OLD ACRE
The Old Acre Carriage House, at the back of an important Newport property, had several lives before our 2010 and subsequent 2018 renovations. Originally, it was a horse barn as evidenced by the grates on the windows and chew marks on the window sills. The original renovation, as a guest cottage, was undertaken with an eye to preserving the inherent beauty of the Gothic style and salvaging, reusing and re-purposing building components and details found at the property. The board and batten sheathing and trim details were meticulously reproduced and where windows could be salvaged, they were reused. The eye to history continued within, but the overall open planning concept was contemporary. All the mahogany doors on the property were re-hung with original hardware, bead-board panels that had been stored in the loft were reused for bathroom and mudroom walls and various styles and sizes of brackets were employed.
When the owners decided that it was time to downsize, they had to look no further than their own backyard. We balanced the massing of the cottage by adding a third en suite bedroom at the 2nd floor. On the main floor, we created a connection that included a new kitchen/pantry and entry hall. The new one story ell has a library and first floor master suite, both with vaulted ceilings. The style and detailing of the original cottage/barn was continued throughout. The new house design wraps the property on the north and east and creates a large private yard and patio with a south and west orientation for sun and summer breezes.
Gale Goff Architect, Little Compton, RI
DBR Builders, Bristol, RI
Legacy Construction Services, W. Warwick, RI
Mather & Page Landscape Architects, No. Kingstown, RI
Anthony Crisafulli Photography, Astoria, NY
Nat Rea Photography, Barrington, RI
Howard Chu Studio, South Kingston, RI, Photographer