Residential Interiors
Design for Living
From the one room hut to the palazzo, the private house is an important building type in the world of architecture. It is a fundamental expression of how people live and a personal expression of the dreams and aspirations of the individuals who engage in the inclusive process of making manifest these ideals. The interior of a private home is where the daily lives of its occupants unfold. Careful and deliberate decisions are discussed and priorities are assessed to make sure that spaces are tailored to the habits and rituals of a particular family. From space planning to furniture and art selection, we recognize that the ultimate success of the project is dependent on the quality of our responsiveness to those that will be living in the environments that we help to create.
Private Residence Harbour Island, Bahamas The design is based on the typical Bahamian house vernacular, with a large porch and main living space located on the second floor to capture the breeze and shade and to provide the best view of the sea. The interior of the house is finely crafted in every detail. Custom sliding doors, handmade cypress shutters, and carefully selected surfaces are part of the design that will enable the owners to maintain a home of everlasting value and beauty. A collaboration between Newman Architects and the owners ensured that the selection of finishes and furnishings served the idea that the views towards the sea were a priority and that the interiors did not detract from this magnificent setting.
Roundhill Residence Woodbridge, CT Round Hill Residence is a three-bedroom house on a five-acre wooded hillside in southern Connecticut, with panoramic views of rolling hills and the Long Island Sound. The interiors are simple and direct. Wood shutters help modulate light and view. The floor is maple, the bookshelves oak, and the shutters pine. The exterior is painted wood. A balcony and continuous line of light entering through the skylights separate the octagon from the tower. The living room is ringed by a bay window expanding along the octagon, and the other living spaces grow laterally from it in a clear hierarchical order.
Private Residence Stamford, CT The interiors of this private residence built along the edge of the Mianus River are intended to connect the exterior views to the living spaces within. An abundant use of wood and natural light help to accentuate the relationship between indoors and outdoors. A careful selection of furniture and decorative arts create a serene backdrop, a priority of the owners. Combining Wrightean themes with traditional New England architecture, this long rambling wood house faces the water along a north-south route. It repeats horizontal lines, broad shaded overhangs and a heavy, natural stone foundation. The east elevation faces distant houses, offering New England village neighborliness while maintaining privacy and order.
Rockefeller Brothers Fund Kykuit Residence Tarrytown, NY Kykuit, the Rockefeller family home, required major infrastructure changes to enable it to accommodate group tours of the first floor and art gallery, and provide guest rooms on the upper floors. Our underlying preservation goal was to replace its heating, plumbing, life safety and electrical systems without changing the original fabric of the 30,000 square foot house. Moreover, all changes were designed to be reversible. New furniture selections parallel the spirit of the original design, while the refurbished picture moldings, door and window trim sustain it. We chose new nickel-plated plumbing fixtures to simulate the old, and carefully fitted fire-rated doors, exit lights, and emergency signals into the existing architecture, leaving the historic fabric of the house intact and undisturbed.
Rockefeller Brothers Fund Coach Barn Tarrytown, NY Originally a three-story utility building with horse stables, an automobile garage, workshop, and various maintenance and staff rooms, The Coach Barn is now the international conference center of The Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The interior transformation of the Coach Barn allowed a once utilitarian out-building to host a variety of overnight guests in a comfortable environment that promoted collaboration and cooperation. By transforming the hayloft into a common room and capturing under-utilized attic space, we made a home away from home for visiting dignitaries and conferees.
Yale University Morse College Dean’s Residence New Haven, CT Newman Architects was comissioned to provide interior design services for the new Dean of Morse College. We worked with the Dean’s existing furnishings and selected new items and finishes to support their needs and the style of the residence. We researched Saarineen’s original fixtures and furnishings, and when available, provided appropriate refinishings, restorations, and replacements. The Dean’s residence was redesigned to accomodate a family of four, two adults and their post-adolescent children. Concerns of privacy and separation between parents and children were an overriding priority.
Private Residence Litchfield, CT Newman provided an exterior addition and a full interior redesign of this historic home in Litchfield, CT. The client desired a faithful recreation of interiors that had been altered in a way to diminsh from the historic value and beauty of the home. A fully modernized kitchen and playroom were designed to accomodate the growing family of five. Considerations for contemporary living were combined with more traditional spaces that served both the family’s needs as well as the desire to respect the historic fabric of the original home.
Synder Residence Boca Raton, FL Newman Architects provided the renovation, partial demolition, and addition to an existing 1950s house on the Intracoastal Waterway in Boca Raton, Florida. The design attempts to make a transformation of an existing house into a Mediterranean villa. Internally, the house has a central atrium which anchors the paths of travel within while filtering natural light from indirect skylight sources. As a vacation home for the owners, the interiors reflected the casual nature of how the residents choose to live when entertaining and relaxing. The furnishings are intentionally casual and are light enough to be reconfigured to accomodate flexibility depending on number of guests.
Private Residence Hamden, Connecticut This 1920s tudor revival house has gone through extensive renovation, restoration, and interior design interventions. The owner’s desire to furnish the home with authentic furnishings is demonstrated by the selection of period antiques, kitchen and bath fixtures, and artwork original to the period. Modern plumbing and mechanical systems have been installed to provide the comforts of modern living. A recent bathroom renovation (pictured to the right) demonstrates how the careful selection of contemporary fixtures, paint colors, and wall finishes can compliment the historic details of this turn of the century home.
Interior Design Services
Our interior design philosophy is in concert with our overall human-centered design approach, which seeks ways to contribute to the built environment and make a lasting, beneficial impact on the way people live. From lighting and sound levels, to finishes and furniture selection, our designs aspire to the making of a better place. Our interiors are timeless in design, avoiding trends that might necessitate premature redesign. We work to design spaces that are not only beautiful, but flexible, functional, and durable. We recognize the importance of listening to our clients’ needs, especially in their private homes which should reflect their design style and lifestyle. As interior designers and architects, we recognize how the work we do can impact the health and well-being of those who occupy our designs. We create interiors that are comfortable for occupants, economical to operate, and that will not compromise the health and prosperity of future generations and the world in which we live. We use elements of LEED and WELL to create welcoming and responsible interiors.
300 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511 | 203.772.1990 1054 31st Street NW, Suite 140, Washington, DC 20007 | 202.525.2726 www.newmanarchitects.com