Cotswolds Charm Meets Coastal Living at a Restored Connecticut Compound

Between the garage and the cottage is a covered brick walkway where Bo Derrick, the family’s mini Australian shepherd, awaits visitors at the arched opening.

The turret, pitched roof, and dormer on the renovated two-bedroom future guesthouse are reminiscent of an English country cottage. Arched doors on the garage open to the courtyard.

An American antique table and chairs set against a built-in banquette is a study in quiet country simplicity.

The color scheme for the kitchen began with the purple tile, which interior designer Sasha Bikoff complemented with red lacquered cabinets. An island of reclaimed oak brings a natural element to the room.

“I painted the walls to highlight the paneling,” says Bikoff.

The first-floor primary bedroom is awash in a soothing rose color, inspired by the Colefax and Fowler print curtains that hang in the bay of the turret.

Upstairs a daybed in the guest room is upholstered in a classic purple-and-white French gingham; the walls are painted sage green to reflect the natural setting outside.

The brick walls play to the vinta

Concrete chairs sit outside the potting room and lend a contemporary element poolside.

A carefully crafted stone wall forms the backdrop for the dining pergola.

The pool deck is Croatian limestone, while the building facade is stucco to reflect the masonry walls of a typical Cotswold cottage.

A century or so ago, this property on Connecticut’s shore was a working farm. It included a large house for its owners and what architect Paulo Vicente describes as “a slew of rambling outbuildings” that served as quarters for house and farm staff. The setting, eight gently rolling acres with distant ocean views, and the cluster of simple structures piqued the architect’s imagination as he envisioned a beguiling cottage compound straight out of the Cotswolds.

“It’s idyllic architecture,” says interior designer Sasha Bikoff, who took her decorating cues from the casual, though highly detailed, woodland aesthetic Vicente created. Landscape architect Justin Quinn, principal of James Doyle Design Associates, also embraced a traditional English countryside theme with generous amounts of aged brick and stone, hedges, and planting beds.

The owners, a married couple with three grown children, bought the property with an eye to renovating the main house. “These buildings were designed for the two of them to live in while that renovation happens,” says Vicente, but their ultimate use will be as guest accommodations and recreational space.

The first undertaking was to reconfigure the outdoor space. “That was definitely the right move,” says the owner. A pool and courtyard facing the ocean view replaced a parking area. A garage was reduced from three bays to two, which made room for a covered brick walkway linking the driveway to a two-bedroom cottage and the courtyard.

The renovation was purposely mindful of the property’s roots. “These buildings were built in the 1930s,” says the homeowner. “We wanted to respect their history and purpose.”

The architecture embraces the many gables, dormers, and arches found in vintage English dwellings. The future guesthouse, where the owners have now settled, has the look and feel of a woodsman’s cottage, says Vicente. “This is a welcoming, cozy space that you want to hang out in. It has a humble feeling but with textures and colors that make it feel warm.”

For that he credits Bikoff, who incorporated French and English textiles and a bold palette to attain a casual pastiche. In the kitchen, she paired purple tiles with rose-red lacquered cabinets, then used a simple American antique table and chairs from the client’s collection and an island of reclaimed oak, custom designed by Vicente, to complete the picture. “I usually use European antiques, but I grew to really love these pieces,” she says. “They are simple and minimal and command power in the room.”

Outside, Quinn used brick and stone to integrate the modern pool into the pastoral scene. “We used methods that made the materials look aged,” he says. “The brick wall looks old to complement the architecture.”

At the rear of the courtyard, a stone wall serves as a backdrop for a pergola that shades a dining area where custom picnic tables can easily seat thirty guests. At one end is a potting shed, at the other is a kitchen, pool pavilion, and gym.

Acknowledging the congenial and collaborative effort of all involved, the satisfied owner says, “We got what we wanted if not more.”

Project Team
Architecture: Vicente-Burin Architects
Interior design: Sasha Bikoff Interior Design
Builder: Tallman Building Company
Landscape design: James Doyle Design Associates