This house is a second home for an artist and writer couple. It is located on a river in a small mill town in western Massachusetts. The building is one of a row of workers houses built in the 1880s. The original structure was in poor condition. The porches were completely rotted. The sill across the back of the house was below grade where the slope behind the house had slowly encroached. 

 

The goal of the remodeling was two-fold. First to repair the structural damage and regrade to avoid future problems. Second to open the interior of the house to the outside for light and views. The porches were removed to add more light into the interior. A strip of windows across the rear provides light and views beyond the hill behind the house. The owner, a painter created a color scheme to accent the abstract quality of the design. The owner selected all the 

interior colors as well.