1. lakeside master piece
An impressive mansion,
reminiscent of a Norman
manor house, is tucked
away in a secret part of
By lisa mcgee i photography By chi chi uBina
Westchester
2. When you are given the challenge of fitting a
rather large home into a neighborhood of ma-
turing ranch homes, it takes a team like Roger
Bartels, Chris Pagliaro and Nicholas Sajda, of
Bartels-Pagliaro Architects (BPA) to achieve
success. When the clients purchased the site
there was a split ranch on the property with a
pool and spectacular views of a lake. Although
the ranch had to be removed to create space
for the new home, the pool area is now similar
to the original space and the house still em-
braces the views of the lake and soaks in the
magical light that reflected from it. The clients
were also particularly rare as they gave BPA
“carte blanche” with the design of the project.
Every architect dreams of having this kind
of opportunity and BPA used it to meld many
different design ideas into one space.
T
he façade, while impressive and large in its own right, is PREVIOUS PAGE LEFT: On the lakeside of the
diminutive in comparison to the three levels facing the property, a stainless steel staircase descends
lake. It was important both to the architects and the to the pool area. The ground floor is com-
pletely centered on the outside and outdoor
client that the façade was kept to a minimum as much as activities.
possible so as not to overpower the homes nearby. The client PREVIOUS PAGE RIGHT: The warm brick
wanted a brick house so BPA had the bricks handmade along façade welcomes the homeowners and
guests alike. Small square dormers in the
with matching mortar. Red windows and doors complement roof break the scale of the structure.
the red of the bricks to create an inviting entrance into this ABOVE LEFT: A plethora of aqua marbles
grand home. On either side of the front door, lead cages in is clearly illuminated by the light streaming
through the open door. They have even been inset
a grid enclose lights and a series of aqua marble have been into the stainless steel cages at the top of the columns.
inset in the front door. These give the visitor an immediate RIGHT: The entry foyer has a double story of windows looking
glimpse at the signature design motifs echoed throughout right out onto the lake. A long stainless bench has the client’s
favorite red on the cushions and a trio of marbles inset.
the entire home.
Measuring out at almost 10,000 square feet, the home only
contains five bedrooms and although it certainly has a tower-
ing entryway and grand spaces, many of the smaller rooms feel
surprisingly comfortable and intimate for a house of this size.
40 May 2007
3. In order to have the rooms all benefit from the views of the incorporated into the balusters close to the handrails. “The
lake, single-depth planning has been used. This “French” plan- client talked about adding a jewel to the house,” says Chris and
ning makes the house very long but it is well worth it as the so the use of these aqua marbles became prevalent throughout
views are captured in every room of the house. the house. Even at the very top of the staircase there is a giant
The floor in the entry foyer is made of a Portuguese stone aqua marble which is in fact a Chinese fishing float that the
that is similar to limestone and the only other floor material firm had custom made for the house.
used in the rest of the house is a clear maple with a water-based
finish. “This creates a sandy color throughout which enhances
LEFT: The stainless steel staircase snakes up from the entry foyer. Every third baluster has
the quality of light on the water,” says Chris Pagliano. A dra- an aqua marble and below you can just get a glimpse of the dining room.
matic staircase with stainless steel railings snakes up from the RIGHT: Geared for plenty of entertaining, the kitchen has two of everything except for the
foyer. The aqua marbles, as seen in the front door, have been stove. Brushed granite countertops echo the warmth of the Douglas fir beams above.
Fairfield County Home 43
4. Since the clients love to entertain, the kitchen and family
LEFT: A cozy retreat in colder months, the more formal living room has a brick fireplace
room were created as one big space even though the living and a lush red carpet to emphasize warmth. The door had a large fishing float inset at the
room is sunk lower than the kitchen. In the kitchen, the floor- top, and then lines of marbles in the door itself. The architects ordered 23,000 marbles
and there were still some leftover!
ing is comprised of both the maple planks and Portuguese
ABOVE: The infamous Chinese fishing float creates a finishing touch and wonderful focal
stone. Countertops are a wire-brushed granite and beams of point at the top of the upper staircase.
Douglas fir give an aged patina and create scale on the ceil-
ing. That same Douglas fir is used to plank the ceiling of
the family room that effectively ties the two spaces together.
A massive concrete fireplace has been given a stainless steel
Fairfield County Home 45
5. hearth also inset with the aqua marbles. While this is a space
where the family obviously settles in to watch television, the
television has been discretely hidden in the wall separating
the kitchen from the living room so it’s not the entire focus
of the room and one can’t even see it from the kitchen. Huge
pane windows line the lakeside of the room, each topped with
a trio of smaller square panes.
The repetition of squares is a signature design for BPA, in
fact their own logo is a four square motif. The use of squares
appears throughout the house and is used by the firm as a
scale device, and though not original to them, it has a dis-
tinctive history and has been used throughout many phases
of architecture. Significant architectural periods such as the
Vienna Secession, English and American Arts & Crafts and
Charles Rennie Mackintosh all used the square in their de-
sign. It is a recognizable symbol of the Geometric Art Nou-
veau movement and gives great insight into where BPA turns
to for inspiration.
The master suite looks down onto the family room through
a rectangular window with multiple square panes. Much of the
furniture throughout the house was custom made by BPA and
in this room the television lifts out of the bench at the end of
the bed. Two stainless steel beams cross the space, each with
five marbles lined up in a gentle curved motif. The master bath
has fixtures from Waterworks and white cabinets have been
inset with a series of marbles. A dressing room lies adjacent to
that with additional custom-made furniture.
Furnishings throughout the entire house are simple and
comfortable and complement the architecture well. Nothing
competes with the overall design. New York designer Mere-
dith Carter worked closely with the wife and the architects to
achieve this subtle yet compatible relationship between all the
elements in the house. The client loves red, so Meredith kept
most of the furnishings very neutral and then uses red in the
accessories to bring her passion to light. Red appears in the
rugs, pillows, kitchen accessories and, of course, around the
windows and doors on the exterior of the house.
Elements such as the red brick have been brought inside
where they appear in the living room as the brick fireplace.
That too has a stainless steel hearth and marbles that the light
of the fire illuminates. The large fishing lures are anchored at
the top of the doors that actually close around them, creating
yet another surprising element to enjoy. Located just off the
entry foyer, the living room acts as an obvious additional space
LEFT: The grand master suite is filled with light and warm colors. A custom bench at the
foot of the bed hides the television which lifts out for viewing.
TOP RIGHT: Punchy colors like the carpet and bright orange pillow create a nice balance
with the otherwise neutral furnishings in a corner of the master suite.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The dressing room is adjacent to the master bath and features addi-
tional custom made furniture by BPA.
6. for entertaining as it also includes a grand piano and those
LEFT: Simple and elegant, the master bath’s only color is the marbles delicately set into
amazing views of the lake. the cabinetry. Fixtures throughout are from Waterworks.
On the other side of the entry foyer is the dining room that ABOVE: It’s hard not to feel like a princess when your bedroom is located in a turret!
has French doors inset with marbles. The dining room table Warm inviting bright colors on the bed and window treatments make it easy to stay put.
and chairs have a simple design that gives the space a calm re-
laxed feeling. The surprising addition of the two orange chairs
at each end adds just the right amount of color. Tucked away
at the bottom of a spiral staircase in the lower level is the wine
48 May 2007 Fairfield County Home 49
7. resources
architects
BARTELS-PAGLIARO ARCHITECTS
27 Elizabeth Street
South Norwalk, CT 06854
203-838-5517
www.bartels-pagliaro.com
Roger Bartels
Chris Pagliaro
Nicholas Sajda
Builder
BRINDISI & YAROSCAK
CUSTOM BUILDERS
397 Post Road (Suite 102)
Darien, CT 06820
203-656-1948
www.brindisiandyaroscak.com
Jon Brindisi
Bill Lubbers, Project Manager
interior decorator
MC + MC DESIGN
33 Union Square West
New York, NY 10003
646-610-2804
meredidth@mcplusmc.com
Meredith Carter
LEFT: A lush neutral carpet fills the dining room and compliments the dark wood of the furniture. Marbles fill the tile and plumBing
double doors that lead out to the hallway and the delicate light fixture echoes the simplicity of the staircase nearby.
Fixtures
ABOVE: A cavernous wine cellar is located in the lower level of the house. The floors, ceilings and even the shelving
WATERWORKS
within all have a warm sandy color to keep it from being too dark.
Westport, CT
203-227-5008
cellar. Massive iron gates guard each entrance and once again that sandy-colored a/V, lighting systems
Portuguese stone reappears. and technology
The lakeside exterior of the home has its three stories exposed. Stainless steels INTEGRATED CONCEPTS
rails run along the covered terraces, and stairs lead down to the pool. A large ex- 868 Mill Plain Rd.
pansive lawn stretches down to the lake. The lower level is completely geared to the Fairfield, CT 06430
203-259-7729
outdoors and pool area. There is a bar, pool table, showers and a gym so in the warmer
Rich Babcock
month the family and their guests use this as their main access to the house. In the
roof are little square dormers with glass block that break the scale of the structure. At metals
night they can be illuminated to give the house a magical sparkle. CREATIVE METAL FAB
Not surprisingly, this entire home is fully automated. The cobbled driveway is Stamford, CT
fully heated so there is no need to plow in the winter. To make it convenient when 203-323-4090
one runs out the door, all it takes is the simple touch of one button to turn off every Jon Pompea
single light in the house. The clients can even change everything from lighting and
landscape architect
music to the temperature inside the house from their cell phones. INVITING ENVIRONMENTS
Each part of the team must work together to help write the score and play their 36 West Putnam Avenue
different instruments. After a year and a half of working together on this amazing Greenwich, CT 06830
piece of art, the extensive team involved achieved notable success. ” 203-625-9801
Sean Jancski
Lisa McGee, stylist can be reached at 914-548-5193, or by email at stylistmcgee@gmail. .
Fairfield County Home 51
