As far as calendars are concerned, spring too often arrives before the weather can catch up—and with snow packs still on the ground a week before April 1st, it seems Mother Nature definitely missed the memo this year. The great news for all of us north of New York City is that many of our homes feature incredible solariums, sun rooms and enclosed winter porches, a perfect pre-game to start planting seeds, catching rays and simply enjoying the beauty of our natural surroundings from a climate-controlled space. Here are some of our favorite examples from current listings:
DARIEN | 1 Beverly Place
It's hard not to be smitten with the Scandinavian-inspired minimalism of this space, which doubles as an all-season pool house—beautifully accessorizing a striking waterfront Modernist. The view isn't bad either, facing the docks which come among the greatest perks to residents of Salem Straits Association.
RYE | 15 Shore Road
A fully-enclosed gazebo, connected to but fully detached from the main structure, makes for a brilliant extension of this class 1930s Westchester coastal estate. Windows flood the space with natural light from every angle: full-pane along the walls, with leaded glass panes skirting the transom and clerestory fenestration in the cupola.
NEW CANAAN | Tirranna
The amount of sunlight that enters Frank Lloyd Wright's final residential commission could practically qualify the entire package as a "sun-house." Bridged to the main residence via curving, cantilevered covered walkway, the solarium's glasswork, which flanks the home's guest quarters, iterates the same pattern Wright to top New York's Guggenheim. It's currently configured as a greenhouse, a natural calling.
AMENIA | 3989 Route 343
Merchant Jacob Bogardus, descended from the prominent Dutch colonial family (Evarardus Bogardus was among New Netherland's earliest residents) constructed this stately Brick Georgian manse at the crossroads of New York and Connecticut's Litchfield Hills in 1781. The serene setting along Webatuck Creek is as enchanting today as it ever was, well captured by this airy rotunda porch for a climate-controlled vantage point. A roaring fireplace conspires with full-pane windows and clerestory lighting in the cupola for an atmosphere that's truly one of a kind.
OLD GREENWICH | 110 Shore Road
Catch cocktails and the sea breeze a step outside this c.1890 Victorian, re-imagined this century by architect Austin Patterson Disston. The intimate space captures the subdued elegance of Connecticut coastal living, peering over the home's groomed grounds and free-form pool. With a duo of heaters also standing guard to back up the stone fireplace, rest assured you'll have ample BTUs to stretch terrace season well longer than average.