November 3, 2025
By Andrea Valluzzo
Architect Nathalie Vallier Brodhead has designed large houses to great effect—but says small projects are also satisfying, when she sees the big effect on her clients’ lives.
The Warren-based architect, who studied architecture in her native France before joining practices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, recently completed a renovation of a ranch house for a family in Sharon. “The before and after is really dramatic,” she says.
A signature of Brodhead’s aesthetic is her open-flow style and use of walls of windows to bring in natural light. This house was no exception. The kitchen was closed off from the living room, with only small windows. “The house was not in bad shape but the layout was poorly designed. It was a bad kitchen for somebody who likes to cook,” she says. Now, the east-facing kitchen has plenty of light, as does the living room with large windows that transform the space. “It is all about the light, I design spaces thinking how much natural light can flow in this room. I am interested in designing projects that positively impact the well-being of the client family’s life; the results make me extremely happy,” she says.
Brodhead listens closely to clients in order to design for their wants and needs. First taught to sketch by hand at her Parisian architecture school, Brodhead still prefers to first sketch by hand when designing.
Entering the male-dominated fields of architecture and construction did not faze her at all. “I was always interested in drawing and understanding how things are put together,” she says. “My parents had a house designed by an architect when I was little, and I really enjoyed the process. I knew early on that I wanted to be an architect.”
She adds that, “Most of my clients know what they want. Either they have owned homes and gone through this process, or are at the time of their life where they know exactly what they want and they need it custom,” she says.
A current project is a large single-story home in Washington, being built on virgin land, that will have two walls of glass to fully enjoy the lake views. “It’s on a beautiful piece of land being brought together all on one floor, which I think is really smart, because we want to be able to age in our homes,” she says. “We oriented the house so in the morning you are going to have direct sunlight in the kitchen.”
Energy conscious—having lived in Europe where electricity costs are very high—Brodhead likes to design net zero homes as much as possible. She adds solar tiles and panels as clients allow, faces kitchens to the east, and takes advantage of where the sun hits the house.
New England weather plays a key role in her design. “The layout is all about how the sun travels. In winter it’s cold, so we need to have rooms that are where the sun will be,” she says.
