Their Story

We sat in the warmth of a diner, snow outside, not far from the charred remains of the family homestead. Even before the fire, theirs was a life reconstituted, she with the children of her previous marriage, and he comfortably ensconced as husband and friend.

We were recommended by a potential landlord, someone who knew our practice and felt we could help the family to get back on track. There we were. Three strangers, sitting around a grimy table – trying to talk about the future. We connected. They told of the pain of watching their long-time home burn. The loss of that community, of keepsakes.

The Process

One step at a time. Maybe a new house. Maybe rebuilding. Maybe leaving it all behind. They began to ask questions. How would we all work together? A good contractor? Then, momentously, the decision to level the old and start anew. They trusted us to lay out clear goals and milestones – a way for them to move forward.

Dreams

When they were ready, we discussed their dreams. They wanted a house that looked solid, permanent, classically proportioned, timeless. He wanted the kitchen to reflect his roles - nurturer, mentor, care-giver, host, show-off. . She a wanted a quiet reading space for herself, perhaps with a desk and bookcases. The kids needed space for growing into their adult lives. They all needed flexibility – for both entertaining and intimate family gatherings, being together and being separate.

Ongoing Involvement

We are flexible. We will work with the client who wants to amend a design as work is in progress, and we will communicate these wishes to the contractor. Here, the clients wanted to maintain a vigilant and involved presence throughout the construction, making desired changes as we went along: she saw the opportunity for adding just the right built-in bookcases as her study took shape; he saw the advantage of repositioning the kitchen island within the space around it. Because we were present, these changes were able to be accommodated smoothly.