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The Bright Side
When a Providence couple decamped to the East Bay, the brought along everything they could, including a fresh approach to reusing and refurbishing what they already loved. One might think and 1890s home on the East Side and one built in the 1940s in Barrington would have much similarity, but with an open mind, a creative eye and an adventurous sense of design, the two can find common ground. READ MORE >> |
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One Jamestown Family Turned an Eyesore into a Coveted Address
Taking a Conanicut Island home from fixer-upper to fabulous Jamestown, the charming coastal community which takes up the entirety of Conanicut Island, historically served as home to a vast Native American population and later, through the late 19th century, as a quiet farming community. It was not until the Gilded Age that summer homes and hotels were built at a rapid rate, typically accommodating wealthy families from Philadelphia and New York City. Among these grand manses was Miravista. The impressive familial compound, which enjoyed enviable views of Narragansett Bay’s East Passage, included two nearly identical guest cottages. READ MORE >> |
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Urban Retreat
At home with interior designers in their favorite rooms Patrons flock to the Duck & Bunny, a “snuggery” on the East Side for its crave-worthy crêpes, cupcakes, and café fare, but most especially for the warm and cozy environs sets by plush banquettes, whimsical styling and fabulous flair. At owners Jessica and Daniel Becker’s home, the two have created a comfortable space where the two can retire amidst the controlled chaos of entrepreneurship. “[It’s] designed for everyday living,” says Jessica, an experienced interior designer. “I really believe that it is so important to live in a space that is beautiful to you, whatever that beauty is for each individual. It makes us all feel better, happier." READ MORE >> |
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Lovers of the Light
Eleventh generation Block Islanders reimagine island living When Block Island’s own Josh Redd of North Atlantic Builders was called to build a new home from the bottom up on the island’s North End, he knew exactly upon which plot of land the house would stand. “It was right up by the North Light,” he explains. The Block Island North Light House (also called the Block Island Lighthouse) is one of the most iconic attractions on the island (though not to be confused with the popular Block Island Southeast Light perched atop Mohegan Bluffs). The original lighthouse on the land was erected in 1829, but the lighthouse standing there today is the fourth rendition, built in 1867. It includes the keeper’s house, constructed entirely of granite, and the striking lighthouse tower attached to the roof. READ MORE >> |
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By the Book
How one preservationist made the Rumford Library a home. When eight-year-old Rita Danielle Steele declared she would one day own a library, her parents dismissed the statement as childhood musings. So when Rita, armed with a law degree and a passion for restoring historic properties, tossed her hat in the ring to buy the old Rumford Library building, she had a shot at making her prophecy a bonafide truth. “There was a substantial amount of interest in the property,” Rita explains, and a lengthy process, including going before the City Council, and having the 108-year-old building structurally evaluated. After pleading her case, the historic library was hers for $230,000. READ MORE >> |
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The Placemaker's Home
A Grand First Impression Before breaking ground, legendary architect Ogden Codman Jr. had a vision for Bellevue House – the distinguished 1910 Federal Revival home he designed in Newport for his cousin Martha. An admirer of renowned woodcarver cum self-taught architect Samuel McIntire, Bellevue House was built to celebrate Codman’s affinity for merging traditional European influences with classic American revival style. "iIt was originally named Berkeley House," explains Ronald Lee Fleming, who has owned the home since 1999. It wasn’t renamed Bellevue House until the 1950s, but the name is seemingly apropos as it is one of the first century-old mansions in sight as one strolls down Newport’s most famed avenue. The home was Codman’s last project in the City by the Sea and his grand finale epitomizes the principals set forth in The Decoration of Houses, an interior design manifesto he wrote with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and Newport summer resident Edith Wharton, published in 1897. READ MORE >> |
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In Good Taste
Two leading commercial interior designers share their recipes for some of Rhode Island's hottest restaurants. When Rob and Uschi Yaffe turned to Kyla Coburn Designs to conceptualize their farm-to-table, community-oriented restaurant, The Grange, in 2012, Coburn immediately thought of a tiny, abandoned, 19th century grange in upstate New York she drove by frequently as a child. “In rural communities all over America, a grange is one of the first buildings to go up in a community. It is where people meet to determine the price of grain, or hold weddings, or discuss politics. It instantly came to mind as the perfect inspiration for a new version of a farm-to-table space on Providence’s West Side,” says Coburn. But before the paint enlivens walls or fabrics are selected for window treatments or banquettes, Coburn and her team do a yeoman’s job of research. READ MORE >> |
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More to come... |