Episode 457: Douglas VanderHorn

Million Dollar Decorating

Award-winning Architect Douglas VanderHorn designs classic new homes that combine the best features of traditional architecture and cutting-edge technology. His work, which demonstrates a penchant for articulating timeless exterior forms and richly detailed interior spaces is informed by a lifelong fascination with buildings - their character, composition, detailing, and construction. The son of a builder, Douglas was quick to develop a familiarity with building materials and construction details. He gained a practical perspective working as an apprentice roofer, house framer, and cabinet maker at various times in youth. Inspired by that tactile experience and determined to foster his creativity, Douglas studied architecture at the Pennsylvania State University while still working in the building trades. Upon graduation, he accepted a positon at an architectural firm in Greenwich, CT, an area renowned for exquisite homes. Within a few years he was a licensed architect crafting traditional home designs as a principal of his own firm. Honored to have enjoyed decades of prolificacy and professional acclaim, Douglas is currently the Principal at Douglas VanderHorn Architects. The firm's classic designs complement current lifestyles and seamlessly incorporate modern building technologies into each new home or historically sensitive renovation. For every client, Douglas strives to deliver architectural solutions which are elegant, imaginative, practical, and captivating. His considerable experience and fluency in a range of historic styles betrays an enthusiasm for collecting books, volumes, and manuscripts on everything from architecture and planning to furniture and landscape design. This extensive and ever-growing library informs the refreshing design philosophy behind each compelling new project in a career both lasting and acclaimed. Douglas VanderHorn Architects has garnered recognition and awards from numerous publications, design communities, peer groups, and trade organizations including: The Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, AIA New England, and the Home Builders Association of Connecticut. In 2016 Harvard University's Graduate School of Design featured Douglas as a guest speaker for a lecture entitled, "The American House: Traditional to Modern, Modern to Traditional." In 2015, Douglas was an inductee into the New England Design Hall of Fame. His firm's work is published regularly in regional and national publications focusing on such topics as traditional residential design, waterfront homes, green design and historic preservation. Douglas holds NCARB accreditation, is a licensed interior designer and is a member of the American Institute of Architects and The Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America. Explore Douglas' Website here