Colleen Siddig and Tally Schaffer transform a summer home for a family living across the globe.
Some design projects begin with a phone call. This one began with a friendship.
When a family of six living in Hong Kong needed help transforming their Rowayton summer home, they turned to designer Colleen Siddig—a trusted friend and godmother to their eldest son.
The home overlooks Farm Creek in Rowayton, where the family spends their summers. The project included furnishings, kitchen/bath renovations, millwork and a bedroom suite addition—all executed in two phases so the family wouldn’t miss a summer.
Siddig partnered with Tally Schaffer of Gibson & Schaffer in the first collaboration between the firms, while Christopher Pagliaro Architects shaped the architectural vision and S&W Building Remodeling executed the build.
What emerged is a relaxed coastal oasis where the homeowners can gather and reconnect with extended family.
Q: Tell us about your backgrounds
Colleen: I grew up on Cape Cod and live in Rowayton. After studying French and art at Colby College and living in Paris, I shifted from magazine publishing to earn my design degree at Parsons, then worked at Hirsch Bedner Associates in Hong Kong before building my practice in Connecticut.
Tally: I grew up in New Canaan, where early exposure to architecture and gardens sparked a passion for design. After studying art history with a concentration in architecture, I worked at Prutting & Company before transitioning to product development at Talbots. We later settled in Rowayton, where I co-founded Gibson & Schaffer in 2018 before returning to New Canaan.
Q: What excited you about this project?
Colleen: The house overlooks Farm Creek and is magical in the summer. The homeowners and I were expats in Hong Kong at the same time, which created a unique partnership and room to be adventurous. There was a lot of trust—the client was abroad during all of construction.
Tally: Creating a true summer home in a community I love was especially meaningful. Rowayton is one of the rare places where children still bike from tennis to sailing and doors seem to swing open all day long.
Q: How did the setting shape the design?
Colleen: The house leans coastal but is layered with global influence and moments of color and pattern not always found in a Connecticut coastal home—it’s more elevated, for someone who wants a sophisticated backdrop.
Tally: I drew from the landscape—earthy colors, natural materials and layered textures reflecting water, sky and marsh grasses.
Q: How did you balance beauty with family life?
Colleen: Nothing could be too precious, but it still needed to feel polished and welcoming. I incorporated wallpaper for texture and depth, kept furnishings simple and used performance fabrics throughout for an active household.
Tally: We used Calacatta marble where it could make the greatest visual impact, paired with a rugged Caesarstone island for everyday use. In the cabana powder room, we chose limestone mosaic flooring that only improves with use and age.
Q: What are the standout details?
Colleen: The custom-painted, striped ceiling in the mudroom was a key moment. Reworking the primary suite to add French doors that opened a previously obscured water view transformed the space.
Tally: The ceiling’s bold mix of color was something many clients might have questioned, but vision boards of colorful cabanas in Turkey brought the concept to life. Their trust allowed us to take creative risks and create a home that feels deeply personal.