Houses
Family Compound I
Long Island, N.Y.
This is a modern villa designed to bring nature into the owners’ lives. It is the first of three structures built in a family compound amid a bucolic landscape. A drive winds to an entry forecourt, and just beyond the front door an inner courtyard beckons. The mainly glass-walled living room and two grand porches open onto expansive views of water, trees, and rolling terrain.
Salvatore LaRosa
Cottage Near the Beach
Wainscott, N.Y.
This new yet context-friendly Shingle Style house on Long Island—built for a family with four children and two dogs—has unexpectedly modern interiors. Rooms the colors of sun, sea, sand, and sky are furnished with contemporary Italian designs (there’s not a single antique in the house). A large screened porch matches the scale of the living room, and every bedroom opens onto a sleeping porch. Breezes throughout
Ronald Bentley, Architecture
Victoria Borus, Interior Design
Hudson River House
Westchester County, N.Y.
A parklike approach only gradually reveals that this house is transparent and that the Hudson flows beyond it. Bridging two ravines, the building gently leads to the river through a series of manmade plateaus—both interior and exterior—which are anchored by a massive fireplace. Enveloping furniture, sensuous fabrics, and semi-rustic detailing encourage contemplation of the ever-changing views.
Salvatore LaRosa
Bucks County Pastorale
Pennsylvania
Developed in two phases over many years, this country house maximizes its connection to the landscape. Enormous window-walls slide open to transform the living room into a screened porch. Each interior space has its own distinctive character, while the appeal of outdoor "rooms" and eye-catching sheds enhances the over-all experience.
Ronald Bentley and
Salvatore LaRosa
Georgian Revival
Westchester County, N.Y.
Designed for clients interested in a center-hall Georgian, this house succeeds in bringing a fresh eye to the genre, and pushes all the way to modern in the interior furnishings.
Ronald Bentley, Architecture
Salvatore LaRosa, Interior Design
Family Compound II
Long Island, N.Y.
A small two-bedroom bungalow, a swimming pool, and a rose garden—the second phase designed for a family’s country place—are surrounded by a serpentine stainless-steel fence. Site planning took into account the owners’ desire for future expansion of the pool complex.
Salvatore LaRosa
Family Compound III
Long Island, N.Y.
By enlarging the pool complex into a fully functioning courtyard villa, this design comfortably accommodates two families with children. Separate wings allow for privacy while encouraging outdoor access and views. Architecturally, the “naive” character of this wood-sided building contrasts with the elegance of the largely stone and brick main residence nearby. A poolside fire urn makes walls glow and water sparkle.
Salvatore LaRosa
Simply Maine
Central Maine
Hog Hill House, a modest cottage in a rural inland setting, transcends the Yankee vernacular with a single eloquent gesture of the roofline.
Ronald Bentley
