Every home’s property has its own identity and our Osprey project is characterized by its unique water environment and wildlife ecosystem. It was important for us to find the connections and relationships between the interior space and the outdoors and to reflect this in the design…
The success of this house is how it integrates into the site — how the experience of the site comes into the house and vice versa. We named this house Osprey because of the Blue Herons, Egrets, Bald Eagles, and Osprey we observed nesting nearby…
Because the architecture is very specific to the environment, every line of sight within Osprey was important to capture. Every single room has a water view, and some rooms actually have 3 completely unique perspectives of water surrounding the property. The exquisite light, at all hours of the day, is a spectacular complement to the construction itself.
Outside, the house has a homey, farmhouse vernacular — a crafted feeling drawn from the lakefront atmosphere of the property. The materials and elements on the outside are rustic including exposed rafter tails, a yellow cedar roof and regional, split granite stone. There are five perennial gardens with sprays of Black-Eyed Susans and Russian Sage. We also added a green roof system — a large planter with vegetation that blooms all year and provides the home with greenery high above the ground floor gardens. The driveway splits a single perennial garden into two halves.
A large hickory tree and a large European beech tree, original to the property, remain as part of the heritage. Finally, the outdoor family entertaining area sports a pool with an automatic cover, a sun deck with covered area, and a grassy lawn for play.
Osprey’s interior captures a similar rustic vibe with white oak flooring and artistic light fixtures which reflect elements found in nature. The carefully chosen staging by Leah Ward from LTW Design also captures the holistic, connected feeling.
The home is split into an informal and formal halves. The formal dining room and living room provide a private space for adults. A see-through fireplace separates this area from a secluded study.
The informal side includes the breakfast nook, kitchen and family room, communal areas for the family to gather. The award-winning kitchen, reflects themes of nature with its custom cabinetry and artichoke light fixture.
A two-story family room, adorned with a floor-to-ceiling stone hearth, opens up onto its own covered porch. The second-floor loft overlooks the room and sits across the green roof — which flowers throughout the summer and fall. The native driftwood chandelier was sculpted by Caroline Harris and Ryan Gusson, and celebrates the property’s natural surroundings.
Upstairs, a custom-built steel railing system leads you to a second-floor landing and multiple bedrooms. The aforementioned loft can be converted to a perfect homework area by closing the oversized barn door.
The master suite boasts clean shiplap walls and white oak floors. This large space has a modern, remote controlled, gas fireplace and a large wooden chandelier. The accent wall behind the bed is lined with a Phillip Jefferies wallpaper. The muted, oyster shell pattern once again connects the home to its environment and pay homage to the oyster and clam beds found in the surrounding pond. Walk out onto the private, master deck to be surrounded by nature and incredible views.
We are proud that this home won HOBI Awards for Best Spec House Over $7 Million and Best Kitchen in the state of Connecticut! While designing this home, every element of the property was considered to capture and to maximize its extraordinary qualities. The morning, afternoon, and evening light, the water views and lush greenery are all paramount to the experience of not only being inside the house, but actually living in each room.