Paradise Lane Undergoes Eco Renovation to Become a Stunning Contemporary Home

When <a href="http://www.donaldbillinkoff.com/" target="_blank">Donald Billinkoff</a> of Manhattan-based <a href="http://www.billinkoff.com/" target="_blank">Billinkoff Architecture</a> was looking for his next home renovation project, he searched for a single family mid-century residence in Litchfield County, CT. He didn't quite find mid-century - instead he found a Paradise Lane, a home built in 1968 with good bones and a sensible layout, but some peculiar design features on the interior. Being an architect, he applied his knowledge, some eco-strategies and a well-balanced palette of materials to transform it into a stunning contemporary home. Paradise Lane is an excellent example of a renovation done right, and it shows how a good architect can turn a "tear-down" into something brilliant.

Paradise Lane was custom-built in 1968 by a local New Milford architect for his own family, but by the time Donald <a href="http://www.billinkoff.com/" target="_blank">Billinkoff</a> got a hold of it, the home had some peculiar features.

As one of Billinkoff's architect friends said, it had the "appearance of a rest station in a public park" and had furnishings and lighting that accentuated the home's awkwardness.

This included a behemoth fireplace made with chocolate brown tiles and beige bricks that terminated at odd angles.

Yet the home had good views, a single story, and good bones that Billinkoff could work with.

His remodel included replacing windows with more efficient and open ones and removing a few walls to open up the space and make it more flexible.

The fireplace was torn out and replaced with one made with exposed CMU, and a new elevated porch was built off the dining room to take advantage of the outdoors.

Billinkoff sourced new materials from local or USA-based companies and reused materials whenever possible - oak doors serve as a table and countertops insulation was moved to new locations.

The roof features a new white membrane to reflect heat and a solar thermal system for domestic hot water.

New windows and overhangs help provide more daylight and minimize overheating in the summer, while new tiles absorb heat during the winter.

A high-efficiency zoned heating system and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/led/">LED lighting</a> reduces energy usage and low-flow fixtures reduce water consumption.

Billinkoff's renovation offered an opportunity to improve the home's environmental efficiency along with updating its aesthetics.

Pictures of the home before the renovation.

Paradise Lane floorplan.