The New Old Colonial
Historic charm, reclaimed materials, and timeless New England style in a newly built colonial.
Just under 2000 sq. ft., this simple colonial with a white cedar shingle roof and clapboard siding is the first home built as part of a development project that, when completed, will comprise eight residences designed in the style of 19th-century New England architecture. Notable exterior features include the handmade-brick chimney and the six-over-six windows that provide symmetry and balance.
The interiors reflect the intention to create spaces that don’t feel like they’re in a newly built home. There is no drywall or polished granite. Instead, walls and ceilings made of reclaimed Eastern white pine are defining elements of the home. The kitchen and bathroom countertops are reclaimed white oak floorboards from an 1806 brick Federal-style house. The stair treads and risers are reclaimed white and red oak floorboards once used for threshing grain.
Maintaining the home’s period character, built-in wardrobes for the two upstairs bedrooms stand in for contemporary closets, and flat white paint, the same shade as the exterior, is a neutral finish chosen to complement the understated elements throughout the home. The future development is a New England hamlet-scale concept, with plans for further new residential construction and infrastructure that, similar to this house, will complement the surrounding rural character.
| Architect/Builder: Goose Creek | Location: West Cornwall, Vt. | Photos: Ryan Bent Photography |
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