Every Day Feels Like a Vacation at One Family’s Breezy Waterfront Home in England

Clad in weathered larch and pale brick, a riverside residence in Suffolk County soaks up sun and views.

Jul 22, 2021 - 02:51

Every Day Feels Like a Vacation at One Family’s Breezy Waterfront Home in England

Clad in weathered larch and pale brick, a riverside residence in Suffolk County soaks up sun and views.

Though a series of manufacturing mishaps meant cycling through three orders of brick, the final product seems worth the wait: sandy and agated, it nods to the beach along the river. The custom, elongated shape of the brick stretches out the elevations.

Dwell’s series on daylighting is supported by Marvin, whose Awaken Skylight and Skycove window system nurture connections with the outdoors and demonstrate natural light’s ability to improve well-being.

If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

At least that’s what one Suffolk Coast couple thought when they spotted the perfect riverside property just down the street from their own drafty Georgian. Though the sun-drenched site and its decrepit, 1960s shack weren’t explicitly for sale, what could it hurt to poke a few inquiry letters under the door?

Dad, a swimmer and triathlete, pops down to the river every chance he gets, rinsing off in the outdoor shower afterwards. — The husband, a swimmer and triathlete, pops down to the river every chance he gets, rinsing off in the outdoor shower afterwards.
Photo by Whitaker Studio

The bold move paid off. A deal was struck. That little shack? Demolished. And soon, it was their perfect riverside property: a fresh start for the pair (a financial professional and a passionate gardener) and their four teenage daughters.

With the help of TAS Architects, something truly special began to shape up. "They were looking for somewhere amazing to come back to," says Christophe Spiers, the technical design director at TAS.