I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live and could not spare any more time for that one.
—Henry David Thoreau
Having met while attending USC in Los Angeles, Greg, a native Californian and Pennsylvania-raised sociologist, and Clark, a southern Californian with a background in design and finance, were drawn to Massachusetts and life in the Berkshires in the early 2000s. Clark had previously gained valuable experience working under the iconic designer Michael Smith known for his rigorous focus on the minutest of details required in the pursuit of preservation and restoration. While Greg taught at prestigious Williams College, Clark worked to combine the experience and client base that today has made him a leading residential designer and developer. Life for the couple in those early days was idyllic as they found themselves surrounded with an overabundance of history, culture and architectural beauty, both within historic Williamstown and nearby Berkshires hamlets and extending to the countryside of upstate New York and Vermont.
It is the strong influence of the Berkshires that led the couple and their growing family to Berkshires Cottage. Says Clark, “Our passion for older and historic homes led us to this cottage that had been for years terribly neglected and in a sorry state.” Greg adds,“ We immediately envisioned it as a cottage that, with hard work and patience, could be brought back to life with contemporary standards and functionality while leaving undisturbed a uniqueness that was the product of an artist’s vision and hard work nearly a century before.” And that is exactly what the couple did by moving in and shortly thereafter moving out to make way for what was to be a full year of design, refresh, improvement and in some instances rebuild, including a full replumb and rewiring. “We either refurbished and repaired period pieces and fixtures or did our best to employ original period pieces and fixtures to ensure the historical integrity of our cottage,” Clark notes. “It was a full year of contemporizing what is best described as a hybrid blend of cottage, cabin and barn.”
As one faces the property and its inviting wooded lot, the view is nothing short of spectacular with entry on a series of tiered stone steps through an arbor-covered custom gate that leads uphill to the front door. The door is to the right of a massive top-rounded picture window above which sits a New England sunburst vent, both of which are original to the cottage. “The original owner-builder wanted a sweeping view of the front property but overlooked the effect of sunlight on the cottage’s temperature. We took care of it with the addition of ventilation windows just below the picture window without diminishing one bit the magnificence of the picture window,” Clark says.
The beamed ceiling in the living room exceeds fifteen feet, providing space to the otherwise warm and inviting living room. “The cedar-lined walls and fir floors are original to the cottage,” Clark adds. Greg interjects, “An interesting historical note—as we took to refurbishing the walls we had to remove several hundred old nails, from which, we are told, the original artist-owner hung his own paintings salon style and those of his artist colleagues and friends. It was in many ways a home and a gallery and we are told it was the scene of many artist meetings, both professional and social.” Clark and Greg have continued the tradition with original pieces tastefully hung throughout the cottage by early-twentieth-century artists such as Anna Hills, Frank Cuprien, Clarence Hinkle and Dedrick Stuber.
Leading from the spacious living room is a dual staircase up to a reading loft. Clark notes, “All of us have favorite spots in the cottage—our sons migrate to the reading loft and I love the originally upholstered mohair couch from the workshop of England’s George Smith Ltd., enjoying either the 1930s reflections of Steinbeck or the more recent humor of David Sedaris.” He continues, “As for Greg—in addition to his professional interests, his passion is the creation of unique dishes. He is the chef de la maison in a portion of the cottage that was redesigned on his vision to accommodate a fully equipped modern and professional kitchen.”
“As the son of a sturdy and hardworking family with Polish roots I have also introduced my family to hearty Polish recipes that they especially enjoy during the holidays,” Greg proudly declares.
Historic with a contemporary twist, Berkshires Cottage is not only Greg and Clark’s contribution to the architectural tradition of the artistic community in which they live but to the legacy that their children will one day inherit and nurture as they follow in their parents’ footsteps.
What once was a simple sitting room has been expanded into a dynamic open-air kitchen and eating area that maintains the historic feel of the cottage while providing a space for Clark to prepare his traditional back-East family dishes.
The reading room just off the main living room provides ample space for entertaining or enjoyment of a good book near the fireplace.
The master bedroom with its vintage English leather headboard and matching footboard is accented with Indigo custom lumbar pillows, a 1920s inspired fixture and one of many notable vintage paintings found throughout the cottage.
The double vanity with a decidedly masculine feel is topped with custom marble.
An antique rug, early American table and vintage oil painting sit near the door leading from the main cottage to the enclosed porch at the back of the cottage.
A beautifully crafted outdoor porch unites life within and outside the main cottage.