Top Westport architect Peter Cadoux is a firm believer in leaving some things to the imagination. “We’re creating smaller homes that live large,” says the winner of Westport Lifestyle’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Architect of his eponymous firm. “I love it when people come into one of my homes and they find it bigger and more grand than what they thought it looked like on the street.”
Don’t misunderstand, of course. Peter’s designs—which are nationally and internationally recognized—are brimming over with curb appeal. But he would argue it’s best to conceive a home for the unique needs of the family who will inhabit it and the way we live in 2024. “We want modern, but we don’t want trendy,” he says. “It’s important to make it beautiful from the front, but we want to think about how we live day to day.”
With that in mind, Peter, who is putting the finishing touches on his own new Westport home, took a few moments to tell us about the exciting trends he sees for the year ahead.
First off, homeowners are looking at ways to do more at home. While open floor plans are still popular for, say, the kitchen and family room area, clients are also looking for welcoming, task-specific spaces. He’s created dual offices for couples, as well as dedicated yoga, meditation, and dance rooms.
He predicts the 2024 home will also emphasize indoor/outdoor living. With floor-to-ceiling glass walls and specialty windows available, clients are interested in "opening" to the back of a property, offering the chance for covered porches and multi-season, winterized rooms. “It might be a covered patio, and you press a button and a screen comes down and now you have a screened-in room,” he says.
Again, this speaks to the idea of the scale of a home, he says. While the size of any home is always relative to each individual client's needs, Peter Cadoux Architects offers thoughtful design to encourage smaller scale, better use of space, and intentional integration with the property’s environment. As the son of a builder—and who also holds fine arts and architecture degrees from Rhode Island School of Design—Peter loves nothing more than combining a deep understanding of form, function, fit, and finish.
When it comes to building things—the nuts and bolts, literally—clients are thoroughly modern. More and more are embracing durable, alternative materials that protect against the elements, especially in a waterfront community like Westport. His own home is no exception. “There is not one piece of wood on the exterior,” says Peter, who added the practice saves trees. “People are willing to invest in what they want, and that extends to materials that don’t need the maintenance you would have to have.”
In addition, clients are prioritizing climate health, looking for up-to-date heating and cooling options and filtration systems that address allergies and guard against stagnant indoor air. Even antique restoration, which he is also seeing an interest in, comes with an eye for helpful technology. “We had a 100-year-old farmhouse and we were able to put in all the technology, but then cover it over and it’s back to a beautiful 100-year-old farmhouse,” he says. He also notes wallcovering is making a comeback, though mostly in durable, textured designs.
Not ready for a new home, but looking for a few new features or re-imagined spaces? Peter says oversized showers are still strong, as are elongated kitchen prep sinks—sometimes six feet long with multiple faucets and designated areas for cutting boards and strainers!
Have a little more space to play with? Bunk rooms are all the rage, Peter says. And we’re not talking about Sweet-16-sleepover-style: Peter has designed spaces with full-sized beds, specialized storage, and custom lighting. “They’re great if you have a lot of family coming to visit,” he says. “They’re quite luxurious. Think Orient Express.”
With an emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, the outdoor kitchen space is also very popular, he says. A backyard pool in 2024 might not be as large as it would have been in past years, but it will come with fun features like specialized jets, colored lights, or waterfalls.
Faced with so many inspiring choices, it’s no wonder Peter and his family have moved more than once in Westport. “I really feel lucky. I love what I do,” he says, chuckling. “But living with an architect is not always the easiest thing! The creative juices are always flowing.”
For more information on Peter Cadoux Architects, visit cadouxaia.com.
“[Bunk rooms] are great if you have a lot of family coming to visit. They’re quite luxurious. Think Orient Express.” - Peter
“We’re creating smaller homes that live large. I love it when people come into one of my homes and they find it bigger and more grand than what they thought it looked like." - Peter
