Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The word “done” can be a relative one. Narragansett-based interior designer Skip Carlin had been working with a longtime client in South Kingstown to establish the look and feel of the family’s historic home when they made the decision to expand the square footage with a sizable addition.

The stately home once belonged to former Rhode Island Governor Charles D. Kimball, who was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1894-99 and served as Lieutenant Governor from 1900-01. When incumbent governor William Gregory passed away while serving, Kimball assumed the role as the highest officer in the state until 1903.

The grand home, as was de rigueur around the turn of the century, included formal living spaces, roomy bedrooms and multiple baths, while staff quarters, which usually included anywhere from five to ten small bedrooms, were relegated to the third, or top floor. As it was mostly serviced by staff, the kitchen was often diminutive as well: a strictly utilitarian space with a butler’s pantry.

That was certainly the case in the Gov. Kimball home, when the presentday owners bought the peaceful, private estate, perched on a little more than four acres between Route 1 and the Narrow River nearly 12 years ago. Over the past dozen years, it has served as a summer home and weekend retreat. In that time, the third floor staff quarters were transformed from several cozy bedrooms into a few larger ones plus a wide space for children to play. Custom crafted bunk beds for the little ones in the nooks and crannies of the space were designed by Eric Baxter of Baxter Design Build with Carlin’s vision and input from the owner. “I love it,” Baxter says about the synergy the trio shares. “Skip and the homeowners discussed what they want and I designed the area with my background with CAD design and a degree in Civil Engineering. Every project there has been a huge collaboration.”

More recently though, as the couple discovered the home is where they wanted to eventually retire, they decided it was best to plan ahead and build new space that would afford comfortable, one-level living and a spacious kitchen to both enjoy and to accommodate guests. “What triggered the addition was that the existing kitchen was amazingly tiny,” explains Baxter. “They needed a nice, new entertaining kitchen.”

Though the new contemporary space would be unchartered territory at the address, Carlin and Baxter’s considerable experience with the homeowners prepared them well to tackle the new addendum.

“We had developed a very good working relationship over that time – I understood their tastes and lifestyle pretty well. We were able to reach consensus fairly quickly on most design decisions,” Carlin says. “The biggest challenge that the addition presented was to be consistent with the feel of the existing house while having a distinct style of its own – not just a large ‘wing’ tacked on.”

Architect Nancy Leslie of South Kingstown was charged with designing a graceful and visually interesting structure that merged the home’s past with its present. With more than 350 projects under her belt ranging from diminutive 17th century historic restorations to 10,000-square foot commercial complexes, Leslie was up for the challenge. The RISD alum examined the existing house and carried over subtle details and proportions throughout the new spaces with the shared input and execution by Baxter. With abundant natural light filling the open and user-friendly floor plan, the results are a warm, inviting place where it’s almost easy to forget which parts are original and which are newly constructed.

“Every piece of trim in that addition was custom milled to match the existing home inside and out,” declares Baxter. “From the baseboard and the exterior crown molding; the water table molding to the window trim.” He credits Dwyer Hardwoods in Narragansett and HCW with the exquisite woodwork.

“[Eric] provided a very high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail appropriate to the complexity of the project. Many key elements – windows, doors, moldings, cabinetry – had to be custom sourced and painstakingly installed,” explains Carlin.

When it came to the interior, Carlin was excited to merge modern conveniences in the new space with the history and charm of the existing ones.

“I’d say that the objective was always to create attractive and livable rooms that respected the traditional style of the existing house... For the new addition, the objective was to give the rooms a more contemporary and open feel while respecting traditional materials and details,” explains Carlin.

The “open feel” was critical to the homeowners. With three grown children and six grandchildren, who are frequent visitors during summers and holidays, and four-legged friends, of course, room to roam was a necessity.

Having updated every room of the existing house, the cooperation between Carlin and the homeowners helped guide the designer’s hand. “Since they owned a nice collection of furniture, rugs and art, most of the emphasis was on fabric and color choices, window treatments and lighting,” explains Carlin. For pieces they were still in need of, Carlin and the homeowners shopped the Boston Design Center and design centers in New York, augmented with extensive online searches, for the perfect fit. Carlin also reached out to his vast design network including Providence-based painter and muralist Sandy MacDonald, who did the decorative painting and floor stenciling, and Hwang Bishop in Warren who designs and makes lamps with many custom options.

As the summer sun shines and the salty breezes off the not-too-far-off Atlantic Ocean cool this South County family and their guests this time of year, it’s easy to understand that moving forward, there’s no place else they’d rather be.