Rye Townhouse

This project is the re-imagination, reconfiguration and renovation of a townhouse overlooking the Long Island Sound, originally designed by a team which included Edward Durrell Stone, Architect of the Museum of Modern Art and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The challenges presented in the re-design included a long and skinny plan with dark areas in the middle, limited rooms with views of the beautiful surroundings and an entire lower level that is now below the Base Flood Elevation.

The Owners were downsizing from a large house in Rye and wanted to achieve an open light filled interior with lots of built-in storage, similar to that found in the boat. They also wanted as much of the interior as possible to have views of the water.

To accomplish these goals, the existing boxy interior was fully demolished and portions of the concrete floors were removed and reconfigured. All mechanical and electrical services and equipment were removed from the lower level and integrated into the upper levels. New skylights above a dramatic glass and steel stair allow natural light to filter into the central areas of the three story townhouse. The design uses gentle curves of fine cabinetwork, like that found on yachts, and architectural finishes to direct views out of the townhouse towards spectacular vistas of Milton Harbor and the Marshland County Park.