“Outstanding creative solutions….exquisite attention to every project detail.”
These are the elusive virtues that the architects at the Felhandler/Steeneken believe transmutes a “house” into a “home”. They have understood, through their years of work to place designing a client’s home at the highest pedestal. They specialize in creative design that blends classic architectural motifs with today’s contemporary lifestyles. Furthermore, they are proficient in conceiving timeless homes for those with sensitivity to great design and creatively solving any problem a project might pose. Being over twenty years in the business, these two “girl bosses” have put themselves on the map and have several designs published in various magazines.
Here are 15 projects by Felhandler/Steeneken Architects:-
1. Western stone & brick Country House, Rapid City, SD
Taking inspiration from the historic lodges in the National Parks and the works of the English architect, Sir Edward Lutyens, the architects fashioned a new rustic grey limestone house, located at the base of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The family enjoys dramatic views of the landscape on the south side of the house from the double-high family room and the many terraces.
2. Norman- Style House, Glendora, CA
Situated on a 7-acre site in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, this project was motivated by French architecture in Normandy and Brittany. The house holds a New Mexico travertine stone facade with a flat Gladding McBean clay tile roof. F/S Architects was also in charge of the interiors of the house which are inspired by various periods of French architecture and include an eclectic mix of antiques and contemporary furniture amassed by the client.
3. Shingle-Style House, Guilford, CT
This scenic 4- acre site on a peninsula jutting into Long Island Sound beholds spectacles in every direction. The house bears two angled wings that take full benefit of the views of the rocky shoreline, Faulkner’s Island, and the Sound. The exterior materials used to create this Shingle Style house are typical to the period houses in the area.
4. English Country House in Scarsdale, NY
The traditional stucco, limestone, and local granite exterior of this house are designed to complement the neighborhood of older traditional homes. An arrangement of photovoltaic solar panels affixed on the south-facing rear roof delivers electrical power. The interior has a serene contemporary feel that merges with the exterior without being overtly referential.
5. French Manor house, Glendora, CA
The new house is located on a five-acre site in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. F/S Architects was responsible for the architectural design and the interiors, as well as the layout of the gardens and hardscape. Graceful interiors embrace the owner’s Louis XV-style family heirlooms, while simultaneously crafting comfortable rooms for the family’s daily activities.
6. Penthouse Apartment, New York, NY
While compatible with Roth’s spare streamline modern details which transpire in the rest of the apartment, their design is also inspired by the client’s collection of Japanese antiques including the transom panels in the openings between the kitchen and the Conservatory which are carved fir & mahogany.
7. French Art Deco Apartment, New York, NY
This project is situated in the Ansonia, a historic Belle Epoque style apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Living Room of the unit, in one of the round corner towers, is adorned with 1930s French Art Deco antiques and custom furniture designed by FS Architects. The interiors of the rest of the apartment have a romantic whimsy designed with antiques and period moldings within the Beaux-Arts style apartment layout.
8. Apartment, New York, NY (1st)
This co-op apartment located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was entirely renovated. Their design opened up the Kitchen to the Dining Area to amplify it and allocate more contemporary flow to the space. The Bathrooms were modernized but retained in the traditional style of this classic pre-war building using white subway tile and marble.
9. Upper West Side Townhouse Renovation, New York, NY
This project is the restoration of an 1893 brownstone townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The interior of the house has been completely revamped to restore it to a single-family home using lush and playful period details.
10. Apartment, New York, NY (2nd)
This classic three-bedroom co-op apartment is sited on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It has a gracious Living Room with large French doors that precede the formal Dining Room. This room has been opened up to the Kitchen area making an adjacent Family Room which is still large enough for a formal dining table.
11. Green Building: Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems
They designed the first house in Scarsdale, NY to have photovoltaic solar panels. The system is mounted on the rear slate roof of the house which faces south. The energy-efficiency of this house was penned in an article in New York House Magazine.
12. Green Building: Recycling Salvaged Building Materials
The reuse of salvaged building materials is a wonderful approach for getting quality finishes in an environmentally-friendly way. They believe that salvaged materials are often also key elements in the successful design of a seamless addition to a period style home.
13. Arts and Crafts Cottage Addition, Belle Terre, NY
The owners of this exquisite English cottage wanted to reconcile the character of the front to the rear of the house. They revived the episodic nature of the front facade around the new side and rear elevations so they blend seamlessly with the original house. Although this Arts & Crafts Cottage is whimsical in its asymmetry, the continuity of the detailing is the key to this efficacious addition.
14. French Manor House Addition, Westchester County, NY
The current owners longed to retain the character of the original 1936 French Manor house style house while affixing a new garage and bedroom wing for their growing family. The new wing has been judiciously proportioned and the materials have been meticulously matched to form an extension that seems virtually seamless.
15. Colonial Revival Renovation, Litchfield, CT
The house preserves its original eclectic mix of delicate Adams-inspired Georgian moldings at the First Floor as well as a beautiful Victorian turned stair rail and leaded glass windows. These original details and the exterior facade have been reinstated.
