Keswick Manor House

Keswick Manor House

The owners of this English Manor-style residence wanted a large home that would graciously accommodate their children and grandchildren for extended visits, with a centralized primary living area to suit the couple regardless of guests. Another goal in the design of the home was to frame views of the landscape, including a golf course on one side of the property and a picturesque stream and meadow on the other. The plan is oriented with a long central spine running vertically so the front façade belies the residence’s actual 9,000 sf size.

A porte cochère obscures immediate views of the residence, which is set amid 3.6 acres at the end of a long, scenic drive. Visitors arrive in an enclosed motor court, evoking the estates of 19th and early 20th-century rural England. Though only two stories, tall gables, which have vents at the attic level, accentuate the height and stature of the residence and the exterior of weathered granite, tumbled brick, and black slate imparts a storied bearing.

The architecture incorporates many of the hallmarks of Sir Edwin Luytens’ neo-classical architecture, including a symmetrical front façade, double-height great room, and numerous bay windows and barrel-vaulted vestibules. A spacious, central living room offers ample space for separate activity zones and large gatherings and connects directly to a vaulted loggia and courtyard. Guest bedrooms extend behind and above the main quarters, with a fifth bedroom in a guest tower above a garage.