Often, the best way to honor the past is to look toward the future, and then blend the two together. It was in this spirit that this 3,800-square-foot, heavy-timbered home came to be. It’s built on a small parcel of land along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee that was originally purchased in 1903 by the owner’s great-grandfather. Unfortunately, the original cottage that stood on the site wasn’t able to be salvaged, but this location held so many wonderful memories that there was no doubt the homeowners would build a new home and begin a new chapter in the family legacy.
The clients wanted a home that evoked lake lodges of the past. It needed to be designed for entertaining with an open-concept living area that had easy access to the water. This was a fairly obvious request, given the home’s spectacular location long the sparkling water.
But what was a bit unexpected was the attention to detail paid to an area not devoted to everyday life — the garage. The client owns an extensive car collection, so an ample six-car garage, with carriage-style doors, was as vital as the home itself. The garage is so important to this family, it even boasts Douglas fir beams, pine walls, stone wainscoting, polished concrete flooring and in-floor heating of its own.
To achieve the historical lodge vibe the owners were after, the architecture firm of Samyn-D’Elia Architects (SDA) designed a Timberpeg post-and-beam home comprised of stone, cedar and Douglas fir that features knee braces, gables with large timber cross beams and deep roof overhangs with timber-truss accents. A large fieldstone fireplace, small mullioned windows and cedar-shake siding round out the home’s shell.
Interior finishes include pine-paneled walls, 200-year-old reclaimed barnwood flooring, painted pine cabinets, stone wainscoting and exposed beams. The combination of interior and exterior materials gives the home that distinctive air of a classic New England cottage.
A landscape design that links stonewalls, lawns, native plantings and protected mature trees assists in creating a cohesive look for the property regardless of whether you’re viewing the home from the street side or from the water, which is exactly how a lakefront home should be.
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