Hermit Street

Built in 1949 by the Italian Architect, Arthur Tofani, this house commanded a certain level of homage to its Mid-Century modern roots. The original kitchen and bathrooms, although charming, were no longer functional and after fifty-five years of use, they needed to be remodeled. The challenge was how to modernize this house without destroying its character. We felt an obligation to uphold the integrity of this landmark house. We needed to replace the original windows, doors and appliances with new elements that would integrate seamlessly. When designing the kitchen counters, cabinets and closets,the lack of right angles in the layout of the house also became a design challenge. From these potential obstacles evolved some stunning custom millwork and many unique design solutions. The clients’ love of warm, autumnal colors, their collection of Japanese pottery and modern Japanese prints also influenced our direction with the design of this project.

“Space becomes more an exciting entity when it is allowed to exist purely for the pleasure of experiencing it.” Arthur Tofani 1958.