What's a design-savvy homeowner to do when a yearning for the traditional looks of a historic home meets a desire for the 21st-century conveniences of a contemporary one? Find an architecture firm that can deliver both, of course.
That's just what clients in the New York town of Matinecock, New York, did when they hired Long Island's Bates Masi + Architects to design their 6,800-square-foot summer home, a pair of pitch-roofed, shingle-clad structures centered on a courtyard garden and connected by a glassed-in corridor. Though they've got undeniable charm, the shingles weren't used arbitrary; they're a nod to the area's history as a site of Quaker settlement.
Despite the history-chic exteriors, the interiors are thoroughly modern: Spaces are largely open plan, with sleek finishes and fixtures and clean-lined custom storage (as in the master bedroom, which opens up directly to the garden). Take a look around.