It only took a half hour for Christine Stucker and James Veal to decide to buy this house. “It’s very unusual to have a home like this in this area,” says James. “We came through the doors, and within 30 minutes of being in the space, we pretty much took it.”

The home was designed by a California architect and built on 18 acres in 1984, and its good bones were obvious to the two designers, who founded the multidisciplinary architecture and interiors studio Stewart-Schafer in 2009. They were initially struck by the double-height wall of glass in the living room, which frames views the surrounding forest.

As they proceeded through the house, they were impressed by the many well-designed details—like the exposed ceiling beams, punctuated by skylights and underscored by bands of clerestory windows. They also appreciated the lines of sight created by the home’s large windows, sliding doors, and open stair treads and railings.

“It’s very simple, but the way that everything comes together—the reveals and the details—makes it very aesthetically pleasing,” says James.

After purchasing the home in 2019, the couple implemented a light remodel. They sought to limit changes to cosmetic necessities like paint, the occasional faulty window or slider, and new decking, as they did not want to drastically alter the home’s DNA. “We just wanted to elevate it and pay homage,” says Christine. “I feel like everything we did was just to push the design a little further.”

The two rooms that saw the most interventions were the kitchen and a family room. In the former, the couple kept the solidly built wood cabinets—a defining feature—as well as the stainless-steel perimeter counter, then swapped out the backsplash, flooring, and counter on the center island.

The upstairs family room was a bit tricky, as it was originally a large, empty room that had no set function—until the couple made it a multipurpose space that acts as a playroom, TV room, and lounge. They designed custom millwork to wrap two walls (providing storage for their son’s toys), and capped one end with a built-in fireplace.

Christine drew inspiration for the home’s furnishings from John Lautner’s Schaffer House, as seen in the film A Single Man. “I have masculine taste to begin with—but that feeling of warmth and coziness, even in these massive spaces, was something that we really wanted to capture,” she says.

The most dramatic transformation occurred outside of the house, with an old shed that hadn’t been included in the listing due to its poor condition—the realtors assumed the new owners would want to tear it down. “It wasn't a space that anybody wanted to be in,” says Christine. “It was a mouse hotel,” adds James. The couple gutted and refashioned the shed into a guesthouse.

Now, a large stacking glass door anchors one side of the cabin’s main room, opening up the small space to a deck and the surrounding woods. A simple palette of oak floors and cabinetry joins white walls, for a serene feel.

Much like the refreshed main house, the cabin has become something of a retreat for the family. “We really wanted to create this oasis in the middle of the woods,” says Christine.

More from Stewart-Schafer:

A Kitchen Renovation Hits the Reset Button on an ’80s Home in New York

A New York City Apartment Goes From Dark and Cramped to Daring and Capacious

A Traditional Brooklyn Brownstone Receives a Chic Makeover Inside and Out

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Stewart-Schafer / @stewartschafer

Cabinetry Design and Installation: Stewart-Schafer

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Two Designers Polish Up a Hidden Gem in the Woods of Connecticut