In Southport, Connecticut, one of the quaint state’s most picturesque harbor villages, this nearly 200-year-old residence once home to sea captain Ward Buckley has resurfaced on the market with gorgeously refreshed interiors. Tailored, simultaneously moody and airy, and unmistakably historic, the circa-1834 residence at 298 Harbor Road is the result of a years-long restoration by J.P. Franzen Associates Architects and designer Blair Moore of Moore House Design, and is now asking for $5.995 million.
The front section of the house remained original, but decades of piecemeal additions had left the floor plan disjointed, with awkward steps down and shifting sight-lines throughout. As Moore told AD, “Everywhere you went, there was a jog, a dip, a step up, a step down, a step up. There was no connection point.” Giving the home one became her primary task.
The kitchen makes a clear case for this renovation goal. Once cramped and capped by a flat ceiling, it’s now vaulted and centered on an 11-foot island, with Pietra Gray stone counters and a custom plaster hood finished in Farrow & Ball’s Shadow White. However, not every change was visible. Behind the paneling in the great room, matched to echo the staircase above, sits a secret door. Look closely, and you can find the seam. Behind it is a small, dark-toned smoking room furnished with vintage finds and custom pieces built for the homeowners, who Moore describes as having distinctly midcentury, New York leanings.
“What I really wanted was for the house to tell a story about the artisans involved, the feel of their hand, the quality of their work,” Moore told the publication. With that in mind, Sean Patt brought the Venetian plasterwork to life across the house, while Kaesmann Builders bulked up the millwork for a more substantial, custom feel.
Upstairs, the primary suite retains its original casement windows and you can easily imagine Captain Buckley looking out for a ship coming in the distance. Moore also chose to keep the 1800s pine floors, cleverly filling the gaps with stained rope so the wood can expand and contract with the weather. Explore the backyard, and there’s a pool and spa, and outdoor sauna for captains more inclined to rest and relax then go to sea.
Wendy Ryan and Andrew Whiteley of Brown Harris Stevens hold the listing.
