( or yakisugi) siding— a Japanese environmentally friendly wood preservation technique that involves charring, brushing, and oiling timber( traditionally cedar) to create a fire-resistant, rotproof, and insect-repellent surface. Stone mason Gareth Morrow, who did the grounds for the previous owner, chiseled Goshen stones individually to make the front porch.“ His stone work is some of the most intricate and meticulous I have seen,” says Reo,“ and the front stone porch is definitely one of our favorite things about the house.”
A good amount of wood throughout the home allowed its modern design maintain a warm feeling. The use of more than a dozen ash trees from the Matsuzakis’ previous property was milled into boards that ultimately were used for this home’ s flooring. Cooney used the idea of tatami mats to create a similar appearance for the ceiling by using plywood with ash wood veneer. Another one of the many Japanese-style elements can be found in the upstairs bathrooms, which has a large enclosed area that includes a bathtub and shower.
“ In Japan, you would like take a shower and clean yourself and then take a bath,” says Reo.“ So they take a bath when you already clean, usually the bath water is safe for the entire family for multiple days, because the bath is simply to kind of enjoy the water, rather than where you clean yourself.”
The built-in closets in the primary bedroom upstairs transformed a normal-sized bedroom into something special. Every inch of space in the room was used for storage and privacy. Reo and Katy don’ t have many houseguests, so the room next to theirs was turned into a TV den with a pull-out sofa.
“ That’ s one of my pet peeves is when a space like a guest room just sort of sits there,” says Cooney.“ There are plenty of comfortable pull-outs that can be used a few times a year, and then that space can be used on a daily basis.”
Downstairs in the kitchen, open shelving is intended to display their pottery collection, with pieces from Taiwan, Japan, and even West Stockbridge. Reo and Katy loved the La Concha range in their previous home, so they got a similar in their new place. Local touches like artwork by Dai Ban and a photograph by Mitch Epstein hang on the walls. Custom-made cabinetry, dining table, chairs, and other work are found throughout the home, created by Southfield-based Bossi Friedman.
“ A lot of this particular project was the high level of detail and the quality of the mill work that transformed the place,” says Cooney.
Creating a sense of more space in the common areas was achieved with vaulted ceilings and a unique slatted staircase— an idea Reo brought to Cooney that he saw in a magazine.
Kapiloff’ s Glass, Inc.
COMMERCIAL GLASS & GLAZING
Servicing Designers, Architects, and Developers in the Berkshires and throughout Mass.
www. kapiloffsglass. com
Teri Malo, A Quiet Snowfall, oil on panel, 36 ″ x 40 ″
71 SPRING STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA 01267 | 413.884.6926 www. greylockgallery. com
56 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Spring 2026