Simon/Bellamy House I

This house, designed by the architect for his own family, was a renovation of a sad one-and-a-half-story bungalow in a New England coastal village dotted with glorious Victorian stick-style cottages and villas.

To enlarge the house while still observing zoning restrictions, its height was raised with a second story matching immediate neighbors. To gain solar access for collectors, and to steal a water view blocked by houses across the street, a tower was added. Its curved mansard dome, recalling one atop a notable neighbor, joins with windows and stickwork at the front deck to become a giant ornament. Thus decorated, an ordinary gabled box dreams of being a captain-of-industry mansion.


Client

Private Residence

Location Connecticut Shoreline
Size 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Features renovation
Year Completed 1981
Photo Credit Norman McGrath

Inside, a hallway with tapering walls and ceiling runs down the center of the first floor. Alcove-like rooms are arranged along it, each offering a distinct surprise, some with their ceilings; the dining room has a shallow oval dome with grape lights, the living room waved ribbon panels, and the octagonal library a glittering dome of bicycle reflectors and mirrors.

Upstairs, formality is abandoned for the ins and outs of personal requirements. The master bedroom has a sunning deck, a Thomas Jefferson bed (reached from its sides), ample closet space, and stairs to the tower, a quiet place of contemplation and views. In the rear, a child’s bedroom has its own loft and miniature laundry, and tiled bathroom with a skylight view of the tower dome.