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BELOW TOP: Having been renovated into a year-round home, this 1930s beach house features an enlarged sunroom that can be enjoyed during every New England
season. There are no window treatments to obstruct the east and south-facing views of the sunrise, gardens, and 100-year-old trees. The wood ceiling, coupled with the
wood floor and wood trunk, is balanced by the metal umbrellas on the gable end—a feng shui element.
BELOW BOTTOM: In the same home, the big stone fireplace in the living room was one of the main reasons we didn't just knock everything down and start f rom scratch.
Recognizing when a house has good bones, and what can be salvaged or repurposed, is very important in terms of living environmentally-conscious. I also believe that
artwork is more important than most people realize. You could spend thousands on a countertop, but then hang a $50 print that brings the entire room down. Artwork
that's f ramed behind glass bounces light and sound, so I encourage my clients to incorporate original artwork and support local artists whenever they can.
Photographs by Michael Patrick Lefebvre
Interiors by Balanced Interiors, Narragansett, RI, page 383
