Situated on a large knoll overlooking the Navesink River in New Jersey, the design of this new 8,000 square foot house was inspired by late 18th and early 19th century Dutch Colonial architecture of the region combined with the picturesqueness of the late 19th century Shingle Style.  The house’s landscape, designed by Miranda Brooks, complements beautifully this architectural balancing act between formal and informal.

The house’s Dutch gambrel roofs allow for a spacious second floor tucked into the eaves of what is in the front a low profile structure, nestling into its site in an unassuming way. A careful organization of the plan of the house, giving it an L-shape extension toward the front of the property allows it to appear smaller from the street than it does from the river.

A winding driveway from the street leads up to the house’s gravel motor court bound by espaliered trees, where a refined entry portico and wide Dutch door welcomes guests. The detailed arch of the portico hints at the elegant interior elliptical arches found throughout the house and complements the wide archway of the porte-cochere connecting the main house to the garage.

The front door opens into a grand stair hall which establishes the architectural vocabulary of the interior and frames the view of the river beyond.   The house’s interiors were decorated by Libby Cameron.

An antique Federal period mantel in the formal dining room, one of several found for the house, became the inspiration for the house’s extensive molding program which was designed to Federal proportions and detailing. Bright and airy inside, the entire house was designed with entertaining and family gatherings in mind.

The rear façade of the house is more relaxed than the historically-based entry façade, with a dramatic sweep to the Dutch gambrel roof and a series of connected porches that run the length of the house. Three chimneys anchor the various rooflines and complement the painted wood shingle siding, giving the appearance of a house added to over time.