A Family Affair in Barrington

In 1986, David Andreozzi had the rare fortune to design and build his parents’ Barrington home alongside his father, a contractor, and his mother, an interior designer. At the time, David was just one year out of RISD, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture, and working for a Connecticut-based firm. “It was a fun process,” reflects David.

Thirteen years later, David had the good fortune to revisit the project, this time as an architect with his own firm. His parents had sold the home; when the new owners heard the story of the father-son duo who had built the abode, they turned to David to bring it into the next century. “They bought it from my parents and loved the design, and knew me, so I was a natural extension and I was happy to have the opportunity,” David says. “We began putting on a major renovation and addition… we increased the size by a third.”

First, David says he designed a significantly larger kitchen which now flows seamlessly into the family room. “We re-invented it into a totally modern space,” he explains. A roomy bedroom was part of the addition, as was increased garage space and a large exercise room.

Many detailed changes, including the moldings and wainscoting, transformed the home. “We put a new ceiling skin on the master bedroom – it’s the sexiest ceiling I have ever done,” David says with a laugh. “The room was beautiful with the ocean view and balcony, but we wanted to soften it and make it more traditional. It makes it feel like you’re in an old inn.” With the input of Rhode Island–based interior designer Judd Brown, the home was ready for its new chapter. “It was a wonderful experience.”

David says that while many architects have a signature style, he intentionally eschews such hallmarks. “I like to come and go and have [there be] no indication [that] an architect built an addition. There can be a lot of egos and I’m sort of the opposite. I want to know the dreams and desires of the family.”