By Zachary Schwartz
Photographs by Ryan Lavine
Chris Stone and David Fox are consummate architects. Together, the married couple run an architecture studio called Stonefox Architects, specializing in homes that highlight art collections for curators, artists, and collectors. When the time came for Stone and Fox to design a home for their own art collection, they made the bold choice to create a bespoke prefab with aplomb.
The duo met 23 years ago at a New Year’s Eve party. Early in their relationship, they joined forces professionally, forming a business and a life together. They grew their firm in Manhattan, amassing an enviable client list in New York, Palm Beach, Aspen, Austin, and the Hamptons.
Seeking an arcadian escape from the cosmopolitan design society, Stone and Fox decamped to Litchfield County. The couple rented in Lakeville before purchasing an undeveloped plot on Twin Lakes in Salisbury. “It’s really important to be able to unplug and come to a place like Litchfield County, and just relax. It’s a paradise getaway for us,” says Stone.
The 4-acre plot is situated on former farmland with a mixture of wetlands and woodlands, home to a bounty of flora and fauna. Stone and Fox saw potential. They considered various approaches to designing their dream home, and ultimately settled upon a prefabricated structure.
The modern black house stands sentinel in the Connecticut woods, with three bedrooms, double-height ceilings, and an open floor plan ideal for entertaining. The building is constructed of four modules, set in a single day by Westchester Modular Homes and delivered by trailer transport.
“You can do a lot with prefab, but you have to be prepared to color within the lines. It definitely taught us how to be more creative and conscious with space,” says Fox. The architects worked within the confines of measurements, time, costs, and modular increments to produce the house, which has subsequently been reproduced for four of their Stonefox clients.
The home was designed to display the couple’s contemporary art collection. Their catalog represents rising stars from global art fairs, including Alex Da Corte, Mika Rottenberg, Reena Spaulings, and Anna Ostoya. Local artists are also represented in the home, including works by sculptor Adam Parker Smith and ceramics by DBO Home. Design accents complement the artwork, including Cole & Son wallpaper, a Lacanche French range, and white oak flooring by Carlisle Wide Plank Floors.
“We wanted to keep the material palette fairly restrained. We love using natural materials in a way that displays their origin,” says Stone.
Since moving to Salisbury, the couple has developed a deep interest in landscape design. They hired Berkshire native plant specialist Bridghe McCracken of Helia Land Design to advise on the horticulture. “It sparked what has become a real interest for us in learning about all of these native plants. Bridghe has this huge seed bank with native plants, not hybridized in any way,” says Fox. McCracken helped the homeowners craft an outdoor room with a hemlock hedge, as well as a butterfly-filled meadow with Penstemon and Great Blue Lobelia.
Chris Stone and David Fox have embraced the nature of Connecticut, hiking its woods and studying its flora. Summers beckon carefree floating on lake inner tubes, while winters are reserved for fireside lounging with their Boston terrier and ice skating on the frozen lake. “I get so excited when I see the mountains with a light dusting of snow. At any given moment, there could be a little squall of snow that looks like someone dumped powdered sugar on top. I love driving around and seeing how the landscape undulates,” says Fox. For the architects, their modular home is their modern retreat.
