How Do You Make an “Anti-Seasonal Depression Room” in New England?

Architect: Bechtel Frank Erickson Architects. Builder: Mello Construction Co. Interior Designer: Mattye Dewhirst Interior Design. / Photo by Tom Couture

The Challenge

Interior designer Mattye Dewhirst spent years envisioning her forever home before building her Second Empire Victorian along Rhode Island’s Sakonnet River. While the interiors celebrate color in all its forms, she also wanted a space devoted entirely to sunlight. Attached to the home, the greenhouse needed to feel architecturally aligned with the antique-inspired structure while maximizing natural light and capturing water views. Just as important, it had to function as more than a showpiece: It had to be a place to gather warmth and lift the spirit. As Dewhirst describes, it would become the “anti-seasonal depression room.”

Dewhirst always envisioned having a greenhouse attached to her home. It’s “the anti-seasonal depression room,” she says, “because you can come out here and get some sunlight.” / Photo by Tom Cotoure

The Solution

Working with architect Matt Brown, Dewhirst dreamed up a glass-lined greenhouse that operates as both conservatory and sitting room. Clerestory glazing and expansive windows usher sunlight in from multiple angles and allow the surrounding landscape to remain the focal point, while soft green paint envelops the trim and ceiling beams, echoing the house’s fearless approach to color. The assortment of thriving greenery gives the space a relaxed, organic feel, while an arched window and warm wood-framed doors reference the Victorian architecture beyond. When bathed in daylight, the finished product reads less like a bonus room and more like an intentional living space designed to keep both plants and people thriving.

Photo by Tom Cotoure