Bluff Island Residence

1988
Design: Steve Taylor
Design Consultant: James A Kerr
Builder: Steve Taylor
Engineer: William Strodel
Owner: Richard and Carol Munro
Location: Bluff Island, New York

In 1986, with their family expanding, Dick and Carol Munro bought property on the foot of Bluff Island. There was a relatively new house on the property – a low-slung “Ranch-Style” house with imitation log siding, a fireplace of imported stone and windows smaller than we wanted.

 The house had been well built and was nicely sited so we decided to remodel it rather than build new. Our approach to enhancing the cottage’s relationship to its beautiful surroundings was to project several “bays” into the landscape. These projections were based on a hexagonal plan that complemented the contemporary house in a relaxed and informal way. These additions included four bay windows, an entry bay, a large enclosed living-room bay and a covered stone terrace.

By the time we were finished, we had covered the fireplace with native granite, added clerestory windows, re-sided the cottage with cedar board-and-batten siding, and re-roofed it with cedar shingles.

The finished product blends quietly into the landscape.

 In 1998, we designed and built an upper level master bedroom suite. The addition was centered over the bedroom wing – its roof formed as though it were a raised section of the original roof. The addition is framed with timber supported on steel beams built into the first floor ceiling. Because the room sits above (and below) sloped roofs, the windows – built in our shop – are trapezoidal in form.