A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to New Jersey to photograph a project about which I've been writing occasionally. Unlike previous visits to the site, this was purely for my own benefit. The house is complete, furnishings placed, and the owners have moved in for their beach-side holidays. I packed my bags and camera and booked into my home-away-from-home inn.
It has been a long process. But the builder, Gary Hedrick, along with his incredible crew, made the journey as painless and pleasant as possible. This was my time to see where we've arrived. However, in order to understand the impact, I think it's important to see a little of where we've come from.
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| The Original Home |
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| An Early Character Sketch |
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| The Finished Home |
Whenever I have the opportunity to return to a project, it is like visiting a child whom you've watched grow and mature. There is a connection to the built form that is hard to explain. While I work hard to capture the essence of who my clients are, a part of me gets knitted into the project's fabric.
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| Entry Hall |
Given the scope of the project, combined with the restraints of the prescriptive building envelope, I am very pleased with the spaces we were able to create. There is a true variety of scale, mood and texture in the house. However, each of these spaces is held together by a common thread of detail and proportion much like contrasting yet coordinated beads on a string.
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| The Library |
I am greatly indebted to the craftsmen who took as much pride in the project as I. Only through a team with a consistent commitment to quality can such a project come together smoothly. From precise framing to artisan woodworking and finishing, each layer of workmanship relies on the foundation of the one set before it. Not only is this a beautiful home to look at, but one can also feel the integrity of the workmanship that is systemically incorporated throughout.
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| The Great Room |
Designed as a gathering place for extended family, this is the kind of home that one can easily see passing on through many generations and serving as the backdrop for some of life's greatest memories.
