British Arts and Craft Style, Reimaged in Rochester
HOMEOWNERS KEVIN AND ERICA SURACE ENVISIONED A PLACE TO CALL HOME
THAT CAN ALSO HOST MANY HAPPY GATHERINGS
Looking at the gleaming white and black home located at 4000 East Avenue in Rochester today, you’d never guess that it took the place of an illustrious 1850s guest house that hosted President Theodore Roosevelt and other well-known figures of the 1900s.
Or that a rambling ranch house with multiple additions stood here before entrepreneurs and former Californians Kevin and Erica Surace bought the property in 2019.
“We owned a house at 4130 East Avenue when this property went up for sale,” said Kevin. “The house that was here before ours just didn’t work because of all the additional sections — the rooms didn’t flow. We loved the location but decided to take everything out and build from scratch. Chuck Smith, our architect, was fantastic and brought our vision of a modern British Arts and Crafts-style farmhouse to life.”
DESIGN RESOURCES
Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship
New Energy Works
Welcome Home Living
It was an extensive and extended project that not only began but also was finished during the pandemic.
Tom Kilminster, the owner of Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship, worked closely with Chuck Smith. “It was a really big project,” said Tom. “There were lots of layers to contend with, but we had the advantage of working with Lindsay Fox of BuildHappy. She has amazing software that works with laser scanning and created a 3D model of Chuck’s entire design, which I had on my phone. The 3D model moves with you and is so precise, it can tell you if a wall is even a quarter inch out of plumb. We could see the entire infrastructure of the house before the drywall went up.”
While demolition began in April of 2021 and building was started on the main house, the three garages, Italian-inspired tiered landscaping along with the expansive backyard pool and entertainment areas were designated for phase two. And despite the pandemic material shortages, shipping delays and supply-chain issues, phase one of the project was completed by July of 2022 so that Kevin and Erica occupy the main house.
As you walk inside, the spacious foyer leads to the airy and inviting great room with reclaimed wooden beams from an old Rochester warehouse that accent the 26-foot ceilings. The floors, neutral palette and furnishings, all light and warm, are punctuated with midnight blues and splashes of orange, so that the feeling is open and welcoming. The10,000-square-foot home can host 200 people indoors. “We built the house to host large parties because we like to entertain,” said Kevin. “And we wanted to bring the property back to its glory days.”
Jonathan Ragusa of Arena’s Interiors decorated the house together with the homeowners. “It was a meld of California style and British Arts and Crafts,” said Jonathan. “It takes time and patience, but Erica and Kevin reimagined this home in the most beautiful way. They travel all over the world, but are really into the arts, the theater, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and are very invested in their community.”
A large catwalk connects both sides of the home. The owners’ suite and two guest bedrooms, home offices for Kevin and Erica, and a workout room are upstairs. There’s a double kitchen to accommodate large parties, a 14-person dining table, a variety of comfortable seating areas, and a cozy bar that also includes a fully featured cooking area. On the other side of the house is a wine-tasting room and a real home theater.
What is truly striking is the wall of glass in the great room with 12-foot sliding glass doors that open to the outdoor seating areas, year-round covered patio, large built-in pool, and pool house. The landscaping incorporates the original rock walls and steps from the 1850s, with flower beds, tall grasses, evergreens, and other trees instead of a grass lawn.
“The house is not about being gaudy, but about welcoming guests here. We wanted a place that people want to come back to,” said Kevin. “We loved the park-like setting and want to maintain the property the way it was originally intended.”