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Duxbury Modern House

Duxbury, MA

Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the original white Cape and the modern gray addition viewed from across the lap pool, with lounge chairs on the pool deck.

Built within a quintessential coastal New England village, this house is a collage of extremes: an 18th century original "Cape" at one end, and an open, spatially flowing, loft− like addition towards the back yard. The owners’ previous home − a commanding ship captain’s house built in 1851 − was just around the corner, and they had grown tired of maintaining its 17 rooms and extensively landscaped grounds, including a five−acre arboretum designed in 1939 by Woodward Manning. The couple and their twin sons wanted to substantially downsize, and to create a more light−filled, contemporary house in keeping with their modern lifestyle and passion for cooking. When a fixer−upper essentially in their backyard came on the market, they leapt at the chance to create their dream house.

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Services

Houses, renovation, addition

Completion

2009

Architect

William T. Ruhl, FAIA
Ruhl Walker Architects

Photography

Eric Roth Photography

All Images

Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the original 18th century Cape with white shingle cladding, a blue entry door, and a wood lattice fence along the street.
Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the original white Cape and the modern gray addition viewed from the rear yard, with a lap pool and pool deck in the foreground.
Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the original white Cape and the modern gray addition viewed from across the lap pool, with lounge chairs on the pool deck.
Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the original 18th century Cape at right and the modern gray-clad addition at left, set on a open lawn with large trees.
Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the modern addition viewed from the tennis court, with a grid of large windows across three levels and a garage below.
Exterior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the modern gray addition with a grid of large windows, white exterior staircase, and a sloping lawn.
Interior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the open-plan living and kitchen area with a wood slatted ceiling feature, white sofa, dark kitchen cabinetry, and light wood floors.
Interior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the dining area with Saarinen tulip chairs, a round white table, a drum pendant light, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the yard.
Interior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, with a two-story living room with exposed wood ceiling beams, a wood slatted built-in entertainment wall, white sofa, light wood floors, and clerestory windows.
Interior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the open-plan dining area with a dark wood table and red chairs, stone tile floors, exposed wood ceiling beams, and views into the living room and kitchen beyond.
Interior detail of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing the open-tread wood staircase with a wood slatted wall screen wrapping the stair volume.
Interior detail of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing a wood slatted stair railing and ceiling structure viewed from the mezzanine level.
Interior of a house in Duxbury, MA, designed by Ruhl Jahnes, showing a bathroom with a vessel sink, built-in soaking tub, stone tile floors, and two windows with artwork on the walls.