New England architect Royal Barry Wills designed this Georgian Revival home in the 1930s. Wills was known for his sensitivity to proportion and period details, which this house exemplified. But, like so many homes of that era, the house layout was largely incompatible with current living styles. And a few odd renovations in the house’s recent history made much of the first floor awkward
to use. Add a dated master bath and a few too many floor level changes upstairs and this architectural gem needed a renovation. At the first floor, we removed all modern renovations, opened up the floor plan, and designed a small addition off the back of the
house. The result is a new heartbeat for the house – an open, lively area comprising a kitchen, great room and breakfast room. We also reworked the ell for a mudroom suited for a busy family with young kids. At the second floor, we removed the floor level changes at the ell, added baths to support the kids’ bedrooms, redesigned the master bath, and opened up the stair hall to become the hub of the second floor. We thought carefully about all changes to ensure a cohesive relationship between old and new, particularly with the many fine period
details throughout the house. We gave the same effort to the study of the proportions of rooms, new built-in cabinetry, and trim. This house is alive with energy but true to its architectural roots. We believe Mr. Wills would be pleased.
