Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1261763
65 teenagers, needed more room, including places for groups to gather. The outdoor property is designed with the young family members in mind, including a pool that is built into a ledge, appearing more as an organic creation, with landscape design by Gregory Lombardi Design in Cambridge. Ragusa and his crew built up the area around the pool and pool house by 12 feet. "Access to the rear yard was very challenging because of the ledge and the elevation," Ragusa says. "We wanted to make nature a benefit," as Dioli ex- plains, to make use of nature, including the sun. Olson Lewis, an architecture, planning, and interiors firm, keeps sustainability top in mind, as do the owners. The south-facing home is ideal for solar energy, and photovoltaic panels produce enough energy to power most of the property. The main floor, which retained the home's original footprint, has the traditional family spaces—includ- ing an airy living room where the family often gath- ers—with a pleasing segue among the spaces. The light-filled interiors achieve a spirited flow, thanks to a thoughtful color palette and abundant cabinetry and woodwork by Ragusa's own millwork facility, including a spectacular staircase that wends through the top two floors and the lower level, a large space for play and relaxation that includes a sauna. Amy Manor, owner of Red Bank Design Center in Red Bank, New Jersey, set the tone of the interiors with a neutral color palette. "The color scheme en- hances the richness of the furnishings and feels light and crisp against the natural oak stain and warmth of the walnut from the custom millwork," she says. Manor also worked with Dioli and Ragusa on sev- eral ingenious touches, including refining a feature of the main-floor gathering space, where drapery pockets are hidden by a coffered ceiling. The children were given a clear voice in their own spaces. The two boys' bedrooms and shared bath are on the main floor, along with the family spaces, in- cluding a powder room. The second floor contains the other bedrooms: the daughter's room, a guest room, and a bunkroom, as well as the master suite. Other creative flourishes distinguish the house. An arched window in the center of the back side original- ly was designed with a sidewall flair. Then the owners suggested copper. "I thought it wouldn't work. I was wrong," Dioli says. "It gave it special interest." Every person who worked on the project—the homeowners, Dioli, Ragusa, craftspeople, and contrac- tors—were intent on singing the praises of the others. The collaborative spirit, Dioli says, is evident throughout the project, a home that integrates the interior and exterior and looks completely natural on the site: "When something works, it feels comfortable. It's a sense of spirit." olsonlewis.com; cmragusa.com; redbankdesigncenter.com