above: A hand-painted fresco and inlaid brick pattern from the home’s breezeway.
A New York family carves out a corner of paradise in a former sculptors’ studio.
portrait photography by Andrea Carson; interiors and exteriors photograpy by Read Mckendree
When Zach and Melissa Weiss began browsing for a second home to supplement their New York apartment, they knew what they did not want: an imposing new construction dwarfing a compact lot like an NBA player packed into a middle seat in coach. “It was important to us to find a place that didn’t feel overly suburban,” says Melissa, who, like her husband, works in real estate. “We wanted an environment that felt like our own little private oasis. Fortunately, my husband and I appreciate the same aesthetic, the same architecture and design.” Introduce them to a home with history and they are likely to tumble head over heels like Cinderella in her first dance with the prince. “We love pre-loved homes,” continues Melissa. “We consider ourselves stewards.”
Cinderella isn’t waltzing into the story completely out of context. The oasis the Weisses found, tucked into a private nook of Coleytown, feels like the stuff of fairytales. First, there is the historic stone house itself, shrouded in English ivy, built around 1912—but Westport lore says the owners actually discovered the house in Italy, moved it across the Atlantic and reassembled it here to serve as their artist studio. (The Weisses didn’t venture as far a Europe on their home search, but they did explore Northern Westchester and Litchfield.)
Those original owners, the ones who pick up structures like frocks from a Milan shop, were a prominent Westport family, Melissa learned. “James Earle Fraser and Laura Gardin Fraser had installed a lot of artist friends in the area and built this creative environment, surrounded by beautiful, lush greenery,” describes Melissa. “We educated ourselves on the Frasers and the history of Coleytown itself. The Frasers were both sculptors. There is architecture to support that: the double-high doors, the glass details.” A painted mural on the ceiling of the veranda hearkens back to the Old World; a countess might stroll by, or just a new Westport couple and their gleeful little girl and baby boy, relishing a fairytale ending to their home search.
Finding the Home and Architect/Interior Designer
With inventory low, finding a home in Westport—let alone a gem of a home—is no easy task, but the Weisses wisely took their time. “We had some friends who had moved here. We spent some time here and really fell in love with it: the proximity to New York, Compo Beach, the community itself, the great school system.” So they had their target, knew what they wanted—an older home with character and a pool—and sat back and waited.
In January of 2022, a five-bedroom, 5,650-square foot historic home on two acres of land, with a gorgeous pool and pond, popped up online. It was January, not the most verdant time of year. “We drove up to see it on a cold, snowy day. Coming up that long driveway, even in the dead of winter, we were gobsmacked,” says Melissa. “It has a stately beauty but is not intimidating. It’s warm and welcoming, and to think of the events and parties that have been hosted there, the people that have been there…. Zach and I both looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
They just needed one more person on board, architect/interior designer Lisa Schwert Pohlschroeder. “Lisa is a dear friend of mine and former colleague in New York residential real estate,” explains Melissa. “She had pivoted during the pandemic and was just starting her firm, Innate Studio.” Lisa eagerly accepted the project. “She was a bonafide architect,” adds Melissa, “so she can look at the interiors through that lens. That’s why we were so successful with some of the challenging areas.”
Raising the Bar
“This home is on the Westport Historic Register, so I wanted to maintain and highlight the home’s beautiful original details while showcasing the client’s style and creating a comfortable second residence for the family,” comments Lisa. “The home is so special and unique, which is both an asset and a challenge when renovating. For example, the original timber structure is beautiful but created some unusual spaces on the main floor.” In one corner of the living area, structural beams intersected, leaving little room for furniture.
“Right below the ceiling in this space is an incredible limestone relief done by Fraser that is integral to the home,” says Lisa. “We custom-designed a bar clad in Calacatta marble to occupy the corner and play with these existing elements. The bar added so much drama and utility to a challenging space.” Melissa adds, “It’s a special moment in the house, a nice surprise when you come around that corner.”
Another issue: The house had three bathrooms, with just one on the main floor, in the master bedroom. A small AV closet under the staircase presented the only option for a powder room. “It was a total game of inches,” says Melissa. Lisa suggested a Nero Marquina marble for the custom sink, with warm tones that complement stunning black-and-gold peacock wallpaper. “Most of the public space is light and airy,” says Lisa. “I loved the idea of this room being moodier. It’s counterintuitive but dark colors give the illusion of more volume.”
Sconces set too high in the master for the preferred bed configuration posed a problem, as removing them would irreparably damage the grasscloth wall covering the family hoped to preserve. “We designed a custom upholstered headboard that covered the entire wall to allow us to install new sconces and cover up the patching in the grasscloth,” explains Lisa. “We chose an incredible fabric, Cranley Garden from Schumacher, which tied in beautifully with the existing wall-covering and made the room.” Lisa turned a problem into a “wow moment,” says Melissa.
A banquette with storage solved the issue of a lack of cupboard and seating space in the kitchen, with a bonus of offering a view of the pool and grounds.
countertops.
For-the-Birds Décor
windows.
This house has its big moments—the picturesque view upon pulling into the drive, the two-story original Palladian door in the living room (through which large sculptures could be moved)—but also its endearing small moments, like the charming bird motif in the original stained glass windows in the living spaces. “Since the clients and I are both animal lovers, we embraced a menagerie theme that found its way into many fabrics and decorative items we selected and told a story that extends to the exterior facade, like the painted ceiling on the veranda,” says Lisa.
A giant ostrich painting that came with the house graces the living room wall. The bird has a bit of an attitude, signaling to guests that “formal” is not the attitude here; fun is. A regal, dark painting on the dining room wall matches the more traditional, serious décor but for its subjects: an animated flock of parrots. “We went with a very layered, eclectic design,” says Melissa. “Nothing is too precious but you can see our appreciation of the history and the bones—we really tried to embrace that and tie it through all the projects we did throughout the house.”
Melissa even found a drawing done of the first polo game in Westport—pre-Hunt Club (the Frasers were founders)—a match she learned was orchestrated by the Frasers and held on the land surrounding the property.
On the second level, Melissa loves her daughter Gemma’s room. The soft pink is juxtaposed with exposed stone for a warm environment. “It’s a very sweet, classic little girl room, but we tried to be relatively restrained in our use of pink,” notes Lisa. “With the existing ceiling trusses, the structural hardware has started to get a little patina to it and that jibes well with the pink tones.”
Teamwork
Working with Innate Studio was “very collaborative,” says Melissa. “It was a collective effort. I trust Lisa implicitly.” Innate Studio oversaw all aspects of renovations and interior design. With Lisa expecting a baby that August, it was a tight timeline, but the team met their goal of furnishing the home in six months. Credit also goes to contractor Tomasz Malecki of McPol Construction.
“As an architect and interior designer, I enjoy solving every aspect of the puzzle that the renovation and reimagination of a home presents,” says Lisa. “My personal style is timeless, organic and a bit whimsical, but I get so much inspiration from the collaboration with clients and a project’s context. I feel most fulfilled when a home truly reflects its history, our client’s style, and how they want to live.”
For the Weiss family that is now: “A long weekend, the sun shining, friends and family are out back by the pool, we’re grilling fish from Fjord Fish Market, the kids are running around and enjoying sweet treats from the Cake Box and Sunny Daez ice cream, and everyone is relaxed. We want our home to be that place where everybody comes together and spends time with one another—an easy, laidback, not overproduced respite.”