The rustic character of our Fairfield Farmhouse emerges with installation of its standing seam metal roof, board-and-batten siding on the bedroom wing, and natural cedar on the barn. But there’s still plenty of work to be done—inside and out—before this house is move-in ready.
Water View
Sited about 22 feet above the road, the house takes advantage of its unimpeded view of Long Island Sound with a balcony off the second floor and three triple 8-ft. window units on the south wall of the barn-like great room. The center unit contains a patio door.
Pro Tip: Builder Jerry Ephrine, who constructed the 2020 This Old House Idea House, explained how the site’s constraints actually shaped this view-maximizing strategy: “It’s a very narrow lot. So in order to maximize the views, we turn the entry to the side and face the ground floor, master bedroom and main living and outdoor entertaining spaces towards the street front.” The hillside lots overlooking Shore Haven Golf Club and Long Island Sound were the catalyst for the entire design.
Entry Courtyard
The last of the prefinished Western Red Cedar siding goes up on the barn wing, which projects just enough to form an entry courtyard on the side of the house. Tucking the front door and garage entry on the side gives the house the look of a vintage agricultural building when viewed from the road. Architectural roof shingles on the bedroom wing are engineered to withstand both wind and algae growth, critical in this coastal climate.
Siding: Board-and-batten by LP SmartSide; Western Red Cedar, prefinished by Ring’s End
Roofing: GAF
Skylights: VELUX
Stone Veneer Meets Cedar Siding
The use of 1 1/2-inch thick stone veneer over the concrete foundation enabled the builder to create a crisp, clean line where it meets the barn’s cedar siding. A thin strip of copper flashing protects the stone from water infiltration.
Siding: Western Red Cedar, prefinished by Ring’s End
Recessed Lights in a Cathedral Ceiling
Mold-resistant drywall goes up on the ceiling of the great room, which has been insulated with closed-cell spray foam. Circles cut in the drywall indicate the location of can lights and audio speakers for the integrated sound system. The structural beams will be dressed up with an oak veneer.
Insulation: (interior walls) ComfortBatt by ROCKWOOL
Gypsum Board: National Gypsum
Sun Tunnels Brighten a Long Hall
Sun tunnels admit ample light along the length of a hallway that runs from the entry foyer across the house to a door leading to the plunge pool. Because it abuts the garage foundation, the wall on the left needed to be built out slightly to accommodate some electrical conduit, thus providing an opportunity for two display recesses that add interest to the space.
Sun Tunnel Skylights: VELUX
Gypsum Board: National Gypsum
Toasty Mudroom/Laundry Room
A tile floor warmed with electric-radiant heat will make this combination mudroom-laundry room warm as toast. Here, a crew member routes the heating cable through an integrated uncoupling membrane that simplifies installation now and prevents tiles from cracking later.
Floor Warming: Schluter-Systems
An Outdoor Shower after Soaking in the Sun
Stone veneer mounted on masonry board creates an outdoor shower with a natural vibe. Planks of the same engineered wood siding used on the house will be used to build a privacy enclosure.
Siding: LP SmartSide
Windows: Marvin
Pro Tip: Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert, recommends adding a pressure-balance valve to prevent scalding if you want both cold and hot running water. “And for those who live in four-season climates, by far the biggest concern is having the ability to drain pipes when the temperature drops,” cautions Richard; water trapped inside can freeze and crack the pipes. Shutoff valves should be located in the house with pipes traveling on a downward slope.
Multi-Unit HVAC
The 3,700-square-foot house is heated by three furnaces equipped with variable-speed blowers and filtering technology that removes up to 99.98 percent of airborne particles for healthier indoor air. Two of the units are located in the basement and one is in the second-floor mechanical room, optimizing air flow to each zone of the house.
Furnace: Trane
A Stone Retaining Wall Keeps Everything in Place
Masons construct a retaining wall to hold back a slope behind the house. Behind the wall is a propane tank that will fuel the home’s furnaces, cooking appliances, and generator.
Pro Tip: This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook has long emphasized that proper groundwork is the key to a lasting retaining wall: “Walls don’t fail because of the way the stone is stacked. They fail because of bad preparation.” Wet soil, he explains, is the mortal enemy of all stone walls in northern climates, because freeze-thaw cycles can cause stacked stones to collapse over time.
Equipment Arriving
An excavator and sub-compact tractor arrive to help with a variety of tough tasks around the property.
Equipment: Kubota
Digging a Trench
An excavator makes easy work of digging a trench that will eventually house the gas line to the fire pit.
Excavator: KUBOTA
A Spacious Great Room
Mold-resistant drywall in the barn’s great room is taped and compounded and ready for priming. The initial framing for the kitchen’s 5-by-10 foot island can be seen in the lower left.
Windows: Marvin
Gypsum Board: National Gypsum
Primed for Paint
Primed with a unique paint imported from Ireland, the great room takes on the nostalgic look of a whitewashed country barn. The black frames of the tall casement windows and door unit blend in perfectly with the agricultural vibe.
Windows: Marvin
Primer: Curator Paints, via Ring’s End
Built-in Bunks are a Bonus
Four built-in bunks in the center of the second floor provide plenty of extra room for guests. The door on the left leads to a second-floor deck with water views.
Patio Door, Windows: Marvin
The Effrens had grandchildren in mind when they lined this awkward, viewless area in the center of the second floor with built-in bunks, each equipped with an articulating night-light for reading or reassurance. With two bunks that have full-size mattresses and two twins, the space comfortably sleeps guests of all ages.
Pro Tip: Designer Sandy chose a graphic wallpaper of silhouetted gulls to keep the bunk area ageless. “I wanted something that was child-like, but had a little sophistication,” she says.
