“The Quincy Lift”

When you live at the beach you stay at the beach has been the motto of many Fairfield, Connecticut residents. I can’t tell you how many people I know (including my own family!) who have moved from one house to another in the same beach neighborhood for a little more room or less. Upon meeting this family of four, we knew immediately that we were going to build a dream home with them and couldn’t wait to get started. First things first, in order to make the extensive renovations they wished for we’d have to lift the house, per FEMA requirements, and the journey begins from there.

The homeowners loved their location set atop a dune in the heart of Fairfield beach and preferred a renovation over a demolition to preserve the character of the home originally built in 1928. In order to reconfigure the existing floor plan, the architect expanded the square footage to accommodate a new kitchen and primary bedroom addition.The white quartz countertops against the neutral square tile sets the tone for the palette of the home.

The floor to ceiling MARVIN® windows enveloping the eat-in-kitchen and the character touches throughout the first floor truly reflected the old meets new elements the homeowners wanted to showcase. Thanks to Monogram® Appliances the kitchen design remained sleek yet inviting.

When selecting the palette of the home, we stayed true to neutrals with subtle colors like Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore on the kitchen island and Chantilly Lace in the rest of the home letting the millwork speak for itself. The homeowners have always admired local artist Jen Scully so we commissioned her signature East Coast piece to anchor the living room.

We had some color fun in the mudroom, powder and laundry to add personality to frequently used areas of the home but kept the majority of the home soothing and clutter free. The lockers include a metal mesh to add character but still provide cover from the chaos.

When designing a home, we collaborate closely with the family to get a sense for what their children hope for in their bedrooms and of course you know we take into account the furry pets too! For this sweet girl we chose Intimate White by Sherwin Williams for a subtle pink with muted rainbow decals and our swinging chair favorite, and for the construction lego loving boy bedroom we went with Coventry Gray stripes and a dash of red and navy.

For the shared bath, we went with our go to favorite penny tile in navy and well the design speaks for itself… we had some fun in here! Tile was sourced by New England Tile.

For the primary suite, we designed a true retreat with a subtle touch of shiplap on the vaulted ceiling, bright whites and warm woods for that well deserved escape all parents need once in a while.

Follow along the Quincy Lift journey in this video produced by Alex Taylor and watch the magic happen as the dream team led by Towle Custom Builders collaborated to make this beach house vision a reality.

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