Westchester House, Westchester, New York | Project Credits

The project is the gut renovation of a 1950’s modern house in Westchester County, New York, about 15 miles north of New York City. The house had suffered from insensitive additions and had fallen into disrepair. While badly overgrown, the property was picturesque - a gently sloping lot facing a small pond.

The goal for the design was to respect the mid-century language but update the house for contemporary life. The new floor plan is considerably more open and porous to the outdoors than the original, and the interior and exterior details have been simplified and made consistent. The entire roof structure was removed and replaced with douglas fir laminated structural beams, a douglas fir plank ceiling, and structural insulated panels.

By editing the original design and removing extraneous elements the house was made more thoroughly modern. The suburban setting was also acknowledged by heightening the contrast between the street approach and the elevation facing the pond. The addition of the wood screen elements and clerestory windows at the front elevation give the house privacy from the street and a cryptic public face. The elevation facing the pond, with its large glass areas refers to a more natural private realm.

The structural diagram of the house – wood beams and the wood plank ceiling with white walls creating separations between spaces, dictated the interior detailing. The palette was kept simple and modern so the basic structure of the house could be clearly understood.

Other than a vintage limestone fireplace that was retained and restored, all interior and exterior finishes are new. We worked with the clients on selecting contemporary and vintage furnishings appropriate to the period of the house.

Westchester House , Westchester, NY +Project Description

Westchester House, Westchester, NY+Project Description

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