Wellesley Residence
It’s still unusual to find modern architecture in the suburbs, but Stern McCafferty is working to change that narrative. Local building codes required a nondescript 1930’s colonial revival to be retained – thoughtful additions and a thorough reworking of this structure allowed for a new, modern home to emerge.
A shift was made to transition from the small, dark rooms of the existing home to open, light-filled and modern interiors. Delicate steel sash windows connect the interior of the home to the landscape.
The kitchen is open to the main living area and is both immensely practical and artful. A large skylight brings natural light into the space throughout the day.
The first floor of the original house was gutted and redesigned as a study and hang-out place for teenage children. A screened porch is a transitional space connecting these areas to the garden.
Steel and glass catwalks span the double-height entry space, animating the circulation zone and bringing natural light down from skylights through three stories of living space.
The interiors are modern and serene. Wood wall panels extend up and over the ceiling to create an enclave for sleeping. Views to nature give life to every room.
The house is positioned on the edge of a steeply graded site, extending from the street up to forest conservation land. Retaining walls manage the grade change, creating terraces for seating areas, gardens, a pool and a tennis court. A charming stone cottage was repurposed as a pool house with a very private roof garden.
The tension between old and new was used as a springboard for the design. The street façade is formal but asymmetrical; new additions were designed to harmonize through the careful use of proportion, material and color.
