2000 Aurora Award for Best Detached Home

The success of this 5,950 square foot home represents the coming together of two disparate requests by the client. The first is a historically accurate expression linked with a second desire: a modern open floor plan. The foyer embodies these concepts for visitors immediately. Relative to more open and modern layouts, the front entry is on an axis with the living room and pool area with sweeping views. The foyer is also much larger than most center hall symmetrical colonial homes. To overcome the narrow foyers resulting from a restriction of 40’-0” for the main body of the homes in the neighborhood, the stair landing location uniquely tucks under one of the front windows. As with traditionally minded designs, however, detailing found at the stairs and crown mouldings are in keeping with the scale of the home. On the second floor, a balcony, comprising an open library area, wraps around three sides of the foyer below. The balcony’s French doors allow for easy access to the second floor’s covered porch overlooking the natural common area in front of the home.

As for the more modern family oriented spaces, the family room and breakfast nook open to the kitchen and computer work area, making a very family-friendly open area. This less formal organization, however, is not typical throughout the house. In keeping with the home’s traditional respect for axial relationships, double doors on axis with a cross hall enter into a private study. The abundance of French doors is also common to the style and allows for the pool area to be easily accessed not only from the family room and breakfast nook, but also from the living room, alcove, master bedroom, and rear service entry.

Other highlights include a large amount of covered porch area, a sauna, separate glass front storage displays for wines and cigars in temperature-controlled environments, and an outdoor barbecue grill set into a brick fireplace. These features, as well as family friendly spatial relationships and a truly unique foyer, collectively exemplify a home where the aesthetics of history meet a layout designed for modern life.

Builder: Derrick Builders, Inc. Interior Design: Christophe Decarpentrie, Brussels, Belgium Landscape Architect: Knight Kincaid & Associates Photography: Front of home by Martinot Multimedia; all others by Everett & Soulé

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