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Originally published in the Historic Nantucket, Vol 50, no. 3 (Summer 2001), p. 13-14

New Home, Old Soul
by Donna Fee Smith

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE INFLUENCES THE form of all structures but, with a bit of luck, it can also be seduced into originating a new home with a soul. This can be accomplished by imagining the feeling you get when you are in a space. That is exactly how Joe Paul and Sabine Liebmann achieved their year-old shingled Craftsman-style bungalow that feels warmly old.

While researching historic houses for ideas to use in their new home, Paul and Liebmann hit on a key characteristic that they loved about old houses. "One of the things we like about historic houses is that they are so compartmentalized. You have to walk through one room to get to another one or down a hallway, so there is a real sense of discovery. We wanted to be able to achieve that in this house but have it feel open," said Liebmann.

"That was the genesis for the framework of the house," added Paul, an architect. Based on those beginning ideas of interconnectiveness accompanied by the thrill of discovery, Paul and Liebmann designed a house that fits into the landscape of Nantucket yet is unlike any other.

Located in Tom Nevers among the ubiquitous upside-down houses that reach skyward looking for that coveted water view, the Liebmann/Paul home took the exactly opposite tactic. The roofline pulls the house closer to the earth and the surrounding moors. "We made the decision early on that we wanted to be tied to the ground," said Paul. Because of the low rooflines, the design allowed for many angles to be incorporated, which improves the character of the house dramatically.

The same angles that add dimension to the outside provide private retreats inside. In the living room two bays extend out from the house, each providing a cozy nook in which to read or nap. The owners could have made the house larger by making all the rooms square, but they would have lost the intimate character. As you meander through the rooms on the main floor, each new opening provides the sense of discovery the couple so loved about older houses.

Another consideration of their design was what they wanted to do in the house. "Our favorite things to do are to read and to have a few friends over for dinner, so we wanted to provide a nice space for those activities. The center of the house is a two-story dining hall that opens up to the library space above," said Liebmann. They consider this the heart of the house, and indeed it is. An entire space devoted to books and food is a room that will see a lot of appreciative company over the years.

During the design phase they made the crucial decision to forget about resale value. Paul remarked, "If we ever want to sell this house, people are either going to love it the way we love it or they're not going to want to buy it." Setting priorities about what they wanted their house to feel like led them to the decision to forgo more traditional home elements. "Big closets and big bathrooms weren't important to us," said Paul. They both recognized that historic houses have tiny closets and utilized beautiful furniture for a variety of purposes.

"When you walk into a room and you see a beautiful armoire, it'll evoke a certain feeling. You never look at a closet and say 'Oh wow! That feels cool,'" said Liebmann.

he house is less than 3,000 square feet, yet it feels much larger and can sleep several guests in perfect comfort and coziness.

Their own bedroom on the second floor is a perfect example of how personal passions can be incorporated into a home's design. "Ever since Joe and I met, we've been camping together. We bought a VW bus as our engagement gift to each other. We would literally camp every weekend. So we said that when we designed our own house, we wanted our bedroom to feel like a tent. Joe made it so it's under a low gabled roof with a few windows," said Liebmann. "We were wondering how literal to get," laughed Paul. Above the bedroom is a private loft that Paul uses as an office.

Incorporating reclaimed pieces into their house, such as stained-glass windows and wood trim from former decks, adds to its soulfulness. An old mahogany door from Vermont Salvage, complete with metal mail slot, will soon become their everyday entryway.

"Historic houses feel like they have a soul. Something has happened in that space that you don't know about so you have a sense that you are part of something greater. We wanted to get that feeling in this house," said Paul. Mission accomplished in an intimate space called home.

 

Donna Smith Fee runs Henry's Sandwiches with her husband, Andrew. In her spare time, she is a free-lance writer.