Ronnette Riley Architect was retained to renovate a landmarked brownstone at 117 W 81st Street into a modern family Pied de Terre. The 6,556 square foot building was originally built in the nineteenth century as a 10 family rooming house next to the famous Hotel Endicott. RRA recreated the original front stoop and façade details based on the historic image from 1921 and the neighboring buildings details. Ronnette Riley Architect’s design proposes to remove the existing ‘L’ shaped rear façade and add a new flush rear addition adding approx. 800 SF. All North facing rooms will be opened up with floor to ceiling and wall to wall 1930’s replica steel factory windows. These double pane steel windows will allow northern light into the building creating a modern, open feel. Additionally, RRA has proposed an extended penthouse and exterior terrace spaces on the roof. The interior of the home will be completely renovated adding a new elevator and sprinklered stair. The interior design of the building reflects the client’s eclectic style, combining many traditional and modern design elements and using luxurious, yet environmentally conscious and easily maintained materials. Millwork has been incorporated to maximize the home’s large living spaces, front parlor and new gourmet kitchen as well as six bedroom suites with baths and four powder rooms. The new design also encompasses a studio apartment on the Garden Level and additional cellar created by excavating the existing floor slab to allow 8 foot tall ceilings, which will house the mechanical areas as well as a wine cellar and additional storage.

Room Design by Dawn Porter for Ethan Allen. See more or Dawn's designs: https://www.houzz.com/pro/dawnporterea/dawn-porter-asid-for-ethan-allen-of-alpharetta The Allesandra bed is Modeled after fine nineteenth-century, European-inspired furniture found in upscale antique shops, this bed makes the heart skip a beat (or two). Its fluted posts with delicate finials and incised rosettes lend an heirloom-quality that’s utterly romantic.

Ronnette Riley Architect was retained to renovate a landmarked brownstone at 117 W 81st Street into a modern family Pied de Terre. The 6,556 square foot building was originally built in the nineteenth century as a 10 family rooming house next to the famous Hotel Endicott. RRA recreated the original front stoop and façade details based on the historic image from 1921 and the neighboring buildings details. Ronnette Riley Architect’s design proposes to remove the existing ‘L’ shaped rear façade and add a new flush rear addition adding approx. 800 SF. All North facing rooms will be opened up with floor to ceiling and wall to wall 1930’s replica steel factory windows. These double pane steel windows will allow northern light into the building creating a modern, open feel. Additionally, RRA has proposed an extended penthouse and exterior terrace spaces on the roof. The interior of the home will be completely renovated adding a new elevator and sprinklered stair. The interior design of the building reflects the client’s eclectic style, combining many traditional and modern design elements and using luxurious, yet environmentally conscious and easily maintained materials. Millwork has been incorporated to maximize the home’s large living spaces, front parlor and new gourmet kitchen as well as six bedroom suites with baths and four powder rooms. The new design also encompasses a studio apartment on the Garden Level and additional cellar created by excavating the existing floor slab to allow 8 foot tall ceilings, which will house the mechanical areas as well as a wine cellar and additional storage.

The house is located in Conyers Farm, a residential development, known for its’ grand estates and polo fields. Although the site is just over 10 acres, due to wetlands and conservation areas only 3 acres adjacent to Upper Cross Road could be developed for the house. These restrictions, along with building setbacks led to the linear planning of the house. To maintain a larger back yard, the garage wing was ‘cranked’ towards the street. The bent wing hinged at the three-story turret, reinforces the rambling character and suggests a sense of enclosure around the entry drive court. Designed in the tradition of late nineteenth-century American country houses. The house has a variety of living spaces, each distinct in shape and orientation. Porches with Greek Doric columns, relaxed plan, juxtaposed masses and shingle-style exterior details all contribute to the elegant “country house” character.

Originally built about 1850 in the historic Mohawk Valley of New York State, the Reese Brothers Barn is an unusual example of the transformation that took place in American agriculture during the Industrial Revolution of the mid-nineteenth century. Before this period of time, American farmers grew varied and diverse crops. But with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and its accompanying mass marketing, farmers began to specialize in the crops they raised. The architecture of their barns also became specialized, which led to larger barns like this one, with innovative farming to allow for larger clear spans. The timbers were hewn by hand with the broad axe and adze from massive virgin hemlock trees. They were then joined together using the ancient method of mortise and tenon joinery. Its unique and innovative truss system allowed for forty-foot-long spans under which the Reese brothers could store enormous amounts of loose hay. In 2000 the barn was carefully dismantled and restored at the 10XXX Ranch to its original condition by Joe and Connie Mitchell. It represents one of the finest examples of 19th century American architecture, now preserved for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Featured on The Wall Street Journal

This new garage/workshop for a rural historic property was designed to reflect a nineteenth century outbuilding that had seen several expansions. Historic gable and shed shapes are used to reduce the mass of the structure. Other features include six-over-six, double-hung sash windows along with bands of casement windows, a standing-seam metal roof, and a traditional barn red paint.

This mid-nineteenth century Classical Revival townhouse was restored and renovated to provide a contemporary living environment within a grand formal residence. Located in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, the exterior of the building was restored to include new mahogany entrance doors matching the original design. The interiors were carefully modified to preserve significant architectural elements, reintroduce missing original details, and create new spaces featuring custom woodwork and other components designed to accommodate our clients’ specific requirements. Cherokee Construction Boland Woodworking Tom Crane Photography

Inspiration for a small eclectic medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Boston with white walls

Ronnette Riley Architect was retained to renovate a landmarked brownstone at 117 W 81st Street into a modern family Pied de Terre. The 6,556 square foot building was originally built in the nineteenth century as a 10 family rooming house next to the famous Hotel Endicott. RRA recreated the original front stoop and façade details based on the historic image from 1921 and the neighboring buildings details. Ronnette Riley Architect’s design proposes to remove the existing ‘L’ shaped rear façade and add a new flush rear addition adding approx. 800 SF. All North facing rooms will be opened up with floor to ceiling and wall to wall 1930’s replica steel factory windows. These double pane steel windows will allow northern light into the building creating a modern, open feel. Additionally, RRA has proposed an extended penthouse and exterior terrace spaces on the roof. The interior of the home will be completely renovated adding a new elevator and sprinklered stair. The interior design of the building reflects the client’s eclectic style, combining many traditional and modern design elements and using luxurious, yet environmentally conscious and easily maintained materials. Millwork has been incorporated to maximize the home’s large living spaces, front parlor and new gourmet kitchen as well as six bedroom suites with baths and four powder rooms. The new design also encompasses a studio apartment on the Garden Level and additional cellar created by excavating the existing floor slab to allow 8 foot tall ceilings, which will house the mechanical areas as well as a wine cellar and additional storage.

This mid-nineteenth century Classical Revival townhouse was restored and renovated to provide a contemporary living environment within a grand formal residence. Located in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, the exterior of the building was restored to include new mahogany entrance doors matching the original design. The interiors were carefully modified to preserve significant architectural elements, reintroduce missing original details, and create new spaces featuring custom woodwork and other components designed to accommodate our clients’ specific requirements. Cherokee Construction Boland Woodworking Tom Crane Photography

Ronnette Riley Architect was retained to renovate a landmarked brownstone at 117 W 81st Street into a modern family Pied de Terre. The 6,556 square foot building was originally built in the nineteenth century as a 10 family rooming house next to the famous Hotel Endicott. RRA recreated the original front stoop and façade details based on the historic image from 1921 and the neighboring buildings details. Ronnette Riley Architect’s design proposes to remove the existing ‘L’ shaped rear façade and add a new flush rear addition adding approx. 800 SF. All North facing rooms will be opened up with floor to ceiling and wall to wall 1930’s replica steel factory windows. These double pane steel windows will allow northern light into the building creating a modern, open feel. Additionally, RRA has proposed an extended penthouse and exterior terrace spaces on the roof. The interior of the home will be completely renovated adding a new elevator and sprinklered stair. The interior design of the building reflects the client’s eclectic style, combining many traditional and modern design elements and using luxurious, yet environmentally conscious and easily maintained materials. Millwork has been incorporated to maximize the home’s large living spaces, front parlor and new gourmet kitchen as well as six bedroom suites with baths and four powder rooms. The new design also encompasses a studio apartment on the Garden Level and additional cellar created by excavating the existing floor slab to allow 8 foot tall ceilings, which will house the mechanical areas as well as a wine cellar and additional storage.

We recently enjoyed the opportunity to remodel three floors of a nineteenth-century Cambridge home with our project partners, architect Tom Downer and designer Jayme Kennerknecht. . • The owners – a family of four that includes both a teenager and a toddler - wanted a house better suited to entertaining but also appropriate for family together time. Specific improvements on their wish list included a playroom that could handle differing family needs, a custom bar for entertaining, a new fireplace, and an inviting kitchen that would remain distinct but be better connected to adjoining rooms. • Adding a fireplace to the living room involved rebuilding the entire back wall of the home. The fireplace mantel was custom designed to match an existing mantel in the nearby dining room, which is original to the home. • In the playroom, care was taken to create zones for three members of the family: The mother enjoys crafting and now has a station directly below existing skylights, the teenager has a semi-private nook at the back of the space for relaxing, and the youngest in the family can enjoy toys and games placed along one wall alongside a rug for playing on the floor. On the same level, we created a separate guest bedroom with a new closet and a window designed to match other windows throughout the home. • The kitchen is fully upgraded and custom designed to accommodate the mother’s cooking habits, with specific elements including a farmer’s sink in the island and a stainless steel counter with an integrated sink for food preparation placed behind it on the counter. To improve storage in the much-used room, corner drawer units were installed instead of lazy Susan cabinets. Also, the homeowners were not interested in an open floor plan, but did want to improve access to the living room and yard beyond. This was achieved by expanding the opening between the two rooms allowing the cook to engage with family and guests and have a clear view when children are playing in the yard. Photo by Shelly Harrison

THE DOOR NAME ORIGIN - "SHAKER STYLE 1 PANEL" How many panels should your interior door have? Well! If you’re looking for a truly no-frills product that is nonetheless elegant, this is an interior door you should consider first. This one-panel model is a truly minimal shaker-style design. While just as reliable as the interior doors in our other collections, these interior doors cost less. A lot less, in fact. Again, if simplicity is your thing, do consider this model. The original Shakers (or Shaking Quackers, as they were styled back in the Nineteenth Century) would be immensely pleased to have this product, as it most certainly adheres to their principle of utter simplicity combined with reliability. In its heyday, the community was highly influential when it came to matters of taste, not just in the United States, but in many other countries. The Baroque period that emphasized and worshipped unapologetic, insolent luxury had come to an end. Austere clas... Show more! FINISH: WHITE This is a bit tricky. Isn’t White the default finish that would look great on any interior door? Well, not quite. W. is the color most often associated with perfection, honesty, cleanliness, newness, neutrality, and exactitude. The pigment has been known and used by humans since prehistoric times. In ancient Egypt, W. symbolized purity. Roman patricians paraded around in W. togas to distinguish themselves from the common folk. It was the color of choice of French monarchs. Architects of all epochs used W., with considerable enthusiasm, in various projects and for various reasons. In the United States, architects favored it when designing churches, capitols, and municipal buildings – which is, in fact, a tradition they inherited from classical and Renaissance architecture. According to some experts, most of the buildings in the celebrated Forum were either made of, or clad in, W. marble. In Taoism, it represents the yang or masculine energy, one of the two complementary natures of the universe. Many authors, both classical and contemporary, have referred to W. as a sign of purity, either physical (like William Shakespeare, whose treacherous usurper monarch wishes a heavenly rain would cleanse his blood-stained hand, washing it “white as snow”) or spiritual (like Tennessee Williams, who named his lead character Blanche (derived, incidentally, from the Germanic word blanc)) as a symbol of her innocent child-like spirit, perceptible from the moment she makes her first entrance (through the interior door stage-left). Back in the Seventeenth Century, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that sunlight is composed of light with wavelengths across the visible spectrum which the human eye perceives as W. It is the lightest of the spectrum, and achromatic (hue-less) to boot, because it fully reflects and scatters all visible wavelengths of light, absorbing none. W. objects stand out in the dark. Depending on the surroundings, an interior door with W. finish might come off as emphatic or tactful, dominant or complementary. It blends seamlessly into most types of decor and, once the owner’s needs and disposition are taken into account, can symbolize - oh, so many different things, while bringing back a myriad memories: from those glorious snowy Alpine slopes and peaks to the fluffy tops of the wayward herd of cumulus cloud heap over the horizon on a balmy afternoon in the Caribbean. Tropical sand beaches are W. due to the high quantity of calcium carbonate they get from tiny bits of seashells ground to powder by the waves. In a number of cultures W. can also symbolize festivity, and be used lavishly to brighten up weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. It is beautiful. Make sure it goes well with your interior door model, though.

Ronnette Riley Architect was retained to renovate a landmarked brownstone at 117 W 81st Street into a modern family Pied de Terre. The 6,556 square foot building was originally built in the nineteenth century as a 10 family rooming house next to the famous Hotel Endicott. RRA recreated the original front stoop and façade details based on the historic image from 1921 and the neighboring buildings details. Ronnette Riley Architect’s design proposes to remove the existing ‘L’ shaped rear façade and add a new flush rear addition adding approx. 800 SF. All North facing rooms will be opened up with floor to ceiling and wall to wall 1930’s replica steel factory windows. These double pane steel windows will allow northern light into the building creating a modern, open feel. Additionally, RRA has proposed an extended penthouse and exterior terrace spaces on the roof. The interior of the home will be completely renovated adding a new elevator and sprinklered stair. The interior design of the building reflects the client’s eclectic style, combining many traditional and modern design elements and using luxurious, yet environmentally conscious and easily maintained materials. Millwork has been incorporated to maximize the home’s large living spaces, front parlor and new gourmet kitchen as well as six bedroom suites with baths and four powder rooms. The new design also encompasses a studio apartment on the Garden Level and additional cellar created by excavating the existing floor slab to allow 8 foot tall ceilings, which will house the mechanical areas as well as a wine cellar and additional storage.

We recently enjoyed the opportunity to remodel three floors of a nineteenth-century Cambridge home with our project partners, architect Tom Downer and designer Jayme Kennerknecht/LDa Architects. . • The owners – a family of four that includes both a teenager and a toddler - wanted a house better suited to entertaining but also appropriate for family together time. Specific improvements on their wish list included a playroom that could handle differing family needs, a custom bar for entertaining, a new fireplace, and an inviting kitchen that would remain distinct but be better connected to adjoining rooms. • Adding a fireplace to the living room involved rebuilding the entire back wall of the home. The fireplace mantel was custom designed to match an existing mantel in the nearby dining room, which is original to the home. • In the playroom, care was taken to create zones for three members of the family: The mother enjoys crafting and now has a station directly below existing skylights, the teenager has a semi-private nook at the back of the space for relaxing, and the youngest in the family can enjoy toys and games placed along one wall alongside a rug for playing on the floor. On the same level, we created a separate guest bedroom with a new closet and a window designed to match other windows throughout the home. • The kitchen is fully upgraded and custom designed to accommodate the mother’s cooking habits, with specific elements including a farmer’s sink in the island and a stainless steel counter with an integrated sink for food preparation placed behind it on the counter. To improve storage in the much-used room, corner drawer units were installed instead of lazy Susan cabinets. Also, the homeowners were not interested in an open floor plan, but did want to improve access to the living room and yard beyond. This was achieved by expanding the opening between the two rooms allowing the cook to engage with family and guests and have a clear view when children are playing in the yard. Photo by Shelly Harrison

The original English conservatories were designed and built in cooler European climates to provide a safe environment for tropical plants and to hold flower displays. By the end of the nineteenth century, Europeans were also using conservatories for social and living spaces. Following in this rich tradition, the New England conservatory is designed and engineered to provide a comfortable, year-round addition to the house, sometimes functioning as a space completely open to the main living area. Nestled in the heart of Martha’s Vineyard, the magnificent conservatory featured here blends perfectly into the owner’s country style colonial estate. The roof system has been constructed with solid mahogany and features a soft color-painted interior and a beautiful copper clad exterior. The exterior architectural eave line is carried seamlessly from the existing house and around the conservatory. The glass dormer roof establishes beautiful contrast with the main lean-to glass roof. Our construction allows for extraordinary light levels within the space, and the view of the pool and surrounding landscape from the Marvin French doors provides quite the scene. The interior is a rustic finish with brick walls and a stone patio floor. These elements combine to create a space which truly provides its owners with a year-round opportunity to enjoy New England’s scenic outdoors from the comfort of a traditional conservatory.

We recently enjoyed the opportunity to remodel three floors of a nineteenth-century Cambridge home with our project partners, architect Tom Downer and designer Jayme Kennerknecht/LDa Architects. . • The owners – a family of four that includes both a teenager and a toddler - wanted a house better suited to entertaining but also appropriate for family together time. Specific improvements on their wish list included a playroom that could handle differing family needs, a custom bar for entertaining, a new fireplace, and an inviting kitchen that would remain distinct but be better connected to adjoining rooms. • Adding a fireplace to the living room involved rebuilding the entire back wall of the home. The fireplace mantel was custom designed to match an existing mantel in the nearby dining room, which is original to the home. • In the playroom, care was taken to create zones for three members of the family: The mother enjoys crafting and now has a station directly below existing skylights, the teenager has a semi-private nook at the back of the space for relaxing, and the youngest in the family can enjoy toys and games placed along one wall alongside a rug for playing on the floor. On the same level, we created a separate guest bedroom with a new closet and a window designed to match other windows throughout the home. • The kitchen is fully upgraded and custom designed to accommodate the mother’s cooking habits, with specific elements including a farmer’s sink in the island and a stainless steel counter with an integrated sink for food preparation placed behind it on the counter. To improve storage in the much-used room, corner drawer units were installed instead of lazy Susan cabinets. Also, the homeowners were not interested in an open floor plan, but did want to improve access to the living room and yard beyond. This was achieved by expanding the opening between the two rooms allowing the cook to engage with family and guests and have a clear view when children are playing in the yard. Photo by Shelly Harrison

The house is located in Conyers Farm, a residential development, known for its’ grand estates and polo fields. Although the site is just over 10 acres, due to wetlands and conservation areas only 3 acres adjacent to Upper Cross Road could be developed for the house. These restrictions, along with building setbacks led to the linear planning of the house. To maintain a larger back yard, the garage wing was ‘cranked’ towards the street. The bent wing hinged at the three-story turret, reinforces the rambling character and suggests a sense of enclosure around the entry drive court. Designed in the tradition of late nineteenth-century American country houses. The house has a variety of living spaces, each distinct in shape and orientation. Porches with Greek Doric columns, relaxed plan, juxtaposed masses and shingle-style exterior details all contribute to the elegant “country house” character.

“The World on Mercator’s Projection” is an antique map wall mural perfect for creating an air of elegance with hints of history. National borders are hand colored and drawn as they were in the late nineteenth century. Wall mural available in both removable peel-and-stick and permanent wallpapers. Printed with child-safe inks.