New Homes | Vanderhorn Architects

Tour Our Contemporary Shingle Home

Introducing our recently completed Contemporary Shingle home, a modern adaptation of the 19th century shingle-style. This stunning waterfront home dramatically manipulates scale and form in a timeless design.

The home’s eye-catching exterior features bold gestures of monolithic granite chimneys, sweeping overhangs – inspired by both shingle-style and pagoda roofs of the client’s heritage – and gable-end peaks that complement one another perfectly. The welcoming large portico draws in visitors.

There are many playful elements to this design, including the prominent three-floor stair tower at the façade.

At our Contemporary Shingle home’s rear, there are a variety of outdoor spaces, including a terrace, round porch, and uncovered and covered balconies. The backyard also features an infinity edge pool that visually flows into the sound.

Moving to the interior, the nautically-themed mudroom nods to the waterfront location of the home. The barrel-shaped ceiling with curved white oak beams and beadboard infill takes inspiration from the bottom of a wooden boat.

As people tend to spend most of their time in the kitchen and family room, our designs focus around an open floor plan that links these spaces, while also creating visual boundaries that make these rooms feel individual. The family room is a dramatic two-story space with clean and crisp detailing. The attic to basement staircase creates diagonal lines of circulation that allow it to be experienced from multiple floors.

Highlights of the kitchen include stained white oak ceiling, floor, and island with a natural tone contrasted by cooler tones on the custom soft blue painted cabinets and white stone tile backsplash and counters.⁣

In the L-shaped breakfast banquette area, the white oak and upholstered built-in seating uses a neutral tone that compliments the coastal color palette.

Situated off of the kitchen is the elegant serving pantry featuring polished brass hardware, in-cabinet LED lighting and marble slab backsplash to match the countertops.

As we move upstairs via the three-story stair tower, the design is light and playful, with an open tread staircase floating off of three glazed walls.

In the primary bathroom, a rich variety of material and visual complexity balances the space. Eye-catching contrasting elements include warm white oak vanities against cool-toned bookmatched stone slabs, grey painted walls and white flower tile mosaic floors. The space features an inviting freestanding soaking tub and exposed freestanding shower plumbing.

Our Contemporary Shingle project features a dramatic mix of traditional and modern materials and styles that combine beautifully. We’re proud to have created this timeless design that we’re confident will endure for generations.⁣

Thanks for coming along for a tour of our Contemporary Shingle home! To see more of our work, check out our Residences page and make sure to follow us on your favorite social media platforms: Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter.

10 Stunning Serving Pantry Designs

The serving pantry of a home, also referred to as the butler’s pantry, is a space located off the kitchen and dining room meant to ease entertaining. It provides an area to prepare food & drinks and store items such as glassware and china.

10 Stunning Serving Pantry Designs

The serving pantry often gets the most use during the holiday season when gatherings are in full swing. We hope that these peeks into our favorite serving pantry designs serve as inspiration for your holiday season entertaining!

Colonial Manor

The serving pantry in our Colonial Manor doubles as a bar and contains all the necessities, including glassware, kegerator, paneled mini fridge, and a full selection of spirits and mixers. During events the open side wall serves as a bar, helping deliver the sophistication of a Manhattan cocktail lounge to this distinguished residence. Glazed uppers, silver polished wallpaper, and high gloss paint add additional layers of interest and refinement.

Take a tour of our Colonial Manor here.

Colonial Expansion

The renovation of our Colonial Expansion project includes a new kitchen and adjacent large serving pantry. In-cabinet LED lighting shines through glass shelves, creating an impressive display for dishes that don’t see daily use, and of course, glossy deep blue lacquer is applied to the millwork.

Interior design of this project is by Linda Shockley & Associates and Karen Berkemeyer Home. See more of our Colonial Expansion home here.

Rye Beach Shingle

At our Rye Beach Shingle project, soft lacquer finish melds walls and trim to the decorative full-height cabinetry of the sunlit serving pantry. Additional details of the space include glazed doors, walnut countertops, polished nickel knobs, pulls, hinges, faucet, and a round hammered bar sink.

Check out more of our Rye Beach Shingle home here.

Rye Colonial

Next up is our Rye Colonial project’s serving pantry and bar, which features a rich burgundy color palette and brass mesh door panels. Interior designer Henry & Co was certainly not afraid to utilize patterns and color in this home, which was featured in Architectural Digest and can be seen here.

Classical Revival

At our Classical Revival home, the glossy deep blue lacquer of the serving pantry sets its glass display cabinets, plaster walls, and molded trim apart from the soft whites and warm grays of the dining room beyond. Industrial lighting is finished in polished nickel to match the Merit ball bearing hinges and slender waterworks pulls.

The pantry’s lower cabinets feature marble countertops and an enameled fireclay farm sink, along with integrated refrigeration and an ice maker.

See more of our Classical Revival project here.

Mid-Country Manor

Another charming serving pantry design is found in our Mid-Country Manor home, where our clients requested a simple contemporary look of white wood and marble surfaces to match the new kitchen design.

We welcome you to take a tour of our Mid-Country Manor project here.

Contemporary Shingle

The elegant serving pantry pictured below is situated off of the richly textured kitchen at our recently completed Contemporary Shingle home. It features polished brass hardware, in-cabinet led lighting and marble slab backsplash to match the countertops.

See more of our waterfront Contemporary Shingle home here.

Hilltop English Country

The serving pantry/ bar area at our Hilltop English Country project features a less typical cabinetry layout with double upper cabinets and glazed units that sit on the countertop. Clients love the ability to customize their pantries to suit their exact needs. Starphire glass, American cherry shelving, and leaded glass are featured in the wine room beyond.

Check out more of our award-winning Hilltop English Country project here.

Darien Colonial

Next up is our Darien Colonial design, where an understated serving pantry provides just the right amount of overflow from the kitchen. The butler’s pantry also houses a Subzero wine refrigerator.

See more of our Darien Colonial home here.

French Eclectic

Rounding off our list is our French Eclectic project’s serving pantry. Featuring luxurious paneled and glazed cabinets, the serving pantry is set beyond this French Normandy home’s striking kitchen design that incorporates reclaimed lumber and zinc countertops.

We welcome you to check out more of our French Eclectic project here.

Hampton Cottages III

The third and final Hampton Cottage stands out with its dramatic stair tower, but also complements its neighbors with its thoughtful design.

Stone Georgian

A grand statement inside and out, this limestone Georgian is tailor built to the owners individual requirements.

Early Colonial Revival

Tucked inside one of Greenwich’s most coveted neighborhoods is this new colonial revival, designed to look as if it has always been there.

VHA Honored with two 2023 Alice Washburn Awards from AIA CT

We’re proud to announce that VHA is the recipient of two 2023 Alice Washburn Awards from The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Connecticut.

The Alice Washburn Award

The Alice Washburn Award is named for the distinguished Connecticut designer and builder of the 1920s, whose work is known for her thoughtful stylistic and programmatic invention. The program acknowledges excellence in traditional home design through the thoughtful adaptation of tradition to address 21st-century needs. Learn more about The Alice Washburn Award program here.

Mid-Country Manor Excellence Award

Our Mid-Country Manor has been selected for an Alice Washburn Excellence Award in the category of New Construction.

The architectural detailing and brickwork of this Greenwich CT English Arts & Crafts manor take center stage, highlighting its beautiful masonry with elegant proportion. The project began with a hundred-year old carriage house previously converted to a 3,600-square foot home. The clients happily raised their family there but always dreamed of expanding to a full estate, with room to entertain and welcome back now grown children and their families.

The manor now stands at over 12,000 square feet. Carefully detailed materials and forms merge seamlessly with the historic carriage house and stylistically follow the client’s favorite Edwin Lutyens designs and Edwardian English Arts and Crafts precedents.

The Alice Washburn Award jury comments for our Mid-Country Manor included, “Alice Washburn’s spirit raised to the nth power. Superb, beautiful, classic design with nice, and sometimes surprising, detailing.”

Interested in seeing more of our Mid-Country Manor? Check out a tour of the project here.

Connecticut River Shingle Merit Award

AIA Connecticut also awarded our Connecticut River Shingle project with a 2023 Alice Washburn Merit Award in the category of New Construction.

Just beyond one of the lower Connecticut River Valley’s most charming historic villages is this new 8,500 square feet shingle-style home, designed to take advantage of its challenging site and river views. The house is situated on a steep hillside, and between it and the river is an expanse of lowland with ponds.

The jury comments for this project included, “Faithful shingle-style creation, well executed inside and out.”

To see more, we welcome you to take a tour of our Connecticut River Shingle home.

We’d like to thank AIA Connecticut and its distinguished panel of jurors for recognizing our work on these two wonderful homes.

Click here to learn more about what our firm is working on this year.

Tour Our Connecticut River Shingle Home

Just beyond one of the lower Connecticut River Valley’s most charming historic villages is this shingle-style home, designed to take advantage of its challenging site and panoramic river views. Let’s take a tour of this charming waterfront home.

Situated on a steep hillside along the Connecticut River, the rear of the property features a large expanse of lowland with an existing pond and fields leading to the shore. The 8,500 square feet home is spread gracefully across the site, anchored by a base of local fieldstone foundation walls and multi tiered living spaces. The lower level takes advantage of the sloping site with full height french doors opening to a lower green terrace and pool deck.

Unique steel blue trim, columns, and entablatures add a lively contrast to the sweeping shingle rooflines and walls below.

There are a number of special touches incorporated in the cedar shingle walls of the residence, including curved inset windows at the double gable, diamond patterns at the second floor, and fish scale coursing on the upper level of the octagonal stair tower.

From the interior, the octagonal tower impresses as a nautically-themed work of art. The detailing at the ceiling inspired the lighthouse design of the newel post in the foreground. The home features cohesive nautical detailing throughout.

The primary stair off the reception hall features a more formal stair with turned newel posts and paneled wainscoting. The entry hall features floor to ceiling paneling with herringbone oak floors and clean, yet elegant decor.

In the living room, the fireplace and mirrored paneling welcome guests during the evening, but the expansive water views steal the show during the day. Custom windows feature meeting rails that have been raised above eye level to not obstruct the view, while the upper sashes maintain some traditional visual interest and detail with curved diamond muntins.

The interiors are traditional but gently detailed with simple classic mouldings. The primary rooms are arranged along the rear of the house to access the river views.

The bright, functional kitchen ties into the rest of the first floor seamlessly, taking advantage of some small repeated details. Glazed diamond upper cabinets compliment the first floor windows and bead board adds subtle texture to the ceiling, similarly to the covered porches. Book matched granite backsplash and countertops add even more elegance. The kitchen sink is located in the island, so again, the owners can enjoy the coastal views that make this property so attractive.

All of the bedrooms in the home are located on the waterfront side of the home with service spaces (secondary bathrooms and closets) facing the rear.

Moving to the primary bathroom, a spacious layout with soaking tub and walk-in shower afford a resort-like experience. Marble accents in the basketweave mosaic floor are carried up to the top band of the tile wainscoting.

Stand-alone bathroom vanities make cleaning and maintenance a dream, but as for storage? Don’t worry, we’ve covered those bases with adjacent built in cabinetry and open niche for all of the bath necessities.

The formal library features stain grade paneling throughout, serving as a great place to take a meeting, or to just enjoy a good book in a quiet corner of the home.

The primary bedroom balcony gets the best spot in the house with enough space for a few rocking chairs and more. If we could wake up with coffee here, we’re not sure that we’d ever want to leave! On a clear day, visibility stretches for miles down the river.

The rear of the house continues the theme of outdoor living with wrap around porches. The bay windows lightly separate larger spaces from smaller nooks to provide more intimate entertainment areas.

A backyard pergola and beautiful landscaping surround the ideally located pool. During the months when the pool cover is on, the lower level location keeps it out of the primary sight lines. The walk out basement, however, makes it extremely convenient to access during the summer months.

The home was designed in collaboration with builder Bogaert Construction and landscape architect Kent + Frost Landscape Architecture.

We welcome you to take virtual tours of some of our other projects:

You can also click here to browse through our portfolio of recently designed homes.

Rhode Island Shingle

A classic coastal design, tailor-made for a special waterfront site with focused views.

Hampton Cottages II

Similar to Hampton Cottage #1, but designed for sale, this home is its own unique adaptation of a classic American style.

Hampton Cottages 1

A suburban adaptation of a classic American style, this home packs a generous program onto an elongated waterfront parcel.

Coastal Bluff Shingle

Perched on one of the highest points overlooking the Block Island Sound, this lighter iteration of the shingle style takes full advantage of its lofty position and broad exposure to the sea.

Mid-Country Colonial Revival

Nestled in the peaceful woods of North Greenwich, this Colonial Revival home will greet visitors with a formal façade of brick and wood clapboard siding.

Westchester Manor

At the end of a grand drive lies this stone and slate family home, hearkening to the grand estates of a bygone era.

Take a Tour of Our New Colonial Manor

Continuing where the late Roman Hudson left off, VanderHorn Architects recently completed this Colonial Manor here in Greenwich, CT. Let’s take a peek inside and tour this generously-proportioned colonial home.

Welcome inside! As you arrive in the welcoming foyer, you are treated to a view of the reception hall and rear lawn beyond.

The family room includes a 15-foot beamed ceiling, cozy alcoves, horizontal boarding, and ample natural lighting.⁣

The airy feel of the family room flows into the open kitchen, whose focal point is the nickel-silver range hood. Note the well-concealed refrigerator and freezer along the left-hand side.

Situated off of the kitchen, the butler’s pantry doubles as a bar and contains all the necessary items – including a kegerator – to serve both functions. Its glazed surfaces and wallpapered ceiling give it additional layers of visual interest.

The gracious, airy living room is bookended by two fireplaces and features five openings/doors with reclaimed leaded glass arch-top transoms.

The dining room space features textbook-quality classical mouldings, reclaimed arch-top transom, and glazed bi-fold doors that grace the room with diffused light.

Our Colonial Manor’s boldly-appointed den is filled with abundant natural light from two sides, and is further graced with four pedimented bookcases and a reclaimed leaded-glass fanlight over the double doors.

Located off of the mudroom is the home’s characterful potting room, designed as if it were a filled-in breezeway. While every inch is detailed to complement the spaces beyond, it is nonetheless a durable working space with its reclaimed steel and soapstone sink, antiqued brick floors, and high-grade wood trim throughout.

The special configuration of this rear staircase complements the massive reclaimed southern colonial doorway to its left. Its “boxed” risers and delicate balustrade make it quite unique.

Below is a peek at one of the bedrooms, which features eye-catching beamwork, wood flooring, and ample natural lighting, along with a look at the sun-filled master sitting room. The space takes full advantage of its southern exposure.

The project was designed in collaboration with builder Significant Homes and interior decorator Elizabeth Hague Interiors.

Interested in seeing more? Visit the following links for additional home tours:

Welcoming Spring in With a Look at 6 Potting Spaces

As we welcome a new season in, we’ve got all things springtime on our minds. From longer days and milder temperatures, to blooming flowers and lush landscapes, there’s a lot to enjoy!

For our clients who have a green thumb, a potting station is often near the top of the list when it comes to planning a new home. These multi-purpose spaces are perfect for germinating seeds, organizing garden tools, and potting plants in preparation for the coming spring showers.

To celebrate the start to the season we’re sharing six of our favorites that will undoubtedly make you want to grab a spade and pull on the work gloves.

French Eclectic Potting Room

The potting space off the mudroom in our Waterfront French Eclectic project provides a vivid pop of Azalea red that projects fun and informality. Water rings on the soapstone countertops aren’t a risk, but rather a well earned patina, and the giant articulated faucet makes watering a dream. After developing such a bright and fun space, we just couldn’t hide it away and instead opted to let the light pass through glazed pocket doors and into the hall.

Check out more of our French Eclectic home here.

Colonial Manor Mudroom

This characterful potting room belongs to our recently completed Colonial Manor. Designed as if it were a filled-in breezeway, each layer of the space tells a story. Antiqued brick floors, lattice wainscoting, and a beautiful reclaimed slop sink combine to create a refined, yet still functional work space.

Interested in seeing the rest of the home? See our Colonial Manor project page.

English Tudor Potting Shed

For the true enthusiasts, we’ve brought back our English Tudor Potting Shed from the archives. This beautiful outbuilding could be at home in a storybook, but is even better in real life built into the walls of this formal garden, complete with brick floors and a functioning fireplace.

Check out a few additional looks at this potting shed here.

Classic Georgian Revived Mudroom

The potting room in our Classic Georgian Revived project is one of our favorites. Previously an unused space that resembled an old carriage port, we built in cabinetry, lighting, HVAC, and of course the massive soapstone sink. The sink was custom designed with a rear drain and tiered levels to allow plants to soak. Adjacent cabinetry provides storage for a tools, outdoor gear, and dog beds.

The renovation also included a new patio space and new master suite. See more of the updated home here.

Classic Georgian Restoration Potting Room

The light-filled clipping station in our Classic Georgian Restoration provides a great spot to arrange flowers from the outdoor gardens. Featuring a classic farmhouse sink, honed jet mist granite, and custom cabinetry and shelving, this more refined potting space is still guaranteed to please.

Our Classic Georgian Restoration was a significant undertaking in renovation and restoration. See more of this Georgian Greenwich home here.

Colonial Revival Greenhouse

The above pictured greenhouse is a gardener’s dream! Manufactured by Alitex Greenhouses, this charming outbuilding sits on our Colonial Revival’s property, facing a naturalistic landscape of rolling hills in mid-country Greenwich.

See more of our Colonial Revival here.

Looking for more home inspiration? We welcome you to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter for new project looks, behind-the-scenes peeks, and much more.

Home Office Designs That Inspire Productivity

Whether you are working from home full time or just a few hours a week, a home office should be a comfortable space that inspires focus and productivity. In this blog, we’re sharing a few of our top home office designs.

Sun-filled Renovation

First up is the home office from our recently completed Sun-filled Renovation. There was no room to spare in the existing architectural envelope, so we needed to transform a dimly lit attic playroom into a space fit for a board room zoom meeting. Here’s a look at the space pre-renovation:

By adding a new shed dormer between two existing pedimented dormers, we gained a generous room between with plenty of headheight. Skylights in the copper roof and the five new double hung windows bring in enough light to support a rich color palette of teal and earth tones. Full-height paneling wrapping the entire room gives the space additional sophistication and continuity.

An organized office is a functional office, so we needed these spaces to have plenty of storage. In the photo above, built-in shelving and cabinetry strategically utilize the awkward space under the main roof pitch and help conceal clues that you may be in the attic. A cozy lounge also serves as a great place to host co-workers or clients.

See more of our Sun-filled Renovation here.

French Eclectic

Next up is a peek at our French Eclectic Project. The private office pictured below is located on the top level of the home’s octagonal tower and looks out on panoramic views of the harbor. The multi layered space features tongue and groove pine facets on the turret ceiling split by reclaimed beams from a Pennsylvanian barn. Surrounding outswing casement windows make it easy to bring in the coastal breeze on beautiful days when you’d rather be outside than behind a desk.

Interested in seeing more? Check out our French Eclectic project page.

Rye Beach Shingle

The nautically themed office space in our Rye Beach Shingle home is perched on the third floor of the house offering views over the treeline to the Long Island Sound. The open spans and curved rafters are meant to mimic the ribs of a ship, complete with port lights in the sides of the widows walk. Whether you decide to establish a full room theme like this or simply hang a photo of your next travel destination, having something in your office to recall what you’re working toward is a great way to stay focused.

V-groove paneling, brass accents and stained walnut floors add additional depth and warmth to the space.

A completely sterile work environment is less likely to inspire creativity and fresh ideas, so bring in that favorite chair, listen to some music, and discover what type of home office environment works best for you.

Check out our Rye Beach Shingle project page to see more of this home.

Greenwich Normandy

In our Greenwich Normandy home, an extra attic space was turned into the stellar office seen below. The space features a stone terrace with a ringed balustrade, providing water views in the distance. Dormers behind the desk provide the room with ample natural light.

See more of our Greenwich Normandy home here.

Coastal Gambrel Shingle

Mid-Country Manor Tour

Introducing one of our newest completed projects, our Mid-Country Manor home! The architectural detailing and brickwork of this English Arts & Crafts residence take center stage, striking a beautiful balance between skilled masonry and elegant proportion. Let’s go for a tour!

The new home was built around an existing 100 year-old carriage house, so the brick had to match in terms of color, texture, coursing, et cetera.

A look at the original carriage house

While the general plan was rectilinear, volumes were pulled forward and pushed back to create rich, textured elevations as seen with this custom frontispiece. There are also terra-cotta accents throughout the exterior, including the soffits. The slate roof is a lively combination of green, maroon, and grey to match the existing carriage house.

Moving to the interior, the home’s millwork design draws on English architect Edwin Lutyens precedents. At the entryway, the oak Corinthian colonnades rest on a simulated brick base of the same species and the design themes flow into the adjacent living room and hallways.

The floor in the entryway is made up of an antiqued marble field with contrasting accents, while quarter-sawn white oak flooring is typically used elsewhere.

A few peeks at the elegant, entry stair, living room, office, and family room spaces are shown below.

For the design of the home’s kitchen and serving pantry, the owner requested a clean, modern look with honed marble backsplash and countertops. The kitchen is located in the original carriage house section, with original brick walls still exposed, but painted white.

The contemporary theme established in the kitchen continues into the master bath. Dramatic, highly figured marble adorn the walls surrounding the tub and sink alcove.

The rear of our Mid-Country Manor was designed to maximize light and visual interest, while tying in the existing carriage house to create a cohesive appearance.

The rear of the house blends seamlessly with the existing carriage house on the left and is complimented by a limestone balcony, brick brackets, beautiful roof lines and a triple archway leading to the covered loggia. The loggia offers a sheltered place to dine or relax while enjoying the outdoor fireplace.

As you can see below, it was quite a dramatic transformation to build our clients’ English Arts & Crafts dream home around the existing century-old original carriage house!

Interested in seeing more of our projects? Be sure to check out our portfolio of completed new homes, and stay up-to-date on DVHA’s latest news by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Instagram.

Colonial Manor

Continuing where the late Roman Hudson left off, VanderHorn Architects completed the design of this generously-proportioned colonial.

Contemporary Shingle

A modern adaptation of the 19^th century shingle style, this stunning waterfront home uses the dramatic manipulation of scale and form to create a timeless design that will endure for generations.

Inspired Greek Revival

Happy 2021: Looking Ahead to the New Year

With 2020 quickly becoming a distant memory (don’t all shed a tear at once…), we are looking forward to a busy and interesting 2021. Through a tumultuous twelve months, we found ourselves at the center of a mass migration of city dwellers moving to the suburbs in search of additional space and work from home flexibility. These new projects presented interesting design challenges, but also challenges of safe staffing and the ability of architects to work from home. Through adaptation and with IT assistance, we managed to grow steadily as a firm while keeping all our projects running smoothly.

Without further ado, we’re excited to share some of our most recent projects below:

Rye Colonial

Our Rye Colonial project (pictured above) will be ready for the next school year, when the kids can hopefully join their classmates in person! Contractors have been pulling out all the stops to keep our projects running in a safe and timely manner.

Long Island Manor

Our Long Island Manor project has been working its way through approvals and will break ground shortly. The windfall in the suburban real estate market has restored confidence in many homeowners who now want to take on larger and more ambitious projects. This applies to both new construction and renovations.

Sun-Filled Patio Addition

Speaking of renovations, VHA’s renovation division has built on its strengths from last year, and continues to be a growing asset for the firm.

Lakefront Contemporary

While most of the projects we take on are classical, we have been working on several more modern commissions. Most notable is our Lakefront Contemporary project, pictured above.

Waterfront Colonial

Regardless of aesthetic, waterfront locations continue to be popular with our clients. This year we will be working on several prestigious parcels, the latest being our Waterfront Colonial (rendering shown above). Construction on this residence is set to begin this spring.

Waterfront French Eclectic

Waterfront French Eclectic Pool House

Existing clients are amongst our favorite to work for. They’re familiar with our design process and trust the expertise that Douglas and our talented staff bring to each project. We completed our Waterfront French Eclectic home in 2015 and are now designing the accompanying pool house pictured above. We can’t wait to see how this structure compliments the already beautiful home and landscape.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation with us to discuss your new home or renovation, contact us at (203) 622-7000 or reach out via email at info@vanderhornarchitects.com. Be sure to follow along with us on Instagram at @dvharchitects for more project updates!

Shorefront Shingle

With sprawling outdoor living spaces and water views from nearly every room, this double gable shingle style combines traditional geometry with a crisp and contemporary attitude.

Waterfront Colonial Cottage

Nestled in a cove on the Long Island Sound, this textbook-quality design surrounds a showcase of the latest conveniences and excellent views.

A Tour of Our Seaside Shingle Home’s Nautical Recreation Space

2020 has been a year full of the unexpected. Given the challenging circumstances of mandatory quarantines, telecommuting, and keeping our our kids busy at home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we can all agree that a recreation room would be a beneficial home feature to have through it all.

A great entertainment space is stocked with amenities that each person in the family can appreciate, as the lower level space in our Seaside Shingle Cottage boasts. From a nautical-themed play ship area for the kids and a tech savvy wine cellar for the adults, to a game room for the whole family to enjoy, this rec room is undoubtedly a stay-at-home haven. Let’s take a tour!

Featuring interior design by Cindy Rinfret, a playful nautical theme resonates throughout the space as broad openings separate inspired activity zones.

The living area features a teak wet bar complete with glass upper cabinets, open shelving, and a grouping of pendant fixtures that echo naval lighting.

Broad French doors open to the pool terrace and prime views of the Long Island Sound. Above, bowed beams and v-groove board wainscoting define the lengthy entertainment area with its stone mantel, large television and curved sofa seating.

Next up is the impressive kids’ play haven, which features a play ship complete with a fiber optic constellation ceiling. When the lights are dimmed, it reveals a twinkling night sky and even the occasional shooting star.

The ship fabricator, Sono Skunk, used a number of 3D modeling techniques to create the intricate structural design of the ship’s hull, decks and ceiling vault.

Wood and rope pilings topped with salvaged navigational lights mark the ship area entrance. The play area also includes four paneled bunk beds that feature tapered seat backs, reading lights, stained mahogany rails, and custom ship ladders to the top bunks.

The bunk beds frame the open space that beckons a view of the play ship on one side, and the real water view through French doors at the other. The kids’ area is an amazing place for young adventurers to cultivate an imaginative nautical dream world!

Another fun aspect of this entertainment space is the collection of games that it houses – from antique pinball and baseball arcade games, to table tennis and the below pictured custom nautical billiards table.

A modern wine cellar is the focal point in the table tennis table area of the entertainment space. Holding 200 bottles on slender brackets, the wine wall features special illumination to show off its impressive display of bottles.

Additionally, the wine cellar is programmed to open only with the owner’s thumbprint.

All in all, we had a lot of fun designing this wonderful, one-of-a-kind lower level retreat.

Interested in seeing more? Click here for additional photos of our Seaside Shingle Cottage.

AIA Connecticut Honors DVHA with Two 2020 Alice Washburn Awards

We’re pleased to announce that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Connecticut has recognized our work with two 2020 Alice Washburn Awards.

“This award is named for the distinguished Connecticut residential architect Alice Washburn, an early 20th century Connecticut designer and builder, largely self-taught, whose work is known for its thoughtful stylistic and programmatic invention.” – AIA Connecticut

AIA Connecticut awarded DVHA an Excellence Award in the category of New Construction for our Classical Revival home.

Our Classical Revival residence is a shingle style home that’s perched to capture the harbor views despite challenging grading and ecological constraints.

At the property, extensive site developments are organized on high ground, allowing the landscape to cascade and then fall naturally towards the tidal wetlands of the meandering coastline.

Formal symmetry in the plan introduces a dominant façade to the neighborhood, signaling entrance, and front yard while creating a private and a resort- like promenade of lawn, gardens, terraces, pool, spa, cabana, and sport court.

“Impeccable, beautiful, varied, massing, fantastic relationship to the stone. It is strong and inviting. The interiors are extraordinary and really perfect. Each space has character to it. The whole environment of the house is very sensitive and well done.” – Jury Comments

Additionally, DVHA is honored with the Merit Award in the category of Accessory Buildings for our Classic Georgian Pavilion.

Nestled between the tennis court and swimming pool, the pool pavilion is a symmetrical brick arcaded structure that encloses a comfortable seating and dining area, and contemporary cooking space.

Designed as an accessory structure to an elegant Georgian home rich in classical detailing, the pavilion’s style evokes a fun and relaxing atmosphere.

“This project is done beautifully. It works well with the main building and the proportions are nice. The use of the spaces with Pergolas and the seating flows very nicely, and the pavilion and the materials are exquisite.” – Jury Comments

We’d like to extend a big thank you to AIA Connecticut and its trio of esteemed judges for selecting our work: Manny Andrade, AIA; Neil Carnow, AIA; and Julie Evans, AIA.

Read more about The Alice Washburn Awards here.

Catskills Retreat

Early 2020 DVHA Project Updates

While winter weather can sometimes be a hindrance to construction in our profession, the DVHA team has been very fortunate to have seen a lot of progress on many of our projects over the last few months. Today we’re sharing some peeks at both our recently completed homes and projects under construction.

A couple of our marquee projects, including our Oceanfront Shingle and Greenwich Mid-Country Manor, are now complete and occupied!

Our newly completed Oceanfront Shingle

Our Mid-Country Manor project

As soon as Spring is in all its glory, we’ll be taking plenty of photos of these projects to share with you!

Additionally, our Colonial Manor home here in Greenwich (pictured below) is near completion.

Both our Suburban Shingle in Ridgewood, NJ, and Rye Colonial projects are well underway and literally beginning to take shape. In just a couple of weeks at our Rye Colonial home, framing progressed from this…

…to this:

It’s always exciting to see the shape of the building take form, and we look forward to sharing more updates on these projects with you later this year.

We also have a number of new projects on the boards, as always. Two in particular are quite special: a new shingle style home in Old Greenwich, and a sprawling estate in the Catskills.

A peek at our plans for the Old Greenwich shingle home

You’ll be hearing a lot more about these new projects in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates!

And of course, make sure to follow us on Instagram @dvharchitects and subscribe to our newsletter to stay in-the-know on the latest happenings at DVHA.

Suburban Shingle

Welcoming Entry Foyers

While home layouts have become considerably more casual in recent years, one space that has remained well-defined and formal is the entry foyer. In fact, we have yet to design a new home without one.

The entryway of our Classical Revival home

An entry foyer serves as a first impression for guests, setting the tone for the entire home. The best way to categorize our foyers is how they relate to the staircase, as nearly all of our homes have a staircase at or near the entry foyer.

There are three basic staircase relationships: within the foyer, adjacent to it, and somewhere else. Most of our staircases are within the foyer. Here are a few projects where the foyer is located under the front door:

Our Classic Georgian residence

Our North Country Colonial project

Here are a few examples where the foyer lies directly opposite of the staircase:

See more of our Rye Beach Shingle project

Our Greenwich Waterfront Shingle home

And here are a few instances where the foyer is located to the side of the staircase:

Our Waterfront French Eclectic home

A look from the top of the staircase down to the entryway

Check out some exterior shots of our Seaside Shingle Cottage

The latter two instances are the most common in our work. Somewhat less common for us are staircases adjacent to the foyer. They are typically in a defined space separated by a cased opening or colonnade, such as in the below pictured homes:

Our Waterfront French Normandy home

Take a tour of our recently completed Classic Georgian Restoration

Regardless of where the foyer is located in relation to the staircase, every entry foyer we create encompasses the personality of the home and is designed to graciously welcome guests when they walk through the door.

Unique Technologies in Our Homes

Often times our clients request unique features to be built into their new or renovated homes that require the use of modern technology – along with some creativity in figuring out the logistics. Today, we’re sharing some of the most interesting new technologies that we’ve incorporated into our projects.

First up, let’s talk about our recent work with special illumination. At our Seaside Shingle project, the owners wanted to make a highly visible showpiece of their wine collection – while still protecting the bottles – in place of the usual tucked-away wine cellar.

At the back of their basement hall is a fully-glazed cabinet with capacity for 200 bottles held on slender brackets. The cabinet is back-lit with LED strip lighting, and with the reflective qualities of the cabinet and its contents, creates the dazzling display that the owners had hoped for.

Another fun tech tidbit about this impressive wine cellar? It’s programmed to open with only the owner’s thumbprint!

At the same project, the owners requested an indoor play ship for their grandchildren. We couldn’t provide an ocean (regulations), but we were able to light the simulated night sky, using a series of LED pinlights to illuminate the ceiling mural patterned after the constellations.

Next up, let’s discuss a few of our projects that incorporate hidden technologies.

A popular client request is concealing objects when they’re not in use. One of the most common instances where we do this is with blinds. In the past, if you wanted window coverings, they were always in front of the window whether you wanted them there or not, unless you had really thick walls and like the look of pocketing shutters.

Concealed blinds in our Waterfront French Eclectic Project

There are many instances where it’s preferred to have them completely out of sight at times, and with today’s glazing technologies, fading of interior objects can be less of a concern than it once was. With the latest available shade technology, it’s possible to build a motorized screen into a wall not much thicker than usual, just above any windows or doors, and with the push of a button, all the shades in a particular room can be raised or lowered.

Blinds appear with the push of a button at our Classical Revival Project.

Similar principles can be applied at our projects with televisions, and even swimming pool covers.

Check out these images at our New York City apartment renovation, where new custom bookcases were installed to add elegance and disguise a television that rises when active:

Multiple examples of hidden technology can also be seen in our Rye Beach Shingle project. The master bedroom within the home features both a hidden television and concealed blinds:

Back at our Seaside Shingle project, the resort-like backyard of the home features an infinity pool equipped with a Covertech automatic pool cover.

Here’s a time-lapse vide of the pool cover in action:

Finally, let’s look at how technology recently enabled one of our clients to park multiple cars without making their house look like a giant garage with a house attached.

Our client asked us to find interior accommodations for seven cars, ranging in size from a standard sedan to a large SUV. The site was challenging with heavily sloped topography, size limitations, high water table, and a homeowner’s association. Building a separate carriage house was not an option, and our only realistic course of action was to find a way to fit the cars in the basement.

Even if we wanted lots of garage doors (which we didn’t), our only good option for access was basically two standard doors wide. This meant that we would have to treat the garage as if it were an indoor parking lot. However, given space limitations, we didn’t have enough room for large enough turning circles to allow all the required cars to park.

To solve our problem, we specified a turntable by Carousel USA, which essentially reduced the required driving pathway to a 19’-8” circle – a reduction in space for vehicular circulation of at least 40%. With it, we were able to meet our client’s requirements in a reasonable amount of space. Check out this video clip to see the turntable in action:

As we look forward to our projects in 2020 and beyond, we’re excited to continue incorporating cutting edge technology in our clients’ homes.

Want to see more of our work? Check out our portfolio of projects.

10 Fireplace Designs We Love

During chilly months, there’s nothing like a fireplace to warm up the home and create a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. But a fireplace is more than just a way to heat up a room – it also can serve as an impressive architectural design element and an eye-catching focal point of a living area.

In the spirit of the winter season, we’re sharing 10 of our fireplace designs with you.

#1: Modern décor meets a clean, classical study. With this fireplace, solid cherry was bleached prior to staining in order to remove a bit of the red from the grain – providing a rich but lighter color. The nautically themed mantel picks up on the waterfront location of the project and is given ample room to breathe with the understated stone surround, while the Converse sneaker art gives the room some spunk.

Classical Revival

#2: Stone fireplace centerpiece. This family room features French doors that allow for ample light to pour in, stained timber beams, and white-washed boarding decorating the ceiling. The fireplace has a stone chimney breast carried through from the exterior, while the mantel shelf is a solid single piece of granite.

#3: Formal living room featuring a paneled fireplace wall. In our Rye Beach shingle project, this formal living room revels in clean classical mouldings, a paneled fireplace wall and decorative mantel.

Rye Beach Shingle

#4: Tranquil blue family room fireplace. Composed simply but with a hint of sophistication, this fireplace is framed by v-groove board paneling extending down from the canted cathedral ceiling.

#5: Cozy library fireplace. The painted Nantucket beadboard ceiling in this study creates a sharp contrast with richly-stained cherry paneling, fireplace surround, cabinetry and curved beams.

#6: Formal French Eclectic fire. Full-height paneling, a coved ceiling, and dramatic lighting surround this formal French regency fireplace mantel.

Waterfront French Eclectic

#7: Hand-carved limestone mantelpiece. Another fireplace within our French Eclectic project takes on a completely different architectural scenario. The focal point is the hand-carved limestone mantelpiece with scroll brackets and a paneled chimney breast that tapers above the cornice, and the modern art above adds to the design.

#8: Country home fireplace. Here in our Colonial Revival project, a family room fireplace has a sleek, clean look with its black slate hearth and surround. A bracketed mantel shelf and reeded side panels adds to its fine detailing.

Colonial Revival

#9: Bold family room. Featuring a bright fireplace area, the room’s tall double hung windows and arched picture window bounded by two single French doors provide ample light, while a pitched and beamed ceiling contributes to the delicacy of the space.

Greenwich Waterfront Shingle

#10: Elegant Georgian library. The oak paneling and ceiling beams create a feeling of restrained elegance with this library’s fireplace.

Looking for more warm and cozy home inspo? Follow us on Instagram, where we’ll be sharing home designs throughout the month of December that get us in the winter spirit – including welcoming spaces, homes decked out in holiday decor, entertaining areas and more.

Mid-Country Manor

The architectural detailing and brickwork of this English Arts & Crafts residence take center stage, striking a beautiful balance between skilled masonry with elegant proportion.

Lakefront Contemporary

Rye Colonial

Stained cedar shingle siding coupled with crisp details give this colonial revival house a formal and friendly presence in its neighborhood. A spacious but cozy backyard makes the home ideal for family living.

Long Island Manor

Hilltop English Country

A waterfront English cottage style home features lots of glazing at bay windows, arch-top paired French doors, porches and balconies all facing an exceptional view of the Long Island Sound.

5 Most Requested Architectural Styles

The VanderHorn Architects team lives to see our architectural creations come to life as we cater to our clients’ individual tastes and needs. While we’ve created homes in a wide variety of architectural styles and find that each project is unique, there are a few styles that have proven to be the most popular in our recent custom renovations and new home builds. Today, we’re sharing our 5 top requested architectural styles.

SHINGLE STYLE

Our most requested style over the past five years, the shingle style is known for its broad expanses of shingle and roof, generous porches, and creative use of design elements inside and out.

Originally prevalent between 1880 and 1920, with earlier work being an offshoot of Queen Anne architecture, this style was increasingly influenced by early American and classical precedents. Our shingle style projects work particularly well with their settings, taking advantage of their topography, view aspects, and available sunlight.

COLONIAL/FEDERAL

A perennial favorite with many regional variations, the colonial style has an adaptable and elegant simplicity, ranging from rambling rustic cottages to symmetrically dignified homes in town that work well with today’s sensibilities.

The federal style is generally considered to be a more formal variation. This is a style that always has broad appeal and works with virtually any property.

Vanderhorn Architects | North Country Colonial

CLASSICAL REVIVAL

A varied offshoot of classical styles such as Georgian and Neoclassical, and from a time when architectural styles were less compartmentalized than they are today, classical revival homes exude a dignified and elegant presence.

Some examples are textbook studies in classical design, while others are an amalgamation of styles generally considered colonial or even Victorian.

TRANSITIONAL/MODERN(ist)

These styles have made their presence known in the local market. Transitional can be most simply described as a blurring of traditional and modernist elements. While everything created today is modern by definition, the style of Modernism’s direct lineage can be traced to the likes of LeCorbusier and the Bauhaus.

We have used a transitional design palate to create updated classical homes, and have even been asked to design full-on modernist homes for clients.

ENGLISH VERNACULAR

Perhaps because we are known for specializing in this style, we have had the privilege to work on a number of English homes over the years.

Our Mid Country English Tudor project provides a rich palette of architectural features, including a graduated slate roof with octagonal brick chimney flues on the stone base, as well as brick infill laid in a variety of patterns.

Ranging from tudor to Arts and Crafts and numerous regional variations, this grouping of styles in America is known for its dramatic rooflines in tile or slate, generous use of masonry and timberwork, and layouts that afford surprising amounts of light and cross-ventilation.

Most Requested Features of Our Kitchen Projects

It’s often said that the kitchen is the center of a home. Here at Douglas VanderHorn Architects, we’re given the opportunity to design custom kitchens for our clients in a variety of styles while incorporating modern technology and conveniences. Today, we’re sharing some of the top kitchen elements most requested from our clients. Here are eight features that our homeowners love to have in their newly designed kitchens:

Custom hoods.

Often our clients desire custom hoods that highlight the style of their home. Seen above is the kitchen of our French Eclectic home project, which combines antique and new elements. The backsplash at the range is an antique piece, while the hood is a custom metalwork invention concealing a modern exhaust.

Integrated appliances.

Another popular request is the incorporation of integrated appliances, which are designed to seamlessly fit into the cabinetry to create a more cohesive look in the kitchen.

Stone countertops and backsplashes.

Our clients also love incorporating stone countertops and backsplashes in their layouts. Pictured above is the kitchen of a bright and beachy home that we designed with sturdy countertops, a dramatic backsplash composed of monolithic marble slabs with elegant gray veining, and blue island cabinetry for a a pop of color that really brings the space to life.

Contrasting islands.

Another popular request is contrasting looks between various elements, such as differing cabinet finishes and countertops. This is exemplified well in the above kitchen, whose design reflects the home’s coastal location along the Long Island Sound.

Large storage pantries.

Many of our clients prioritize having ample kitchen storage space – both as cabinet units, as well as adjacent rooms as pictured above.

Adjacent service pantry.

To house china and crystal, some clients request a butler’s pantry to sit adjacent to their kitchen. Stainless steel countertops and glass upper cabinets, which enhance the blue-lacquered walls and cabinetry, are highlights of the service pantry shown above.

Feature island light fixtures.

The island is often the centerpiece of the kitchen, so not surprisingly, many of our clients appreciate highlighting the space with unique light fixtures above that pull the overarching theme of the room together well.

Above, the wooden beams and rope lighting fixture bring a unique touch and color contrast to the waterfront home’s bright kitchen.

Ample natural light.

Natural light brings great energy to any room, especially the kitchen, the central hub of the home. Many of our clients request large window designs to add an abundance of natural light to their kitchen spaces.

The above pictured kitchen features multiple large windows that face the water, bringing a constant sense of peacefulness and nature that is further accentuated by the beachy, airy design of the room.