An old Riverdale rooming house was completely gutted and transformed into a playful and modern family home for an art history teacher and her family. The challenge was to balance the desire between opening the house for maximum southern light while protecting the privacy of the inhabitants on a corner lot. The solution was a series of narrow window openings, both vertical and horizontal, allowing only slices of the street views on the public sides, and expanding in the screened rear yard. The interior was also a consideration between open and closed views, where millwork was used as a backdrop to spaces instead of walls.