Winter Residence

Words from the architect

The skylight baths the living and dining rooms with balanced light.

The transformation of the Winter Residence began as a simple request for a bathroom remodel. The owner Jerry Winter and his soon-to-be wife, Desi Rosenfield, were interested in creating bathrooms that matched the minimal and contemplative feel of the modern spas and boutique hotels they had visited in their travels. However, the spatial quality for which they were looking was in stark contrast to the haphazard flow and disparate finishes of their existing residence.

From the kitchen, a view of the living and dining rooms.

The existing house was a modest 1940's brick house with an awkward and poorly detailed 1990's addition that trapped the original rooms, prevented daylight from entering the inner rooms and created uncomfortable spacing between the house and original kidney-shaped pool.

The east bath features a glass-enclosed shower within a private yard.

After understanding the level of design the owners wanted for the bathrooms, it was clear that the entire house would need to be transformed or the remaining un-remodeled areas would seem worse by comparison. Although we briefly contemplated a tear-down, in the end we opted to remodel and add-on a mere 35 square feet in the form of a new shower.

A floating vanity weds the bathing and dressing sides of the master bath.

One key to transforming the house was in the removal of the large, poorly built, load-bearing stone fireplace that dominated and bisected the main living spaces. Once the fireplace was demolished and the roof re-supported, the opening for the chimney became a perfect opportunity for a large skylight that now fills the once-trapped living spaces with daylight. Once the main living room was freed from the constraints of the bulky fireplace, it was possible to use some of that floor area to enlarge the master bathroom and closet. Applying the same approach as we had in the living room, we removed the dividing wall between the closet and bathroom to create an open and light filled space for dressing and bathing.

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