Country Homes
September 4, 2024
TOM Design Collective Infuses A Connecticut Home With New England Style
In Branford, a quaint shoreline town in Connecticut, it’s not just the charming shops and restaurants that seem to be around every corner. It’s the stately manors dotting the water’s edge, and the laid-back cottages and New England-style homes that give this place its cool, coastal vibe. On sunny days, Kevin and Rebecca Aniskovich hike greenway trails and stroll the waterfront. Later on, back at their 127-year-old home, the firepit draws good friends and great conversation.
“We immediately saw its potential when we bought the place years ago — it had good bones,” says Kevin. “We love the peninsula; our house is on the corner of the one road that winds through it and ends at the shore,” adds Rebecca. Still, there were obvious challenges to overcome: the floor plan of the 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom house lacked function and flow, and the design was due for an upgrade. “We had pieces of art and furniture we loved, but our home didn’t feel unified and welcoming,” says Rebecca. “We wanted something more intentional and cohesive.”
Drawn to TOM Design Collective’s relaxed yet elevated aesthetic the couple had seen in magazines and other Connecticut projects, they enlisted designers Tommy Smythe and Lindsay Mens in 2021 to lead the renovation. “Seeing how the designers could successfully marry that New England-style home with low-country charm was a draw,” says Rebecca. “They also had an immediate vision of how we could rework our space to better fit our lifestyle.”
Part of a past renovation, the cedar shake exterior and robin’s-egg blue accents lend a cozy cottage vibe.
Tommy and Lindsay (seated), along with associate designer Haley Dermenjian, knew this project would be an exercise in space planning. “When we walked in to the house, it felt discombobulated,” says Lindsay. “The layout had lots of unusable space, and it didn’t flow.” Adds Tommy: “Once we knew how the floor plan would work, the rest fell into place.”
“We wanted to create a moment of arrival in the foyer,” says Tommy. The design team focused on executing a more sophisticated New England seaside style, with their knowledge of and affection for the region as a guide.
In the family room, they added warmth and personality with board-and-batten walls and brought in a handsome salvaged mantelpiece. “We liked that the mantel was a light, unpainted wood that felt coastal,” says Lindsay, “and we loved that it was a found antique from The Door Store, one of our favorite dealers in Toronto.”
“The family room is where we spend the most time; it’s the perfect place to entertain friends or just relax after work,” says Kevin. The walls are covered in photos from their travels.
“Weathered wood, painted surfaces and brass accents help create that coastal feel,” says Lindsay.
The library was papered in textural grasscloth and the vaulted principal bedroom ceiling was exposed and clad in painted panelling. “These are the charming elements you’d expect to find in a character home,” says Lindsay.
Captivating touches are found high and low: there’s tumbled marble in the foyer, a Victorian bamboo coffee table, white oak floors, bobbin chairs, hues of pink and butter, an antique painted corner cabinet, as well as Tommy’s signature English lantern in the family room and Lindsay’s requisite chaise in the library–cocktail lounge.
“The range is one of the first things we bought when we moved in,” says Rebecca. “We fell in love with the look and knew we’d build the rest of the kitchen around it.”
The casual dining room has two new banks of windows that show off garden and ocean views. “Now we can see Long Island Sound from almost every room,” says Kevin.
Bold and masculine, the home office is painted deep blue, reminiscent of the ocean. Oak louvres in the cabinets look like shutters, a nod to classic New England architecture.
“Exposing the vaulted ceiling in the principal bedroom opened up the space and changed the mood completely,” says Lindsay.
New window coverings, hardware, mirrors and lights were added to bring warmth to the principal bathroom.
Now, every nook and cranny feels matched to Branford’s casual yet sophisticated vibe — no small feat for a six-month-long reno.
“When we toured the finished spaces, the blend of old and new and how our own pieces were used brought tears to our eyes,” says Rebecca, (pictured right with Kevin). “The final look and feel far exceeded our expectations.”
Patrick Biller
House & Home