Citing its “delicious proportions” and “undulating” presence, the judges compared this dramatic entryway to “a very elegant wedding cake” that celebrates the home’s ubiquitous views of the Lieutenant River. The stair hall consists of three staircases — two rebuilt and expanded, and one new — that function as the “convergence point of all the horizontal and vertical pathways” in the significantly expanded home, architect Paul Bailey said.
To create the main stairs, contractor Todd Baker removed the old stairway and ceiling and moved the adjacent two-story wall a few feet. The leftover space both encloses a new powder room and shower and provides terraces to display sculptures custom-made for the space.
The judges also noted the project’s “high level of technical difficulty.” Baker said the handrail was hand-carved on site from laminates made of poplar veneers. The balusters, though machine-milled, were custom-designed to capture such detailing as lamb’s tongue grooves.
Category:
Small project/details, under $25,000
Location:
Old Lyme, Conn.
Contractor:
Todd Baker, Complete Remodeling, North Branford, Conn.
Designer:
Paul B. Bailey, Paul B. Bailey Architect, New Haven, Conn.
