How a Rhode Island cottage with a boarding-house vibe transformed into a seaside haven
Think of it as a renovation version of “I knew you when.” Art and Sherry Douville had rented a Victorian-era house a short walk from the center of Jamestown, Rhode Island, for a family vacation years earlier and remembered it not for its charms but for its boarding-house ethos (“The bedrooms had numbers,” says Sherry) and questionable effects (“One wall of the kitchen had a ballet-school mirror,” recalls Art). The 1901 house had indeed spent most of its existence serving renters, according to the Jamestown Historical Society. It was originally built for summer guests by an entrepreneur who owned a nearby hotel. The house also served as a rectory for a local church at one time.
When the couple, whose year-round house is in central Connecticut, decided to buy a summer place and noticed the old structure was for sale, they remembered its quirks, but also knew that its location was first-rate. A second look at the property opened their eyes — or at least Art’s imagination — to the renovation opportunities. “I want to buy this house,” he told Sherry. “If we’re going to live near the water, I want to be able to see the water.” Sherry was not convinced. “The house scared me,” she says. “I didn’t want to buy it. Too. Much. Work.”
Enter Ron DiMauro, whose firm, Ronald F. DiMauro Architects, is in Jamestown, and his team, architect John Tumino and interior architect Laurie Keene, to guide the way. “The main thing was to bring the old Victorian details back, but make it a house for today,” says DiMauro. “Unfortunately, many of the traditional details had been stripped. The spaces were rearranged, trim removed, even the exterior columns and porch railing had been replaced with thin 4-by-4 posts and store-bought balusters.”
Add to that the “party-house” swimming pool (“The neighbors sure had stories,” says Art) that ate nearly the entire backyard, the lack of a garage, and a too-short front driveway that offered no easy access from car to house.
The solution: “We got rid of the pool and created a rear courtyard,” says Tumino, “and that become a defining element.” At one end of the courtyard, they built a two-car garage accessed by a new driveway off an adjacent street with architectural details evocative of the house and room for a sleeping loft. Contractor Steve Ray of Steve Ray Construction in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, built the garage first, so the Douvilles had a place to stay during the renovation. Next to it, a new porte-cochere adds another period element and creates a passageway from rear driveway into the yard.
With that completed, the team turned its attention to the more challenging phase — the renovation of the 3,400-quare-foot house. To Sherry’s point, it wasn’t easy. With its boarding-house layout (eight bedrooms on the second and third floors), the house had to be taken down to the studs before it could become a comfortable retreat for three generations. On the plus side, the overhaul could be done by simply reconfiguring interior spaces, with one exception: a mudroom added to the south corner would provide the everyday access the house was lacking. The room’s sizable impact far exceeds its dimensions. At just 6 feet by 10 feet, it includes two exterior doors (one to the rear courtyard, one to the front driveway) and bench, hooks, and closet to contain the in-and-out-the-door clutter.
To play up the light and the sparkling view of Narragansett Bay and Jamestown Harbor from as many rooms as possible, all existing windows were replaced with larger versions. Bay windows, balconies, roof brackets, and a courtyard arbor add architectural detail and livability. For texture and scale, the exterior is clad with painted clapboards and shingles, with the mansard face and turret both covered in natural cedar shingles to match the roof.
The front porch, extended to accommodate an outdoor dining area, became a showpiece; dinky porch posts were replaced with Tuscan columns with a 12-inch circumference. During the summer, it’s Art and Sherry’s favorite spot.
Inside, the overall goal was to infuse fresh, bright seaside charm and period character. “Sunny! Airy! That’s what I wanted for this house,” says Sherry. The large windows and many sets of interior French doors and transoms create a bright countenance against a soothing palette of whites and fog gray-greens.
Playing up existing elements where possible, the team also introduced new details. In the front entry, a keystone arch and half wall with built-in bench create a passageway in a previously undefined area. Preserving the original staircase proved well worth the effort. “There were 15 layers of paint on that front stairway,” says Keene, “but once they were removed, a beautiful newel post and handrail of longleaf pine were revealed.” Wood floors throughout the house were also salvaged, adding another note of period authenticity.
Fireplaces in the living and dining rooms were kept in the same location but given a thorough style overhaul with new mantels, surrounds, and hearths. Jamestown interior designer Patti Watson of Taste Design provided consultations on the dining and living room furnishings.
The kitchen’s footprint remained unchanged, but a new bay window added natural light and provided a sensible place for a built-in banquette and table. “We wanted to keep the spirit of the 1900s house intact with our kitchen choices,” says Keene, who used polished nickel fixtures, Carrera marble countertops, a calacatta marble backsplash, and V-groove cabinetry. The dance-school mirror was banished, replaced by floor-to-ceiling shallow cabinetry to create a pantry wall with enviable storage.
Upstairs, the entire front half of the second floor is given over to a master suite, with harbor-facing bay windows and a sumptuous master bath. Also on this level is a den and a home office that can double as guest rooms.
On the third floor are four more bedrooms and two bathrooms. In the front bedroom, a dropped ceiling was removed to reveal one of the home’s most compelling elements. “We exposed the turret ceiling to the peak,” says Keene. “It had never been exposed before, and we found it stunning.”
It’s a sentiment shared by the Douvilles and their circle of friends, who vie for the indulgence of staying in the turret room. Truth be told, every room is now a charmer.
Is Sherry glad they took the leap? “I absolutely love it,” she says.
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