Light Filled Hingham Harbor Home

Expansive windows and doors helped this architect achieve her goal of maximizing natural light while also bringing the outdoors in to her family’s home.

Laura Weibley, a former Pfizer biochemist, moved to the states from England at 25, shortly after ripping the ceilings out of her first renovation project, a tiny cottage in Eastry, England, where she exposed beautiful wood beams and discovered her calling. 

“I was doing all the renovations myself out of necessity since I was on such a tight budget after purchasing my first home, but it soon became my passion,” Weibley says of flipping houses. She navigated eight home renovations before casting her eyes on a parcel of land in Hingham, Massachusetts, six doors down from her family’s home.

The spot overlooking Hingham Harbor was the perfect place to build the family’s dream home. Although it was a complicated lot, Weibley had the vision to build a home where natural light filtered through from dawn until dusk. 

The new footprint not only graced the home with an infusion of natural light and felt more proportional, but it made the house feel grander. Designing an airy home with an abundance of natural light that allows the family to watch the sun rise and set every day is a gift that Weibley cherishes.

Laura custom-designed the home with her family as the centerpiece, building a huge mudroom with tons of storage at the entrance to accommodate three active children. Ten-foot basement ceilings for tumbling parties, a breakfast nook that can seat a dozen children, and a guest en suite for relatives and friends from abroad are a few of the details that make the home perfect for gatherings.