Renovating a 100-year-old house is a dream project for many, but it was not something Terry Cruikshank and her husband Keith Bader wanted to take on. The house, a two-story colonial built in 1914 in Sheffield, Massachusetts, no longer suited their lifestyle, and it needed a lot of work.

But it also held a lot of memories: Terry’s parents had purchased the house and the 24 acres it sat on in 1950. So the couple relocated the home to another part of the land for Terry’s younger sister, while a new residence would allow them to live an active retirement.

“We wanted to keep the new house where the old house was, to keep the views and everything that my parents had started, and build on that,” says Terry.

Serendipity led them to architectural designer Vincent Appel, principal at Of Possible—they met at their niece’s wedding—and after a short visit at the site, Appel sent the couple an email outlining 10 points they should consider in the design of their new home.

“He nailed everything we were looking for in the house,” says Keith.

“My initial impression right away was, how can you use the existing house and celebrate the spaces around it? Or if you’re going to create a new home, how can you do that in a way that engages those outdoor spaces?” explains Appel.

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Situated in the rolling hills of the Berkshires, the original home was surrounded by a huge maple tree with a 70-foot canopy, a barn and apple orchard, an evergreen grove and small wetland, and a yard and gardens that were started by Terry’s parents. “Those spaces around the home became the driving idea,” Appel says. “How can the entire idea relate to those spaces of memory if something new were to be designed?”

They did that by designing a single-story 3,600-square-foot home with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that frame different elements of the landscape, and allow for seamless, indoor/outdoor living. “People have come into the house and said, ‘Wow, this feels like you’re outside,’” says Terry.

Materials were kept neutral to avoid detracting from the landscape, and sourced locally when possible. “In the Berkshires, the landscape is like a different painting every season,” says Appel. “The materials for the house are very neutral in order to frame that because there is so much color and change that is happening in the environment.”

Western red cedar clads the exterior; bluestone from a New York quarry is used on the terraces; and the great room features polished concrete floors. The more private rooms—the master bedroom, two guest rooms, and the library—have 12-inch-wide white oak floors for a warmer feel. Milled by Alula Woodworks, each board is the entire length of the room.

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Terry and Keith wanted the new home to be more open than the old home. “We like to entertain, and the old house was a traditional colonial with small rooms,” explains Keith. “So there wasn’t a lot of space to entertain like we like to.”

The kitchen was the main focus of the 72-foot-long living space, as Terry and Keith are both cooks. They wanted an open concept so guests would not be cut off, but they also needed to be able to hide any mess and have multiple areas for prepping and cooking.

The solution is a chef’s kitchen with a 13-foot-long island, with space for guests and enough room to prep at either end. The cook station includes a 36-inch Gaggenau induction cooktop and a 15-inch teppanyaki griddle beneath a hood concealed in custom white cabinetry crafted by New Antiquity. Instead of a backsplash, there’s a large window that extends over the sink and overlooks the backyard.

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Another one of Terry and Keith’s must-haves for the new home also proved to be one of the biggest challenges: a basement for a wine cellar and workout area. The old house had a stone basement that always had water running through it, and at first, their contractor, Kent Hicks, said he would not construct a basement because the water table was too high.

But this was a non-negotiable point for Terry and Keith, so Appel worked with Hicks to come up with a solution. They added a lot of drainage to the landscape, so all runoff flows toward the stream, and they raised the home 18 inches off the ground, with a slight grade to the landscape so water flows away from the structure.

“The topography is gently controlling all the water runoff,” says Appel. “It’s very subtle to make the home feel like it’s at-grade and low to the landscape, but there’s a lot going on.

The elevation also allows for additional outdoor seating, as people can sit on the edge of the house. “It’s like furniture in the landscape,” says Appel.

The back terrace is one of the couple’s favorite and most-used spaces, even though Keith was initially “dead set against” the hanging fireplace. He thought it was much too modern for their tastes, but ultimately trusted Appel’s judgement.

“We have never regretted it,” says Keith, noting that the fireplace was in use even before the house was complete.

“It’s just wonderful to sit out there with a cup of coffee and watch the wildlife,” Keith says. Terry adds, “You can just sit on the edge, dangle your legs, and enjoy it.”

Related Reading: This Exquisite Berkshires Prefab Was Assembled in Just 24 Hours

Project Credits:

Architectural designer: Vincent Appel / Of Possible / @of_possible

General contractor: Kent Hicks Construction Co.

Landscape design: Vincent Appel / Of Possible

Millwork: Sean Casey / Alula Woodworks

Kitchen fabrication: Matt Rink and Sara Bader / New Antiquity

Building Science: Energy Efficiency Associates

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