An American Makeover

"The building had been on the market for four years — it was too ugly to notice,” says owner Roger Crawford, who has transformed this former industrial building into an American-style home. It was originally built as a pottery unit in 1982, and later converted into a residential dwelling (see BEFORE) — but with little change to the floorplan or the exterior.

Over four years – and in three stages – Roger remodelled and extended the building to create a new home. He first knocked down interior walls and changed the internal floorplan within the existing structure. During the second stage, an extension, complete with a sharp roof pitch, was added, creating a large living room. The third stage led to a further addition: a sizable garage with living accommodation above. This two storey addition conceals three extensive greenhouses – the remains of a former garden nursery – behind. A flat-roofed games room was also added to the rear of living room.

Inspiration for the almost unrecognisable new façade began, however, inside: “I’ve always wanted a ‘great room’ with high vaulted ceilings and a large fireplace,” comments Roger. “I was inspired by a photograph of the chimney breast on Steven Spielberg’s East Hampton home, and the style developed from there.” The dominant chimney breast, gabled roofline and weatherboarding are all elements associated with a style popular in the Hamptons, also seen in New England — an amalgamation of features from Colonial, Shingle, Shaker and Saltbox architecture. In line with the style, Roger has also added a porch – here semi-open with turned spindles – on which a triangular pediment rests.

The weatherboarding not only lends itself to the style, but serves a practical function, too. “The former pottery unit’s walls were constructed of study engineered bricks, which I could do little with,” explains Roger. “The weatherboarding hides this well. It was provided by Lymewood Architectural Joinery (01538 360348), who also made the bespoke sash windows and front door.” The new sash windows are a far cry from the former commercial-looking panes.While a defining feature, the prominent brick chimney also hints at the building’s past and the red brick façade beneath.

American Beauty

1. Weatherboarding: Horizontal timber weatherboarding is a hallmark of Colonial, Shaker, Shingle and Saltbox-style homes. Modern alternatives such as fibre cement do not hold the same appeal as timber, but are low-maintenance. Above, engineered cement boarding from James Hardie (jameshardie.com).

2. Slate roof: Slate typically adorns the roofs of homes in the Hamptons, quarried locally in New York and in surrounding states including Vermont. Roger re-slated the original dwelling with HP10 (ABOVE), a manmade interlocking tile from Imerys (imerys-rooftiles.co.uk).

Further reading:

• A Contemporary Barn Conversion
• Transforming a Victorian Terrace
• An Eco-friendly New England-style Home