Design New England - July/August 2009

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al within the ha with inadequate windows that gave little more than a glimpse of the grounds. A cast-iron wood stove jutted 5 feet into the space and was “a dominating presence that we never used,” says Footer, who is chief financial officer of his wife’s design firm. “We were happy to get rid of it,” he says.

Working with Myer and Knerr, the couple now ve what Birkerts has dubbed their “mini great room,”a multifunctional space where they spend most of their time. At one end, comfortable seating is oriented both to the view and to a media center. At the opposite end, a built-in desk/library table is always in use for projects. The renovation stayed house’s footprint, but does cantilever out from one exterior wall to accommodate a deeply cushioned window seat that functions like a sofa. French doors and lots of windows bring nature indoors.

“Good design is the sum of its parts and should ways meet its users’ needs,” says Birkerts, citing a principle that guides her own work. “This was a small renovation that gave us a whole new dimension.”

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footer is the ardent gardener in the family, responsible for the big vegetable patch at the
back of the property. “My contribution is mostly deadheading,” says Birkerts, “though I do
plant sunflowers in a circle each year that grow up to be my round outdoor sunflower room.”