This is an ongoing showcase of spectacular homes, interior spaces and amazing buildings. There are elements in everyone of these that inspire and remind us of why we enjoy design so much, not because of trends or fads, but the way spaces resonate and change in the eye of the beholder.

Photo by Richard Foulser.

We start off with the Fisher Residence at their Amagansett Long Island Beach House. Blame my denial of summer coming to a close, but I'm still in love with all things beach house. I first read about this house in Dwell a couple of years ago and was instantly smitten with the casual vibe of this 1960's redo.

Photo by Richard Foulser.

Maybe it's the way that not much seemed to change from what you'd expect the original to look like, warm woods in the interiors and bleached cedar on the exterior. Glimpses of the renovation can be seen with the addition of clever built-ins inspired by those seen in boat building creating ample nooks for board games and books and comfy places to relax.

Photo by Richard Foulser.

I really like Architect Page Goolrick's work and she explains the technical moves she made to accommodate the family without losing the beach vibe at the core of this home, like keeping a visual datum line at 6'-8" throughout as much of the house as possible. This creates an illusion of a taller ceiling plane as the eye rests on this continual line. I liked how the article comments on the Fisher's appreciation of her many inquiries of how they lived their daily life in the house and how the house could work within that framework, making a huge effort to see life from their point of view; I ask a ton of questions, so I appreciate her methodology! I definitely believe that a designer is someone that takes a bunch of disparate wants/needs and creates a holistic solution; by listening, understanding the given limits but exploring all the possibilities, seen and unseen, until the answer appears.

“To solve design problems, you have to look at how a family really lives and works. I think an architect’s job is to celebrate what people really care about and simplify and streamline the rest.”

Page Goolrick