The expansive house sits atop a mountain shelf that overlooks a valley. A Gothic Revival mansion once occupied this extraordinary site adorned with great beech and maple trees. Four rambling pavilions run north to south to take advantage of views of the cliff to the west and of a pond and mountaintop to the east. Long steep roofs have dormers to reduce the apparent bulk as see from the valley below.
The two middle pavilions open toward the west for better views and to create an entry courtyard, into which a tapered entry hall extends in a gesture of greeting. The durable-looking house is clad in dark brown brick with a green and purple slate roof, steel-framed windows, and French doors. Large overhanging eaves admit the winter sun and provide shade in summer.
Home to a family of four, the house is zoned inside so that each precinct has its own colors and finishes. The main rooms are finished in a variety of natural woods. The family room and kitchen have cherry flooring with light maple cabinets, shelving, and ceiling boards. The formal rooms are darker, with cherry plank walls in the living room, African mahogany finishes in the study, and cherry trim elsewhere. Configured in a variety of shapes that collide in places to dramatize movement through the house, the public rooms offer surprising vista. The children’s bedrooms and a guest bedroom are upstairs, while the parents’ suite is on the first floor.
Photography © Jeff Goldberg/Esto