A Rhode Island Farmhouse on the Sea
Dreaming of a New England Summer
Close your eyes and envision:
Shingle style, antiques, stone fireplaces for those early Fall evenings, outdoor showers, fresh veggies from the gardens, whitewashed woodwork, shutters, charm…
Open them up.
First, this house was designed by Louise Brooks and Vince Falotico of Brooks & Falotico, New Canaan, Ct. No, this is not an old house. Yes, it was built with the same kind of charm and attention to detail of a great old New England farmhouse, but better. Oh, you’ve heard of them? Of course, you have. The have been in a ton of the top magazines. Everything they design is highly functional, lives easy and is beautifully designed. They don’t design houses, they design homes.
The What’s Great List
Open Living and Dining
- These two spaces are simply divided by half walls and columns. One large room, two living spaces.
- In New England, much of the time you want the doors open, simply because air conditioning is neither necessary nor wanted. French doors and over-sized windows were used. Open them in and let the breezes blow through!
- The side French doors lead out to a screened in porch with a big stone fireplace for those sweet summer nights.
Kitchen
- The red island multi tasks for cooking, prep and a quick cup of tea.
- The full casement windows were used for the country feeling and the interior shutters are shut when the too strong afternoon sun is too much.
- The marble counters are perfect for cooking prep and pastry making and always looks country.
- The very simple phone center with the bulletin board above fits into a small space nicely.
- The high New England moldings over the doors and windows keep the rooms 9? ceilings in proportion.
- Sub-Zero pull out fridge drawers are tucked under the counter for all the hungry time snackers.
The Mudroom
- A brilliant mudroom with great storage ideas. The dogs get their own built in crates. The built in cupboards, hanging closets and ‘catch all’ pull out drawers provide great storage. Note the ship lap planking again.
Master Bed Room
- The master bed and bath is a great place to which to escape.
- The antique mantle and eaves give the bedroom a real farmhouse feeling and the bath could very well be a room made into a bathroom as was done in the day. The vanities are made as ‘furniture’ with the make-up table sectioned between the sinks.
Outside
- Lazy summer days in New England here consist of sailing, ocean kayaking , beach days and seaside gardening. At the end of the day, family, friends and guests gather together drinks, dinner and an after dinner game of croquet on the lawn overlooking the Atlantic ocean.
If you need any information on resources, ask away in our COMMENTS section!
Brooks and Falotico Architects – New Canaan, Ct.
