The original dining room and breakfast room had been separated from the main house during the subdivision, so a new formal dining space had to be designed. “The original kitchen was a jumble of little pantries and a mess of small rooms,” Menard says. “We decided to move the location of the kitchen and put the dining room in its place. Then we installed big pocket doors between the living room and what is now the dining room to make it feel more gracious.”
Once the renovation was complete, Caya worked with his clients to furnish the home with a variety of European antiques from the owners’ many travels. An Italianate mantel procured during a trip to Buenos Aires now anchors the formal living room, surrounded by an eclectic collection of European antiques, tapestries, and sculptures. A vestibule leading to the loggia and women’s powder room dons the azure hues of Portugal. The majestic master bedroom is reminiscent of a castle in France. The bar area, blanketed in 18th-century Spanish tiles, serves double duty as a media room with a large-screen TV and plush Moroccan-style furnishings. In the tower room, elephant and Buddha figures and an antique daybed laden with pillows offer a nod to Sri Lankan spirituality. “The idea is to live in the modern way—by American standards—in an old house without feeling out of place,” says Caya.
