USA Kitchen Trends US Kitchen Renovation Trends Vol. 30/11 | Page 98
straightforward,” Fratelle says. “Local
regulations determined that the addition
had to be a complementary, yet standalone structure – there needed to be a clear
separation physically and aesthetically.”
The architect’s solution was to contrast
the traditional character of the cottage
with a blackwashed cedar volume that
frames the building in front.
“In addition to planning a new house,
we needed to restore the cottage, which
was derelict,” says Fratelle. “The owners,
who undertook all the building work
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themselves, chipped off numerous coats
of plaster, which had completely hidden
the beautiful limestone. At some stage,
many decades ago, lean-to accommodation had been added to the house. This
was all removed, and the interior was
gutted and completely relined.”
The team also rebuilt the veranda,
with new balustrading providing separation from the sidewalk – the woodwork
was painted a soft smokey blue shade. The
cottage is now an inviting home office,
complete with sofa and wine cellar.
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The old building is connected to the
new volume via a flat-roofed linking
element that provides a circulation area
and laundry. But the main entry to the
house is reached by a narrow path to the
right of the cottage.
“This is a very tight site, so every
square foot had to be maximized, both
inside and out,” says Fratelle. “We also
wanted to orientate the house so it would
be warmed by the sun in winter. At the
same time, we needed to be able to cool it
down quickly in summer.”