Sunnymeade Residence

A Bit More About This Project: 

We designed this home for a family who planned to spend the weekends and summers back in Rhode Island. As native Rhode Islanders, who primarily reside just outside New York City, they wanted a place to escape the stresses of city life. This was a vacant corner lot with the north side located on a busy main street and the west side located on a cul-de-sac. The busier main street is lined with smaller homes, while the side street is part of a high-end private community. 

We drew upon the early American Shingle style summer cottages infused it with a simple elegance that dotted the coastline in the 1890s as the main inspiration for this home. We wanted this design to evoke a ‘time gone by’ feeling so that as soon as they arrived for the summer, they could truly relax and pass the time at the seashore. The home addresses both sides of the street; on the busier side of the street, the 1.5 car garage is designed to look like a charming guest cottage, which is in keeping with the neighboring homes. As you turn down the private side street, the home opens up with generous covered verandah and large fieldstone chimney, anchoring the building to the land. 

The oversize front door is preceded with a set of curved shingled stairs welcoming the family home with open arms. The oval window, to the left of the front door, is a marked deviation from perfect symmetry and a nod to the playful nature of shingle style architecture.

Bringing this same feeling of informality into the home was a top priority because we wanted to truly encourage a carefree way of life. We connected interior spaces and eliminated hallways whenever possible. We designed a bluestone terrace just 6” from the first floor to extend the living space outdoors and to take advantage of the southern exposure. The interior finishes, inspired by the colors of the seashore, are bright and playful.