This month’s Featured Project from the 2025 Horner Wall Calendar takes us inside a gorgeous coastal Rhode Island home by Paul R. Doherty Builder. Known for his mastery of fine carpentry and custom millwork, Paul completed all of the interior trim in this residence, shaping each space with the artistry that has defined his work for more than four decades.

You may remember that this home was also featured in April 2025, when we highlighted the Captiva Custom Wood Door that welcomes guests at the front entry. The photograph featured for November captures the dining area at the center of the home, a bright and welcoming space filled with natural light and breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay. Horner Millwork supplied a range of products for this home, including stock and custom mouldings, Cooper Preassembled Stairs, custom MDF interior doors, and a Captiva Custom Wood Entrance Door.

COFFERED CEILINGS WITH PURPOSE

In this oceanfront home, where wide-open views of the Narragansett Bay were a priority, the absence of walls made strategic design essential to defining each space while preserving the view. In this dining area, the space is cleverly defined by the coffered ceiling above, a detail that is felt more than it is seen. Though often seen as merely decorative, coffered ceilings can act as an integral part of the home’s floorplan, gently delineating each room without interrupting the flow of traffic, light, and air.

At Horner Millwork, we take great pride in offering one of New England’s most extensive moulding selections. We stock hundreds of profiles ready for quick delivery and can also produce fully custom mouldings. Whether you need to match a historic profile or design something entirely unique, we can create exactly what you need with our state-of-the-art moulders and select hardwoods.

Learn more about our mouldings >

Thank You

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Paul R. Doherty Builder for once again partnering with Horner Millwork on such an extraordinary project, and to the homeowners for graciously welcoming us into their home and allowing us to share it with our customers. It is always an honor to collaborate with builders and clients who share our passion for craftsmanship, detail, and timeless design.

A Captiva Custom Wood Door greets guests at the entrance. This grand doorway features a sapele door flanked by two sets of sidelights and an expansive transom. Each Captiva door is handcrafted in Horner’s Somerset, MA woodworking shop, combining strength and beauty to create a lasting first impression.

Learn more about Captiva Custom Wood Doors >

The foyer showcases the incredible attention to detail that went into designing this home. Notice how the geometric tile pattern on the floor is mirrored above in the coffered ceiling, a subtle alignment that reveals the care behind every design choice. Although Paul Doherty has built hundreds of staircases on-site throughout his career, today he often relies on Cooper Stairworks for preassembled stair systems. By doing so, he can devote more time to the intricate finish work that defines his projects, knowing that Cooper will deliver the same exacting craftsmanship he values.

Learn more about Cooper Stairworks Preassembled Stairs >

Paul is known for his custom kitchens, each one built from the ground up in his woodworking shop. We love how he integrates Horner custom mouldings into his designs. In this home, the moulding profiles used in the cabinetry continue into the coffered ceiling above, tying the entire space together. With Horner’s custom capabilities, Paul can sketch a profile by hand, and our team can cut custom knives and mill the mouldings in his chosen species. For this kitchen, we milled the profiles in poplar, and Paul’s painter applied a flawless finish.

In the great room, the space opens to a dramatic vaulted ceiling that immediately draws the eye upward. Along one wall, Horner custom mouldings were used to build the cabinetry, tying the millwork seamlessly into the room’s overall architecture. At the perimeter, a built-up cornice forms a recessed tray that conceals uplighting and softly illuminates the wood ceiling above. This clever detail transitions the walls into the vaulted ceiling while discreetly housing the lighting fixtures.

The den departs from the home’s bright palette, offering a warm and intimate retreat. Grasscloth wallpaper adds texture, while the trim, mantel, and doors in a sage green bring depth and contrast.