Peninsula of Paradise

Fifteen years ago, Tim Conlon was on a quest to find the perfect piece of water view or waterfront property on which he could build the home he had been envisioning for quite some time. His patience paid off when he spotted an ad in the newspaper for a unique, peninsula-like parcel on Wild Goose Point, just south of Wickford Village. He called his realtor and when the two pulled up to the property, Tim knew his long search was over. “It was stunning,” he says. “I wasn’t sure what I’d get when I came here and I was just struck by the unique layout. You can walk onto a beach and it’s basically a peninsula jetting out into the ocean… it was just a question of what I was going to be able to do versus what I wanted to do.” Concerned about CMRC and DEM regulations, Tim called a friend familiar with local building codes and by the end of the day, Tim’s offer was submitted and accepted.

Tim knew the tiny beach bungalow that stood there would have to go, but he also knew it would be a lengthy process before he’d be able to break ground with all the permits and permissions required when building on the Rhode Island waterfront, so he made himself at home in the 900-square-foot cottage. “It was almost comical,” he says.

Over the years, Tim patiently navigated the often-frustrating process of building regulation approvals, but it gave him time to hone in on exactly what he wanted in a home. He turned to the architecture firm 3SIX0, based in Providence, to both execute his vision on the macro level and bring forth their ideas, experience and solutions on the micro level. Tim says that principals Kyna Leski and Chris Bardt, along with senior associate Jack Ryan, led the project and together, there was “a very constructive collaboration” along the way. “The creativity they brought to this – I would have never had that insight in design and the patience to work through it.”

“The way I explained it to the architects, I wanted a bar and restaurant on the first floor… the second floor to be the entertainment and guest bedrooms, and third floor to be the master suite and a private area,” he explains. Tim says it was very important that guests feel welcome and that they would have their own space, but that he would have his own space as well. “I wanted guests to have their own floor,” he says.

On the first floor, “bar and restaurant”-style meant Tim wanted an open space where he could host guests for dinner and be part of the conversation while preparing a fabulous meal. “A tremendous amount [of planning] was driven by my desire to entertain,” he explains. One lengthy debate with the team at 3SIX0 was Tim’s desire to have the “monstrous” kitchen island be situated so that guests seated there would enjoy the panoramic water views, but the architects thought Tim should have the view while cooking. “[But] I have the view every morning when I sit down for breakfast,” says Tim, who won out in the end.

Today, the modern marvel of a home serves as a comfortable respite from the demands of his busy and demanding work life. “For me it was about finding a place that was peaceful and serene [where I can] escape from my work,” he says, and on his little peninsula of paradise, it is homesweet home.