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Kitchen before renovation.
Courtesy of Wiebenson & Dorman Architects PC

Kitchen.

came ready-made for such large dinners, so the design question In an architectural project, “you want an overriding theme,” said
was how easily and elegantly modifications could fulfill the goal. Dorman, “but here there were already so many existing elements,”
The clients weren’t in any hurry, but when the Rhode Island referring to the generally charming mishmash characteristic of the
Avenue house came up for sale, “we fell for it completely,” said Victorian era and subsequent alterations. Design decisions came
the husband. “It had the right character. We immediately felt it slowly, element by element: “Is it genuinely historic? Does it lend
was the right fit for us.” Dorman verified their instincts on many character to the house and space? Do we like it? Do we like what it
levels, not least of which was noting how the entrance hall, running does to the house and space?” were among the questions asked.
by the living room, was wide enough to serve as a supplemental “In the end,” said Dorman, “we kept most everything pre-existing,
dining space. A long permanent bench in the hall, plus a banquette but we did straighten out a lot of little things.”
in the main dining room, can comfortably seat a total of thirty for The new things that emerged tie into the original, but in
seders and other occasional large dinners. But the rest of the time, it compositional rather than stylistic ways. They have their own voice,
doesn’t seem empty: the entry hall bench looks like a display shelf. and overlay a new personality on the house’s original character.
The house had survived through the ups and downs of the For example, a wall was removed between the kitchen and dining
neighborhood with most of its detail intact. The exterior’s masonry room, creating one large space. Rather than unify the ceiling, how-
ornamentation, including a unique rendering of four women’s ever, in the area over the dining table (which had formerly been a
hands holding bells, stands out, even on one of the best preserved narrow kitchen) Dorman created a series of “beams” dropped below
Victorian blocks in the city. (The bell motif is thought to be Glenn the ceiling, subtly angled to match the adjacent bay window.
Brown’s tribute to the four Ewans women—a lovely example of Uplights in the beam elements provide soft, indirect illumination
architecture extending memory.) Inside, the heart pine floors, for the dining table and upholstered banquette.
embossed plaster and wallpaper, and elaborate wood ornamentation The angle reappears in the rear yard as a dramatic green-painted
were in fairly good shape. The immediate previous owners had steel “gateway.” This element was structurally necessary for a new
done upgrades to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The third-floor balcony because the adjacent brick wall is not a party wall
new owners lived in the house for two years, engaging themselves (that is, not legally available for both sides to use). The balcony
and Dorman in a slow-motion design exercise, from which gradually needed support; the yard, Dorman and his clients decided, needed
gelled the vision for renovations. a focal element and a frame. There is also another long bench—this

54 HOUSE OF FOUR BELLS