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BUILDER:  Olsen Built Homes
Architect:  Matthew Dougherty

Project Partners

When repeat clients asked us to design their 5,000-square-foot dream home, we jumped into high gear. Unlike the beach home we had created for them several years earlier, this house called for a moodier, modern farmhouse direction that pushed us beyond our usual coastal aesthetic. We anchored the design around the commanding metal staircase, then used character-grade white oak, vertical shiplap and a floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace to warm the dramatic architecture. An earthy palette carried through the kitchen and adjoining spaces, while the bedrooms and baths gave us room to reflect each family member’s personality.

Southport, Connecticut

Modern Hillside

Kitchen island with a white waterfall countertop beneath pale pendant lights.
Wood kitchen island with four woven counter stools between tall white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
Kitchen sink with a brass faucet beneath a window beside open wood shelves.
Kitchen walkway with wood flooring, white cabinetry, and a black-framed glass door.
White pantry cabinetry with drawers beside a kitchen sink and brass faucet.
White kitchen island styled with leafy branches beneath a pendant light.
View across the kitchen island toward a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.
Living room with white lounge chairs and block wood coffee tables beneath an upstairs overlook.
Dining area with a round wood table and woven chandelier beneath exposed ceiling beams.
Open-frame wood lantern pendant beside a wood railing with black metal balusters.
Powder room with blue patterned wallpaper, a wall-mounted sink, and twin globe lights.
Gaelle on an upstairs landing beneath a large wood lantern pendant.
Glass-enclosed shower with white tile, black fixtures, and a mosaic tile floor.
Bedroom with two-tone walls, a dark nightstand, and a potted tree.
Light-filled bedroom with woven chairs at the foot of a bed dressed in white linens.
Wood bathroom vanity with a dark countertop, black faucet, and black-framed mirror.
Close-up of a shower curb with pale blue tile and a small hexagonal mosaic floor.
Bathroom with a white floating vanity, woven-framed mirror, and glass-enclosed blue tile shower.