Transformations: Houses, Places, Stories:Ferguson & Shamamian Architects

This renowned architecture firm offers a fresh vision of traditional architecture for both new and historic residences, shaping sophisticated environments for today.

While Ferguson & Shamamian’s previous volume, Collaborations, focused on new houses and estates in the classical tradition, this volume explores the art of restoration, reinvention, and the creation of new designs inspired by storied places. Ferguson & Shamamian adapts existing houses and landscapes for modern living, preserving craftsmanship and history while introducing fresh spatial ideas.

In this volume, fifteen remarkable homes showcase regional character and historical precedent while also featuring interiors by leading designers who work closely with the firm, including Michael S. Smith, Pierre Yovanovitch, Beata Heuman, and Victoria Hagan. Together, they reveal a wide range of lifestyles and design approaches in the traditional idiom.

Among the residences featured are several iconic American properties: Grey Gardens in East Hampton; Lasata, the childhood summer home of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy; Villa Artemis in Palm Beach; and Gloria Vanderbilt’s former manse in Manhattan. Also included are thoughtfully designed new residences and architectural renovations in Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, Ohio, Idaho, and Missouri.

Transformations illustrates Ferguson & Shamamian’s enduring philosophy: honoring the legacy of remarkable homes and communities while shaping timeless, livable spaces for today. | Ferguson & Shamamian Architects was founded in 1988 and is one of the country’s leading residential architecture firms. This is their third book. Guy Trebay has chronicled culture for decades, writing for The New Yorker, The Village Voice, Interview, Esquire, Artforum, and many other publications. For the past two decades, he has been a style reporter and critic for The New York Times.