New York

In sleepy Bedford Corners, New York, 40 miles north of New York City, houses can command eight-digit prices. And they look it: in certain Bedford enclaves, rambling Tudors sit on lawns manicured into a perfection that could only be surpassed by AstroTurf. The Bedford Residence, designed by New York City-based Joel Sanders Architect (JSA) in collaboration with landscape architect Diana Balmori, breaks from convention. The clients, a professional couple with adult children, sought a low-key refuge from city life.

Built atop the foundations of the 1950s-era home that occupied the site, the Bedford Residence takes after its predecessor in both form and material. “We really thought this would be a renovation,” says Sanders. But contractors soon realized the house's original cedar-clad structure had deteriorated beyond salvaging and razed it, erecting a new timber-frame one with walnut paneling and glass-and-steel curtain walls. JSA glazed sections of the front and rear facades to open the home to views of the surrounding woodland, and then worked with Balmori to create a landscape scheme that allowed views down to the new concrete pool house in a corner of the sloped site.

Inside, the living room, dining room, and kitchen unfurl in a series of unpartitioned spaces. Areas where the clients desired seclusion, such as the master-bedroom suite, are tucked away from the communal rooms, which are united by a wide stripe of poured-concrete flooring. Bluestone appears throughout the residence, in the living room as the fireplace wall, and outside in the front and rear as barriers and enclosures. A deck at the rear of the house leads down to the pool, enclosed on three sides by the ubiquitous bluestone. “Our idea was to connect inside and outside with a uniform material palette,” says Sanders.

Completion Date: Spring 2012

Gross Square Footage: 3000 SF

Location: Bedford Corners, NY

People

Architect:
Joel Sanders Architect
106 E. 19th Street, 2nd Floor
t. 212.431.8751
f. 212.226.9486

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Joel Sanders, AIA, Principal
Christopher Kitterman, AIA, Project Manager
Jean Suh, LEED AP, Project Architect

Landscape Designer:
Balmori Associates
Diana Balmori, Principal
Mark Thomann, Project Manager
Monica Hernandez, Designer

Engineer(s):
Karl Chen, Structural Engineering

Consultant(s):
Lighting:
Rick Shaver

Project Management:
Kurt Andernach

General contractor:
Brenner Builders

Stone subcontractor:
Abitrio Stone

Photographer(s):
Iwan Baan
+31 (0)6 5463 0468

CAD system, project management, or other software used:
AutoCAD
3D Studio MAX

  

Products

Structural system:

Main House: Wood frame
Pool House: Cast-in-place concrete

Exterior cladding:
Wood: Stained Cedar

Insulation US Insulation

Roofing:
Built-up roofing: Landmark EPDM roofing

Windows:
Metal frame: Steel Window & Doors USA

Glazing:
Skylights: Velux (in Kitchen)

Doors:
Entrances: Steel Windows & Doors USA

Metal doors: Steel Windows & Doors USA

Garage doors: Custom by Town and Country Door and Operator Co.

Hardware:
Steel Windows & Doors USA at exterior openings; Valli & Valli, Halliday & Baillie at interior doors

Other special hardware: Vola (bathroom and kitchen fittings)

Bathroom toilet: Duravit

Electric cooktop, dishwasher, oven: Miele

Garbage disposal: InSinkErator Evolution Essential

Refrigerator: Subzero ' Wolf

Interior finishes:
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork:
Custom millwork by Brenner Millworks

Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore custom colors

Paneling: Stained walnut

Floor and wall tile:
Nemo Tile (Master bathroom), Ann Sacks (Guest Bathroom)

Wood flooring: Stained Walnut

Custom poured concrete floor: Getreal Surfaces (Main House & Pool House)

Custom plaster wall and ceiling finish:
Getreal Surfaces (Pool House walls and ceiling)

Custom integrated concrete
kitchen counter & sink:
Getreal Surfaces (Main House & Pool House)

Furnishings:
Vintage Sofa: Sergio Rodriguez 'Hauner' sofa with jacaranda frame and upholstery, 1954 (purchased from R20th who purchased it from owner in Brazil)

2 Vintage Arm Chairs: Designed by Giuseppe Scapinelli, 1963, jacaranda frame (purchased from Espasso who purchased them in Brazil from original owners)

Contemporary Coffee Table: Designed by IZM, purchased at Karkula

Armchair: Carlo Hauner, Brazil, 1960's (purchased from R20th who purchased it in Brazil)

Cherry slab coffee table: Nakashima, 1956, freeform top with fissures and three butterfly keys, remnant of signature and dated bought at auction at Rago (from original owner, provenance available)

Dining Table and Chairs: De La Espada

Stool: Konstantin Gricic, Stool One

Chair: Konstantin Grcic, Chair One

Table and Dining Chairs: Richard Schultz, 1966

Adjustable Chaise Lounges: Richard Schultz, 1966

Lighting:
Edison Price, Bega, io Lighting, Belfer

Dimming System or other lighting controls:
Lutron Grafix Eye

Additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project :
Pool: Custom by Shoreline, plaster finish

Stone: Pennsylvania Bluestone

Landscape pavers: Custom by Hanover Pavers

Stone walls & paving: Pennsylvania Bluestone