This Home From Our 1980 Archive Is What Rustic Dreams Are Made Of
With many people wishing for an escape to nature these days, especially after the peak of the pandemic, a rustic home with massive windows looking out at an abundance of trees is feels like a dream. For some inspiration and a bit of secondhand serenity, we're dedicating our latest archive dive—in honor of House Beautiful’s 125th anniversary this year—to a home immersed in nature.
Featured in our January 1980 issue, the New England home was the work of prominent architect Paul Rudolph, who gave it an unconventional one-room addition made solely of exposed wood beams and glass. (The takeaway: It supports itself without bearing any walls!) His firm Modulightor, Inc. also produced a custom fixture over the dining table that resembles a starry night. Not to mention the home is covered in warm tones and patterned fabrics that are both sophisticated and deeply connected with the natural environment. It’s a space to make your mind wander.
One new dining room dramatically changed a family’s perspective. When noted architect Paul Rudolph increased the dimensions of this weekend home, the living quarters were opened to spectacular sunsets over a wooded ravine and running stream 100 feet below. Impressed by the rugged site, Rudolph oriented the new structure toward its New England landscape. He converted the existing living room into a dining room, paving the way for a series of new rooms, all of which encompass the view. Living room, sitting room, and screened porch are perched on columns 25 feet above the ravine. Inside, rugged textures harmonize with the outdoors. A massive steel fireplace, oxidized to an autumn rust, is framed by stones that were rescued from the dismantled garage.
Rudolph’s one room addition is totally unconventional: a complex structure of exposed wood beams and columns capable of supporting itself without the aid of load-bearing walls. Lighting—both natural and artificial—is equally unique. Modulightor, Inc., Rudolph’s new firm, produced this space-defining fixture of 1,000 one-watt bulbs. Walls display Stellas, Kellys, and other fine art.
By Susan Grant Lewin
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