Fall / Winter 2025
A decorative classical column with ornate scrollwork stands under intricate molding. The text SCHAFER & COMPANY appears in elegant white serif font across the center. The scene is softly lit and features muted beige tones.

WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE our new name, Schafer & Company. For the last nearly three decades, our work has been possible due to the talent and excellence of our incredible team. Gil often refers to our internal collaboration and the magic that happens through our dynamic team as our “secret sauce.” Please join us in celebrating this next chapter in our firm’s evolution with a name that truly reflects — with simplicity and straightforwardness — the “good company” we are fortunate to keep at the office every day.

The cover of Architectural Digest shows a white cottage with a sloped roof, blue door, and window framed by leafy vines. Lush greenery and pink flowers surround the house. Magazine headlines include Summer Romance and features on modernism, Hamptons living, and Belgian charm.
Summer in the Hamptons

This special house in Southampton on Long Island, a new project created in collaboration with interior designer Rita Konig and landscape architect Ed Hollander, was published in AD’s summer issue. The story perfectly captures the spirit of the family who lives there, and what was a very joyful process of making this welcoming summer retreat for them. In addition to the magazine story, we filmed a video that pulls back the curtain on our design process. Gil and interior designer Rita Konig walk through a few of the spaces and talk about their inspiration, how they make certain decisions, and the essential design elements that make a house a home. To read the entire AD story, please visit our Press page here > [Photos and video by Eric Piasecki. Styling by Helen Crowther.]

McKim, Mead & White Award

We are incredibly grateful to the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s New York chapter for awarding our New Coastal Residence with a McKim, Mead & White Award for “Residential Architecture: New Construction Over 5,000 sq. ft.” Designed for longtime clients who have deep roots in Southampton’s summer community, the exceptional site — with wetlands overlooking the bay to the north and ocean frontage to the south — presented significant building constraints. Our design, which positioned the house to maximize water views on both sides without becoming imposing, draws inspiration from the traditional shingled houses of the 1920s and ’30s in the region to help it feel authentically rooted in Southampton’s architectural legacy. Our frequent collaborators, interior designer David Netto and landscape designer Miranda Brooks, brought their own inimitable styles to the project, and together we created a house that feels elegant but playful, and is perfectly suited to the relaxed warmth of the owners and life at the beach.

[Photos by Eric Piasecki]

Large, elegant coastal mansion with gray roofing and lush landscaping sits by the ocean. A circular driveway leads to the front. In the sky at left, a laurel emblem reads 2025 McKim, Mead & White Awards. Blue sky and gentle waves complete the serene scene.
Bright hallway with wood floors, white paneled walls, and a staircase with white spindles and wooden steps. Built-in bench with green cushions lines the left wall under large windows. Two lantern-style lights hang from the ceiling. Doorway leads to another room.
A gravel driveway curves toward a large white house surrounded by trees and tall grass. A stone wall lines part of the drive, and another building is partly visible to the right. The sky is clear, and sunlight illuminates the scene.
A cream-colored house entry features two round columns supporting a triangular pediment, a glass-paneled door, a matching window, and a black lantern light fixture hanging from the ceiling above the door.
Two men in tuxedos stand at a podium with the Harvard Club of Boston seal. One man speaks at the podium; the other stands beside a flower arrangement, hands clasped. The room has wood-paneled walls, warm lighting, and a Harvard Club emblem on the wall.
Open wooden door labeled Massachusetts Room reveals elegant hall with black-and-white checkered floor, tall windows with drapes, a round table with a white cloth and flower centerpiece, and a gold clock on a mantle at the back wall.
Celebrating Two ICAA Awards for
Our New Lakeside Residence

WHAT AN HONOR to have our New Lakeside Residence win two Institute of Classical Architecture & Art awards for “Residential Architecture: New Construction Under 5,000 sq. ft.,” this fall. We received a McKim, Mead & White Award from the ICAA’s New York Chapter and a Bulfinch Award from the ICAA’s New England Chapter. Perched on the shore of Vermont’s Lake Champlain, this new house was designed to reflect Vermont’s Colonial and Federal architectural as an elegant and comfortable weekend and summer escape for a young, New York City-based family. We were fortunate to collaborate with our creative clients, interior designer Miles Redd of Redd|Kahoi, and landscape designer Miranda Brooks to create a house that feels so connected to its site while offering visual surprises and delights that unfold as you move through it. [Project photos by Noe DeWitt]

New Media Coverage
Cover of Traditional Building magazine, August 2025. People walk through a grand hall with arched ceilings, ornate chandeliers, and large arched windows. Text reads: 2025 Palladio Awards at the bottom center.
A cobblestone path winds between manicured shrubs and leafy trees, leading to a grey shingle house with white-trimmed windows and glass doors. VOGUE is boldly overlaid at the top in white letters.
A magazine cover titled FREDERIC shows a sunlit bathroom with marble sink, gold fixtures, glass-front cabinets, woven baskets, a white door, a large window, a potted orchid on a small black table, and the text A Fresh Perspective at the bottom.

In addition to AD featuring our new Southamton project in their July/August issue, we were delighted to have another oceanside Hamptons project (which was also a winner of a 2025 McKim, Mead & White Award) featured in a multi-page spread in Vogue’s summer issue. Traditional Building featured our Palladio Award winning project in Maine in their August issue, and later that month, Gil and his wife, interior designer Courtnay Daniels, shared some of their favorite Maine haunts with Frederic magazine in anticipation of the Downeast Antiques Show. [Middle image: Simon Upton]

A white two-story house with tall columns and a front porch stands among green trees. A small white outbuilding is to the left. Neatly trimmed hedges and a gravel driveway lead to the entrance. The yard is spacious and well-manicured.
A white Greek Revival house with tall columns, black shutters, and a peaked pediment stands surrounded by trimmed hedges, potted plants, and lush green grass on a sunny day with trees in the background.

This summer also brought a new chapter for Gil who, after 26 years at his beloved house in the Hudson Valley, put Middlefield up for sale in order to start a new architectural adventure with Courtnay. A number of media outlets, including Elle Decor and journalist Robert Khederian’s popular substack Not Enough Hangers, wrote up the sale and interviewed Gil about the property and his future plans. To read these and see other recent media clips, please visit our Press and Online Media Sections >
[Photography by Eric Piasecki and Gil Schafer]

Ten people pose, smiling, on a riverside promenade at night. Most wear YOLO shirts; one wears a Notre Dame shirt. Tall, illuminated city buildings and a lit-up skyscraper spire rise in the background, reflecting in the water behind them.
Firm Volleyball Win

Not surprisingly, our team’s talents extend beyond the office, and we were excited to have an outstanding summer volleyball season. The firm’s team plays in Volo’s beach volleyball league with games held on Pier 25 on the West Side Highway. We ended the season with a 6-0 record and had a good run in the playoffs. The countdown to our 2026 season is already on!

Waterworks Staff Tour
A group of people socialize in a bright, modern room with white walls and sample boards. Most are standing, talking, or holding drinks. The atmosphere is casual and friendly, with men and women dressed in business-casual attire.
A group of about 28 people stands and poses on a modern indoor stairway, smiling at the camera. Three people stand at the bottom by a glass wall. Behind them is a large, colorful, geometric mural and modern decor with a potted plant.
A group of people listens to a man speaking in a modern showroom with white walls, bathtubs, mirrors, and sinks. Some people stand with arms crossed or hands in pockets. A potted plant and glass partitions are in the foreground. Bright ceiling lights illuminate the space.
A group of people converse, eat, and drink at a social event in a modern kitchen showroom. There are snacks and drinks on an island, a bathtub in the foreground, and a bartender behind the counter. Bright lighting and white cabinetry fill the space.

We loved visiting the new Waterworks Flatiron Showroom for a private tour and happy hour. In October, the Waterworks team generously walked us through their new renovated and expanded showroom, and we got to enjoy their beautiful space while learning more about the company’s new products, chatting about projects, and enjoying a lovely spread of food and drinks.  Thank you, Waterworks!

A man in a suit speaks at a podium onstage in an auditorium. People are seated in the foreground. A large screen displays an image of a smiling child looking through a viewer. The stage has a grand piano and blue curtains.
Gil awarded
Albert Simons Medal
of Excellence

Gil was honored to receive the Simons Medal of Excellence, an award created in honor of Albert Simons, a former College of Charleston professor and a local preservationist. The Simons Medal is awarded annually by the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts’ Historic Preservation and Community Planning Program. The award ceremony was held on the evening of October 30th in the Simons Center Recital Hall on the College’s campus.

Closing Chapter of the Home At Last Tour
Three people sit on armchairs on stage, engaged in a panel discussion. Behind them is a screen displaying a colorful collage of photos and the years 1995–2025. The stage features flowers, books, a small table, and a decorative stool, with wood panel walls.
Three people stand closely together, smiling for the camera. Behind them is a large screen displaying a beautifully decorated, classic interior with ornate furniture, blue-and-white vases, and framed art. The trio appears to be at an event or presentation.
A man speaks at a podium labeled Luxury Home Design Summit in front of an audience. Behind him, a screen displays an outdoor scene with a set dining table, palm trees, and a white house. The setting is indoors with neutral-colored walls and curtains.
A group of people seated at round tables in a bright room listen to a speaker at a podium. Large windows reveal greenery outside. Attendees appear engaged, and some take notes. The setting is formal, with white tablecloths and glassware on tables.

Gil has continued to travel the country for the last few of the Home At Last book tour events. In late May, he spoke at the Luxury Design Summit on Cape Cod. August took him to Maine, where he spoke at the Downeast Antiques Show with friend and frequent collaborator, interior designer Rita Konig. He spoke with another friend and collaborator, designer David Netto, at the Lauritzen Gardens Antiques & Design Show in September, and gave the keynote address at the Traditional Building Seminar in the Hudson Valley in October. In November, he was in conversation with another dear friend and collaborator, Bunny Williams, and Veranda editor in chief Steele Marcoux for the Albermarle Garden Club’s annual Design Forum event. Follow Gil and the firm on Instagram @gilschaferthearchitect and @schaferandco for the latest event updates.

A man in a white tank top, black cap, and patterned shorts runs in a race. He wears bib number 17697 with a rainbow stripe. Other runners are visible behind him, and trees line the sunlit route.
A smiling woman with long brown hair, wearing a white shirt, blue shorts, and race bib 48726, runs in a marathon. She gives two thumbs up while other runners and trees with autumn leaves are visible in the background.
Staff Marathoners

Congratulations to our team members Jack Calvert and Sarah Moshier who ran the New York City Marathon on November 2nd. This was Jack’s fifth marathon and Sarah’s first.

A group of people in a brightly lit room wear various costumes, including Cookie Monster, a witch, prisoners, cowboys, and others. Most are smiling or posing playfully, some holding props like a boom box, cookies, and a broom.
Halloween at Schafer & Company

Halloween is always a party at our office and we love seeing our colleagues come to work in their creative get-ups!