A Pivot Toward Light

When music and entertainment professionals Harvey Mason Jr. and Britt Burton Mason were looking for a new home to get away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, they surprised all of their California colleagues by picking a fixer-upper in the middle of rural Ohio. "I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this place is incredible!’" says Harvey. "I really love the people. I love the energy. I love the scenery."

Originally built in the 1940s by an architect who had studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, the single-story house was situated on a peninsula with water on all sides. While the location couldn’t have been more serene, "it was in a bit of a time capsule," says Britt. "We bought it from this lovely couple in their late eighties. They raised their family in this home, and it was a beautiful layout. We saw the vision and what it could be for us."

Harvey and Britt ultimately wanted the past and future to converge in a home that felt uniquely theirs. To achieve this, they decided to preserve most of the original footprint and stonework while incorporating larger expanses of glass to optimize the site’s light and views.

"The original entry of the house was very understated. It was like a side door, not a front door," Britt says. "We really wanted to make more of an entrance with a focus on the beautiful view. That was a must-do."

The new entryway now makes an impressive statement with a Kolbe VistaLuxe AL LINE pivot door that opens to create uninterrupted sight lines to the back of the house. The front door’s muntin bars are finished in an onyx color to match the framing, and the pattern of the performance divided lites complements the Kolbe Ultra Series windows and doors throughout the house.

"The windows were so important to us," says Britt. "We really wanted to get them right because this house has a ton of them. Without the windows, it wouldn’t be the same."

Read the rest of the home tour at dwell.com/kolbe.

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