The excitement of building a home from scratch is not something everyone gets to experience. It’s an adventure and investment with an incredible reward. After selecting a site as your blank canvas, you get to create a home that entirely reflects your personality and way of living.
But, there’s one key component that makes or breaks the quality of the final product and the experience: Working with the right team. A couple who purchased an idyllic lot near downtown Greenwich knew exactly who to call. Bringing in Christian Rae Studio—a renowned multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm based in Fairfield—they could rest easy and enjoy the process from the first design meeting to the final installation. With their unique expertise in lighting design as well, the home truly shines.
“The clients wanted a home for entertaining. Their adult children all live nearby, and they love to have gatherings for holidays and other occasions,” the design studio shared. “That fit right into our ethos. As a firm, we believe that architecture is essential in creating spaces that prioritize human connection and foster relationships.” So, the team got to work drawing up a dream home for their clients’ next chapter.
Since the property’s hillside location offers beautiful views of Greenwich Harbor, the couple and the professionals at Christian Rae Studio sought to create transparency and leaned into modern architecture. The floor plan is airy and open along the back of the house, with floor-to-ceiling glass and corner windows capturing the picturesque scenery. In contrast, the front of the home holds cozy, closed-off spaces like a lounge and office where you can retreat to work or relax in quiet seclusion.
Christian Rae Studio always kept its gaze on the interior lighting as well—thinking of how spaces would look in the day, colors would look at night, and everything in between. Nuanced and intuitive lighting is a signature of the studio’s work, and a reason many clients seek them out specifically.
“Our approach to residential architecture and lighting design emphasizes their seamless integration, recognizing the powerful impact they have on health and well-being,” the design firm reflects. “We create environments that support mental clarity, physical comfort, and emotional balance, ensuring that every element works together to enhance the lives of those who call the space home.”
The large expanses of glass and neutral color palette purposefully let natural light dominate the look and feel of the home during the day. Sunshine streams across the high-end stone choices, illuminates the chic living areas, and dances through the raindrop-like chandeliers, one of which cascades down the sculptural staircase spanning three levels.
Not all days are sunny, however, and the firm accounted for that. In order to optimize wellness and beauty at all times, they installed Lutron Ketra architectural light fixtures with tunable LED technology. The home’s interior lighting system “wakes up” according to the atmosphere outside, then adjusts its tone and brightness level throughout the day as the light and weather changes.
Once it gets dark out, the lights become warmer and dim to promote relaxation in tune with our circadian rhythm. It’s a natural show that is choreographed to perfection, and also saves energy.
Of course, any time the homeowners want to override these settings, they can make the lighting as bright, dim, warm, cool, or colorful as they want. This especially comes in handy during hockey season. The couple are huge Rangers fans and love to host game day gatherings. Thanks to the inset lights tucked into custom baseboards and ceilings, they can envelop the rooms in red and blue to get all their guests into the spirit. More colors are also available to set the mood when celebrating holidays or entertaining year-round.
These hidden lights, weaved throughout the interiors, are always there to add a hint of glamour and warm ambiance on casual nights at home, too. The client muses, “If I had known how much I would enjoy the dynamic lighting design, I would have added even more of it to the project, including more of the baseboard lighting.”
Christian Rae Studio is tasked with many large-scale projects such as this and works with clients of all locations and style preferences to craft one-of-a-kind homes. Their technical, creative, and managerial skills make them trusted leaders in executing sophisticated renovations, careful restorations, and custom new builds.
Teamwork is vital, of course, and the firm thrives when collaborating. For this modern stunner now standing proudly in Greenwich, they worked in tandem with LoParco Associates for the construction, TechnoProz for the audio, video, and lighting programming, and Katie Gelfand Interior Design for the interior finishes and furnishings.
To learn how you can work with Christian Rae Studio or to view more of their breathtaking designs, visit christianraestudio.com.
