Located at the end of Lord’s Point, a peninsula in Stonington, CT, this 1913 cottage sits on the shores of Fishers Island Sound. However, the existing cottage’s layout and general orientation failed to take full advantage of its stunning waterfront location. There was no sense of threshold when you entered the home, and the kitchen was tucked away at the front, separate from the living and dining area at the back, which had the best water views. The kitchen was also cut off from the small family room across the hall. The resulting project goals were to create better flow between the living areas, maximize the home’s water views, and enhance the natural light in each space.
In response, we designed a two-story addition—only 528 square feet in total—to sit slightly rotated towards the south from the original structure that would better frame the views of Fishers Island Sound. The addition includes a living space on the ground floor and a primary bedroom on the second, and a deck and porch fill the exterior spaces created by the rotation.
We also renovated the existing cottage to reposition the kitchen to the water side of the house, creating an open kitchen, living, and dining space that flows into the addition's family room. A recessed porch now frames the entry to the house, and an ample laundry/mudroom sits in the former kitchen footprint.
On the second floor, we created the primary suite from an existing bedroom and the second floor of the addition. In the bedroom, a gabled ceiling makes the small space feel more generous. Windows frame idyllic waterfront views from both the bathtub and the bed.
