The home is an 1860 Queen Ann style previously owned by a yacht designer. It was important that we honor the past, his life in the space, and the way the space was used. In this case every detail had a relationship to another time.
The client had a keen eye for keeping the integrity of the property's historic details. For example, when the excavators came in to dig foundation holes for the footprint expansion, they saved every piece of brick and concrete paving that formed the original landscape, to incorporate into the "new" old landscape. This concept for preserving took an adjustment, looking at the land from a perspective of life in another period.
Working with clients who know exactly what they want, in this case a project driven by a specific period and style, simplifies decisions. The challenge is turning a limitation into something new and fresh. Everything new needed to be distressed, reused, and beaten up and ancient materials incorporated to reflect the period look from the 1860's. There is now a grove of trees along the neighboring property, including Chestnut, Linden and my favorite tree in the world, Korean mountain-ash (which are difficult to find now). The photos show how much more there is to explore and enjoy on this special property.