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The front elevation upon approach from the drive, looking at new addition and carport, which serve to reorient the everyday entrance for the family to a new mudroom in the addition.

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Fenimore Road Addition & Renovation

This project is a renovation and addition to a house designed by Kaneji Domoto, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright who was both an architect and landscape architect. The challenge was to respect, and enhance when possible, the rather unique, sometimes quirky, existing details and Domoto’s sensitive attitude toward the landscape. The existing house felt woven in with its surroundings, cantilevering over a small stream and surrounded by green. At the same time, major upgrades and repairs were required to make the house functional, safe, and more energy efficient as a primary residence for a young family of four.

A new carport replaces the existing garage and serves to reorient the entry to a new entry hall with lots of built-in cabinetry for storage. Where the existing garage and a small ramshackle pool house were removed, two guest suites were added, separated from the living space and other bedrooms by the entry for added privacy.

The entry leads to a new, open kitchen / dining / living space with full height sliding doors to the new pool deck along one side. White oak built-in cabinetry lines the opposite wall, providing ever more storage. Large skylights existed throughout the house and brought lots of natural daylight, even while the house is nestled in lush vegetation. New skylights were added over the entry, kitchen, and living/dining spaces in keeping with the existing.

At the rear of the site, the existing living room, now a lounge, and the master suite are wrapped in full height glass overlooking the stream and a dense thicket of bamboo. While preserving the details that made these spaces special, there was not a cost-efficient, sensible way to expand the footprint of the existing master suite. So, the master bath was planned with great precision to be as compact as possible while still feeling open. In the lounge, an existing fireplace with a unique circular surround was retained. And though the existing cabinetry was not salvageable, the existing cabinet pulls were saved for use on the new built-ins as a nod to the original. The owner introduced her own style with some colorful wallpaper in a few, sometimes surprising, locations throughout the house.

Status: Built
Location: Mamaroneck, NY, US
Firm Role: Architect
Additional Credits: General Contractor: CK Home Builders Inc.
Interior Designer: Farah Kathwari Design

The slatted volume anchoring the carport serves as a storage shed, doors hidden around the backside.

In the original layout, a covered walkway lead to the primary entrance. The walkway, passing through Domoto's revived rock garden, was preserved and still leads to a formal entry - an informal family entry was added off the new carport to the addition, which includes a mudroom.

The original covered walkway was rehabilitated, some details restored and others reimagined for the current layout.

The formal foyer, entered from the covered walkway, is geared towards guests. The built-ins here were the only ones in the home viable for salvage, and were retained from the original design.

The central 'lanai' space, which houses the dining room and a lounge space, features original wood beams that were restored. A new Kalwall skylight system was installed above.

The 'lanai' space bridges the new addition, which includes the mudroom, laundry, and kitchen, and the original glass-wrapped living room.

The glass-wrapped living room, which cantilevers over a small stream, was restored, including the original wood ceilings and the circular fireplace surround. New energy-efficient glazing replaced the existing.

The living space overlooks a thicket of bamboo to the rear.

The living room is wrapped in glass on three sides, also offering direction connection to the new pool deck and a view to the small stream below.

A new energy-efficient sliding glass door was incorporated into the existing glazing details at the living room, for direct access to the pool deck.

The original kidney shaped pool was replaced with a smaller rectangular pool, allowing for a more generous pool deck space - for play and lounging - without increasing the footprint.

On the rocky site, the pool deck is built right into existing boulders that project from the earth.

The primary bedroom includes restored wood beams, a built-in custom dresser, and a view to the bamboo thicket.

The thicket of bamboo to the rear also offers a lovely view and privacy to the primary bathroom.

Working in a gracious layout for the primary bathroom, given the existing conditions and site constraints, was an interesting challenge.

A new custom built-in vanity includes pulls from the original cabinet, which were incorporated throughout as a nod to the original design.

The new kitchen includes new custom white oak built-ins, faux marble countertops, and a new skylight - speaking to the existing throughout the home.

The kitchen space opens to a new family room that flanks the end of the pool deck with a wall of sliding glass doors.

The new entry hall serves as an informal mudroom entry for the family, off the carport. Slate-look porcelain tile and white oak cabinetry provide a natural, muted palette for the hustle-bustle of a young family.