Sunny Knoll is a new Shingle Style residence in the historic seaside village of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The house incorporates traditional elements of the Shingle Style with clean, simple lines and Asian elements such as the flared roof eaves. The interior of the family home opens up onto several screened-in porches providing ventilation, informality and function: a dining porch, a sleeping porch and a three- season room. It was designed for entertaining and features a central core with a living room, dining room and a separate bar with a pass through for serving guests.
Sunny Knoll is respectful of its location in the village of Watch Hill which is listed on the U.S National Registry of Historic Places. It was built on a sloping site, formerly a Mellon estate that was originally landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers, the sons of renowned landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The residence isn’t a mere copy of nearby 19th century “summer cottages,” but it is a reflection of the homeowner’s appreciation for both traditional and modern design elements. The homeowner’s friends often comment on how the home is such a close reflection of its owners. This reaction is an ironic twist for a project that began as a real estate development venture and became deeply personal when the clients decided to build the house for themselves.