THE MOST DISTINCTIVE HOMES
ARE ACHIEVED WITH STRONG,
ORIGINAL JUXTAPOSITIONS”
“
“I’m not a purist and my tastes are eclectic,” says
John Crittenden, the architect who worked on the
renovation. “While I have respect for good and great
architecture, I have no qualms about playing with
design. From the street there is a certain formality
[to the Keck residence] that needed to be respected.
But the back of the house is a bit more playful; it takes
contemporary architecture and steps it up.” All parties
involved in the project from the owners to the architect
to the interior designer agreed that they would not
make the same mistake as the former occupant, who
introduced elements so jarringly out of place that
they proved odious to the eye. “The home had been
remodeled extensively twice,” says Schirn. “Once
quite reasonably, the second time very offensively.”
That subsequent bout had resulted in the installation
of Victorian fireplaces, large wooden columns in
the living room and “jazzy” marble in the entry. In
addition, the function and placement of rooms
reworked to fit today’s lifestyle. The master bedroom
and the daughters’ rooms were moved upstairs, and
the formal dining room eliminated to create a large
eat-in kitchen.
Schirn knew that a pristine, white-walled leather and
shag combo, in keeping with the home’s sleek profile
wouldn’t be suitable for her clients. In addition, the
design also required that much of the clients’ existing
furniture be relegated to one of the home’s initial
quirks: a traditional, wood-paneled library that feels
unlike any other room.
