Distinctive HOMES
of the East Bay & South Coast
A home for the holidays
Pre-Revolutionary gem reflects Portsmouth’s place in history
BY CHRISTY NADALIN
Preservationists know that buying a historic home comes with the added responsibility of maintaining a property that does not belong solely to the homeowner — in many ways, a historic home is an asset that is part of the collective cultural wealth of the community, shared with all. As a result, historic homeowners often consider themselves stewards, knowing that their time and treasure are going to care for something that will, ideally, be part of their community for generations to come.
Such is the case of Watson Farm, 98 Locust Avenue in Portsmouth, a property that is on the market for the first time in a half-century. Dina Karousos and Nicki Lucenti of Gustave White/Sotheby’s International Realty are listing the nearly 3,000 square foot home for $998,000.
Though officially listed as a c.1850 property with the town of Portsmouth, the house has been added to over the years. From the windows to the floorboards, the
A perfect blend of form and function, the kitchen features original floors and woodwork, handcrafted custom cabinetry, and stainless appliances.
The private, pastoral backyard features specimen trees, lilacs, original stone walls, and a picture-perfect potting shed. Continued on page 6
original part of the property is clearly Pre-Revolutionary — perhaps dating back as far as 1740. “This house is beautiful,” said noted local architect John Grosvenor, who is familiar with the property. “It’s evolved over time, and the owner has been a great steward.” Recent updates include restored windows, a young roof, a new heating system, and central air.
Indeed, one of the things about historic homes that can deter buyers is the layout and scale often feel at odds with a contemporary lifestyle. This is not the case with Watson Farm, which has been meticulously renovated while maintaining every ounce of its historic character. There is a mudroom and a dressing room — things that many historic homeowners only dream of. A fully updated kitchen includes both stainless appliances and the original pine floors, along with handcrafted custom cabinetry. There are 6 fireplaces — all working — including one in the kitchen. It’s a historic home with all the functionality of new construction.
A butler’s pantry including glass built-ins and and a copper sink, makes entertaining a pleasure. The main level also includes formal dining and living rooms, a home office
and a den, with built-ins throughout, as well as a powder room.
A primary bedroom (also with a working fireplace!), a dressing room, a sitting room, two additional bedrooms and two full baths complete the second floor. A full walk-up attic with skylights offers plenty of storage and expansion possibilities. Original hardware and copper gutters elevate the look.
The view from the cozy sunroom reveals
an outdoor space as remarkable as the interior — original stone walls, a rose-filled English garden, lilacs and specimen trees make the yard feel like a private oasis. But the centerpiece of the yard is the bourbon tasting shed, complete with its own working fireplace.
“From the walled gardens, the outbuilding, and the mature trees, there is a great sense of context here,” said Grosvenor.
The wine cellar is a small space that makes a big impact.
Painted floors and a local landscape mural adorn the main staircase.
Dedication to detail
Middletown home a master class in fine carpentry
BY CHRISTY NADALIN
For Ned Capozzi, President of Modern Design + Construction, a Providence-based design/build firm, there is a right way to execute a woodwork transition — and then there are other ways (that will never see the light of day in one of his projects).
Capozzi’s aesthetic is on brilliant display in his Middletown home, a living example of how he puts the guiding principals of his almost century-old company into practice.
Modern Design is a 3rd generation company, founded by Capozzi’s grandfather. “Our business was founded right after they repealed the Volstead Act, ending prohibition,” he said. “So it was a hell of a time to start a business, but my grandfather was a very good salesman, and after they repealed prohibition, people wanted bars and restaurants.”
Capozzi’s grandfather assembled a talented team of designers and architects, and he would go to a restaurant or bar and show them a beautiful rendering of what their business could look like. He would manufacture everything down to the last detail — bars, booths, woodwork, and fixtures.
Capozzi’s father, the founder’s son-in-law, got involved with the company in the 1950’s. Under his leadership, the company moved even more into larger corporate work. “And then to go-go 80s began, and I did a lot of big architectural woodworking jobs all over the country,” said Capozzi. “That’s where I really cut my teeth and learned about high-end interiors, working with
Continued on page 10
Capozzi’s vision of the home included a clean sight line from the front door through to the back patio, pool, and pool house. Design elements like the x detail on the stair railing are repeated throughout the property.
of
AD100 (top design creatives per Architectural Digest magazine) in New York and Boston.” In recent years Capozzi has shifted the focus of his design/build talents to residential projects, as it gives him more of an opportunity to express his creativity.
Unique details run through Capozzi’s Middletown home, from custom beadboard, to the design of the railing around the pool deck that carries through to the stairwell, to the interior wall adorned with exterior shingles.
“I was walking up the stairs while it was being built and realized I didn’t want to look at a big piece of drywall,” he said. “Yeah, I could put art on it, but what could I do to make it interesting? So I brought the outside in. It’s a simple detail that added a lot.”
“There’s so much thought in every single detail,” said Tom May,
Instead
closing off the area over the doors, up to the nine foot ceilings, Capozzi framed the space and added sculptures of native fish. “It becomes an event,” he said. “It’s something that’s creative, that people don’t expect, and it didn’t cost a lot.”
The kitchen’s timeless design is as fresh today as it was when Capozzi first conceived of it, over a decade ago.
Modern Design’s Director of Marketing. “Everything is so pulled together, but yet it’s creative and unique, and that’s what Ned is so good at.”
Modern Design’s Providence headquarters includes a 48,000 square foot factory where they create architectural woodwork, builtins, and even furniture for their clients.`
“This is like a little vignette,” said Capozzi, gesturing to a window seat with a view from the second floor. “So this could just be drywall here, but we actually made a little bench. You could see yourself sipping coffee here. It’s pretty and it’s joyful — that’s what we love to do.”
“Ultimately, what the company brings to the table is that you take away the worry from the customer. They can have a level of confidence that everything detail is being thought of.”
The shingle-style double gambrel design fits seamlessly in this pastoral Middletown setting. “I could design a contemporary home, sure — in Miami,” said Capozzi, who believes in designing a home to suit its location.
The pool house and railing repeat the x motif that appears throughout the home, but what is unseen is the fact that the railing has been designed to be easily removed for routine maintenance.
Privacy on the East Passage
Peace and tranquility reign on four picture-perfect waterfront acres
BY CHRISTY NADALIN
Leaving the relative bustle of downtown Bristol, it’s less than a 10 minute drive to 33 Courageous Circle, but that short drive takes you a world away. A cul-de-sac off exclusive Poppasquash Point, Courageous Circle is a community sited on the former Case Farm, a 150 acre plot which encompassed the southern part of Poppasquash when it was purchased by A. Ludlow and Anna Rogers Case in 1880.
Poppasquash Point continued to be primarily used as farmland well into the 20th century, when it gradually transitioned into an enclave of high-end homes. The former
Case Farm neighborhood was developed in the 1980’s; 33 Courageous Circle sits alone on the former farm’s last remaining four acre waterfront parcel — and you’d be challenged to find a more private home, anywhere in town.
“It’s just so quiet, so private,” said Teri Pedro-Matrone, a Broker Associate with William Raveis who is listing the shingle-style property for $4,999,000. “If you aren’t coming here, you aren’t coming down this road.”
Once you do come down the road, you won’t want to leave. It’s easy to talk about the incredible views at 33 Courageous Circle, but this is a property that engages all your senses, from the salty smell of the
southwesterly breeze to the sound of waves gently lapping on the beach, to the feel of the sand between your toes.
The sprawling lawn leads to a private beach with panoramic views of the East Passage, Warwick, Prudence Island, and Portsmouth. Gardeners will appreciate the fenced vegetable garden between the house and the shoreline (complete with running water) and a meditative “secret” flower garden surrounding a small patio near the front of the property. Mature landscaping, naturalized for the waterfront exposure, completes the finished look of the landscaping.
The heart of the home is a west-facing
Continued on page 14
The home at 33 Courageous Circle is surrounded by mature landscaping and a lush lawn that leads to a private beach on Narragansett Bay.
kitchen designed by acclaimed British designer Clive Christian featuring stunning granite countertops and a luminescent tile backsplash, with a light-filled adjacent living room. With a primary suite on the first level with a study and access to water-view outdoor living spaces, 33 Courageous Circle would be a wonderful home for down-sizers, but with a total of about 4,000 square feet of living space and two additional rooms on the second floor — with French doors in each leading to a shared deck — it would also be great for a family.
Floor to ceiling windows, patios and decks guarantee views of boats plying Narragansett Bay from almost every room in the home, and with a west-facing orientation, spectacular sunsets are on offer every night, weather permitting.
A three car garage and finished lower level that extends the entire width of the house allows for plenty of storage, a hobby room and an exercise room. “It really is an incredible property,” said Pedro-Matrone.
The Clive Christian-designed kitchen is luminous, thanks to an iridescent backsplash and plenty of natural light.
The main foyer features a staircase leading to the bedrooms on the second floor, while the formal living room on the right serves as the heart of the home.
The home is sited near the end of Poppasquash Point; the Mt. Hope Bridge and Hog and Prudence islands are visible in the distance.
Paradise in the Valley
Unique, elegant Stables at Gray Graig
BY CHRISTY NADALIN
The south end of Middletown, near Sachuest Beach, is dominated by an area of conglomerate rock outcroppings, including Hanging Rock (on the grounds of the Norman Bird Sanctuary) and Purgatory Chasm; it is a part of town often referred to as Paradise Valley.
It was here in 1924 that Mary van Beuren, daughter of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Archibold, purchased the fire-damaged Gray
Craig estate (then known as Paradise Rocks). She and her husband Michael would rebuild Gray Craig in 1926 into what is now arguably the grandest estate in town. Originally designed by architect Harrie T. Lindeberg, the home was inspired by a European-like chateau which included greenhouses, a secret garden, and the Stables, which at the time included 3 attached greenhouses.
For much of the 20th century, the Stables at Gray Craig were just that, housing horses and their tack, as well as several cars. Rooms on the upper levels served as housing for estate staff. In the 1990’s, the entire
Gray Craig estate was subdivided and the Stables, at 216 Gray Craig Road, were sold independently as part of a 77 acre estate association. It was converted into a single-family residence of about 10,000 square feet, currently offered for $5,400,000 by Eric Kirton of Lila Delman Compass.
Gray Craig Road winds through the manicured grounds before leading to the central courtyard of the Stables. The first floor is anchored by an elegant great room; this level also includes an office, dining room, kitchen, family room, two bathrooms, and two
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Rising from the graceful formal gardens, the Stables at Gray Craig were, like Gray Craig itself, influenced by the style of classic French chateaux.
This fun, eye-catching space on the lower level serves as a wine cellar, den, and bar.
Gracious arches and a vaulted ceiling elevate the stunning primary bedroom.
bedrooms, as well as a stunning, pergola-shaded patio that overlooks the grounds. The second level includes a large and light-filled primary suite, a guest bedroom and 2 full baths.
The third level features a private balcony that nests in the hipped, slate-shingled roof and features incredible views of both the estate grounds and the Atlantic Ocean off Sachuest Beach. The partially finished lower level includes a wine cellar with a lounge, a gym and a half bath.
Vaulted ceilings and richly-hued woodwork abound, and spiral stairs playfully lead from one space to another in this peaceful and private retreat.
Graceful formal gardens surround the home, while adjacent conservation land and wildlife sanctuaries offer the opportunity to enjoy the best of Aquidneck island right outside the door. The ocean is just about a mile away, and the energy of summer in downtown Newport is 2 miles up the road.
In an area with no shortage of distinctive properties, the Stables at Gray Craig is in a class by itself: a grand property like no other, yet highly functional at a very livable scale.
An exquisitely crafted spiral staircase leads to a third level with a private balcony; note the unique detail on the glass doors to the right.
Once housing horses, cars, and estate staff, the Stables at Gray Craig are now a 10,000 square foot single family residence.
How wallpaper can elevate your space
BY LUCY PROBERT
Setting the right mood and tone is one of the most important decisions in decorating a room; should it be sophisticated or lively, restful or bold? And when it comes to walls, what paint may lack in interest and personality, wallpaper with its myriad patterns brings numerous options. From delicate and tranquil hues in a bedroom to bold patterns in a powder room, the right wallpaper will liven up any space. “But before choosing you really have to take into account the type of room you’re using the wallpaper in,” says Stacy Carlson, owner of Lou Lou’s Décor in Newport and Tiverton. “If it’s a bedroom you don’t want it to be too bold or bright and in a larger space, like a dining or family room a small print might get lost.” In this Little Compton house Stacy’s clients were open to elevating spaces in their home by adding wallpaper to areas like their front entry, guest bedrooms and a powder room.
Hallway
Guests walking into the front entry see the
large print Galbraith & Paul paper in the fullscale Lotus print in Ripple. Papered on three
walls, the fourth has a paneling detail leading to the staircase. “An area this size with high ceilings and openness can handle the large print, but they do make it in a smaller pattern about half the size,” says Stacy. The light fixture illuminates the ceiling, reflecting back down on the wallpaper.
“Visually, it’s a beautiful room to see when first entering the home.”
Bedrooms
In a guest bedroom used mostly for younger visitors, the homeowners were looking for it to be both restful and playful, says Stacy. “While they wanted it to be bright and cheery, too bold isn’t soothing.” They chose Osborne & Little’s blue stripe which is the perfect blend of both.
For a more elegant feel in another guest room Stacy found them a printed grass cloth from Phillip Jeffries called Eiffel in Blue Topaz. While patterns on a grass cloth can be more expensive and in this case, made to order, they are beautiful, says Stacy. “The owners wanted a sophisticated and tranquil guest suite and say this is the favorite room in the house for friends to stay.”
Powder room
Patterns for a bedroom or a central space should complement the décor of the house as a whole but in a powder room those rules don’t apply. “You can throw all of that out the window and have some fun with it,” says Stacy. “Even though the space is small the design doesn’t have to be.” Be a little, or a lot, bold; give a small space some big personality. “It can be a fun, whimsical pattern, something your guests talk about,” she says. Her clients chose Pierre Frey’s Yangzi pattern. Named after the longest river in China, it is printed on raffia straw with a metallic lamination, giving it texture. “It has the feeling of water, which is perfect for a house near the beach,” she says.
Allowing a room, big or small, a bold or delicate wallpaper pattern can give it center stage without being overwhelming. Whether behind a bookshelf, on one wall in the dining room where a buffet and mirror sits or behind the headboard in a primary bedroom it can make a gorgeous statement, says Stacy. “Wallpaper can complete a room giving it depth, mood and texture in a way paint can’t. Have some fun with it.”
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LITTLE COMPTON - BAYBERRY FARM
$22,500,000
An unparalleled 108-acre waterfront estate Substantial and brilliantly designed, this dramatic illustration of New England Vernacular architecture is set on high, presiding over the Sakonnet Passage and ocean beyond
Contact Will Milbury at 508 525 5200
NEW LISTING
WESTPORT $479,000
This expanded ranch is set on a lovely half-acre lot and offers single-level living with three bedrooms, two baths and attached, two-car garage
Contact Sarah Meehan at 508 685 8926
PORTSMOUTH $1,250,000
WESTPORT $2,745,000
This mid-century classic is a true Westport Point masterpiece, presiding over nearly three acres with heated swimming pool, tennis/pickleball court, guest house and distant views to Westpo rt Harbor
Contact Will Milbury at 508 525 5200
WESTPORT - WYNDFIELD
$7,950,000
A Magnificent Saltwater Farm! This supremely private estate features curated gardens, meticulous orchards, private two-bedroom guest house, studio and barn complementing a spectacular main house. Acres cascade to the water's edge with a dock on the Acoaxet branch of the Westport River A truly magnificent property!
Contact Will Milbury 508 525 5200
Great waterfront location with deep water dock, stunning water views and access to Narragansett Bay, Newport and the Atlantic from a safe harbor
Contact Tom Chace 401 965 3257
Happy Holidays from all of us at
