If working with Tim and JoAnn Lener is anything like interviewing them, expect lots of laughter, some playful back-and-forth, and a couple of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels hanging out with you. He loves to design using “my old oak drafting board, some paper and a marker,” while she loves to design on the computer. Tim’s a “big picture” guy, overseeing the exteriors and engineering; JoAnn’s a wiz at floor plans and flow, shaping the space and making every inch count. While they’re both very social as adults, Tim says that, in school, “I didn’t hang out anywhere but my drafting table or my wood shop,” and JoAnn admits the other girls played with Barbie’s hair and clothes, while she was busy designing Barbie’s house, complete with floor plans and elevations.
The House: The Leners transformed a small, down-at-the-heels Yorktown cabin into a picturesque New England cottage-style home with a simplified Arts and Crafts influence. Wonderful touches throughout include a back-to-back fireplace that is shared by the breakfast room and the screened porch.
Timothy P. Lener, Architect, P.C.
Timothy Lener AIA, JoAnn Lener AIA, 394 Bedford Rd, Pleasantville, (914) 747-1220; timlener.com
General contractor, builder: Nick Caricati, Noreast Construction Inc., Yorktown
Kitchen: Silva Cabinetry, Buchanan
