So, they incorporated the stone into the floor of the family room and put a wood-burning stove on it. An additional bedroom would have meant major work on the septic system. But we needed a room large enough to accommodate our daughters' friends and we desperately needed a larger closet upstairs. Ten years later the Pessonis added what might be called a gathering room off the kitchen. They removed a 12-foot section of an exterior wall and extended the back of the house, bringing light and a little more space to the kitchen.
Large windows offer a view of woods and the brook.
Old beams, which the couple bought in Pennsylvania, add antique rusticity. Inside, in contrast with 19th century style, the ceilings in the additions are nine feet high, adding light and a sense of openness. Maintaining the historic integrity of the home was important to Mr. Pessoni, who is on the landmarks commission in Pound Ridge. The air flows, the light flows and people flow. And flow they have, over the decades.