New York-based architect Deborah Berke (a Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory member) is known for designs that draw strength from simplicity; quietly complete in their self-assurance. "I am interested in an architecture so grounded in its site that it can be nowhere else," says Berke. In this 3,000-square-foot weekend retreat in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Berke's understated approach is on full display. To see more work, go to Deborah Berke and Partners.
Above: The main house, garage, and pool house are grouped to form a natural courtyard.
Above: The wood shingles are stained with Cabot’s solid Pewter Gray.
Above: The pure forms of the house and outbuildings, with their standing seam metal roofing, stained wood shingles, and vertical siding, refer to functional vernacular structures.
Above: The living room opens onto the double-height screened porch.
Above: Berke mixes traditional building materials (louvered shutters, shingles, french doors) with modern scale.
Above: Traditional shutters hinged at the top can be hooked to the ceiling when not in use.
Above: Rows of double-hung windows ensure that each room is flooded with light.
Above: A double-height screened porch separates the guest wing from the main house.
Above: The pool is discreetly situated on an elevated grassy lawn, bordered by hand-built stone walls.
Above: A view of the pool area from the screened changing pavilion. Photography by Catherine Tighe.
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