From the homeowner:

"In reflection, I would echo something I shared on the phone. I realized through our conversation that my house has the unique power to be both grounding and expansive. Affirming and freeing. A feathered nest for myself and my daughters — but with a wide-open door welcoming newfound loves of people and ideas. 

In the hardest times of my life, I found (I created, I turned to) all of that in my home. From losing and finding health (I’m a breast cancer survivor), to grieving for people that left the world in hard ways in the same year (my father and my brother-in-law), to leaving a three-decade career as I found a new purpose helping others become better leaders, to becoming unmoored from a marriage to ultimately finding my life partner and best friend, to helping my daughters launch into their own lives and discovering that my nest was a little roomier yet not at all empty.

Every remodel I did rooted AND lifted me further through this magical house-power. My cozy, hand plastered blue kitchen nook sits just opposite the perfect French blue stove. It has green leather booth seats, that are a magnet for friends-who-are-family and family-who-are-friends. The graphic cement tiles of what was supposed to be a mud-room but turned into super pantry draw you further back into the deep blue monochromatic comfort of the family rooms. This is where we draw up together with our cats to the fire (and to new worlds that we find on the TV). The lush potted-plant filled second floor balcony just off my bedroom welcomes me for work or rest and gives me a wide view of the sky, while also allowing me green shelter to hide from the world. There is even a little overhang where I can sit and look out when it’s raining. 

We find a way, don’t we, to make the world we need".

From ARCIFORM:

Phase one comprised of a two-story addition with a family room, mudroom and master suite. Phase two was the kitchen remodel. Phase three saw the renovation of the front porch and replacement of dormer windows and siding. Phase four included a nook and mudroom addition with a balcony, indoor and outdoor gas fireplaces and an outdoor living room with a gate and pergola.

Entering from the outdoor living room, you’re welcomed into a cheery mudroom with a colorfully patterned encaustic tile floor. A repurposed Chinese screen on gliding hardware reveals custom built-in pantry shelving by Versatile Wood Products with intricate wallpaper at the back. A wall mounted sink is conveniently located right near the door. The bar cabinet with an undercounter wine fridge is clad in salvaged paneling and is topped with marble and connects the room to the kitchen above.

To the rear of the mudroom is the family room, updated with deep blue walls which highlight antiques and treasures from travels as well as favorite paintings. Textiles and colorful soft furnishings add comfort while the sculptural concrete tile fireplace is the centerpiece of the room.