written a bevy of books for children and young adults (as well as professional books for teachers). So when she spotted a parcel of land in Saunderstown three years ago that would be the perfect place to write, relax and start anew in the Ocean State, she made a bold move into unfamiliar territory. “It was really scary,” she says, “and I was doing it on my own… I saw the property and it was a jungle. You couldn’t even walk through it.” But there was something that spoke to her – the bucolic country road, the aged stone walls and the short walk to the edge of Narragansett Bay. She knew this spot would be “it” for her, as in, no more moving.
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SO RHODE ISLAND | April 2017
Barbara’s new digs, though still just an idea in her head, were to be planned meticulously, accommodating her for the foreseeable future. She packed up her life in Connecticut and moved into a small apartment for a year as her new home was built. Her first order of business was to meet with friend and architect James Millward who had decades of experience designing homes, particularly beautiful, smart ones by the sea. She approached him with a somewhat ambitious wish list. “I knew I wanted lots of light – windows everywhere. I definitely wanted a screened-in porch. An open floor plan was very important. I wanted a fireplace, and lots of builtins. I’m an author with lots of books,” explains Barbara. With her career in
mind, she knew it would be critical for her writing nook to embrace and be inspired by the outdoors. Easy access to a mind-clearing walk and break to feed the birds – not to mention a chance to breathe in the fresh, salty air – would be especially rewarding. When it came to builders, James recommended South County Post and Beam, based in West Kingston, as he had worked with the firm on past projects. Barbara’s visit to their offices proved to be a game changer. The ageold artistry of post-frame construction – finely crafted timber framing details, lofty ceilings, the warmth of natural woods and a unique “outside in” character – was moving and clearly made an impression. “I loved their office… so it was back to the drawing board,” she
says, laughing. A few renditions later, James, Barbara and the team from South County Post and Beam, including the father and son duo Ken and Josh Bouvier, had settled on a design they all were keen on. However, there were some compromises when it came to Barbara’s original wish list. “I originally wanted my bedroom on the lower level, but I would have lost all the windows on the back side of the living room,” she explains. Barbara calls the solutions the Bouviers came up with “brilliant.” The clever builders designed two spacious closets on the first and second floor to be stacked directly on top of one another. “So if I ever need a residential elevator, they can put it right in,” she explains. They broke ground in October of
Photography by Grace Lentini
An author built her forever home in Saunderstown with writing and relaxation in mind