New Hampshire Home July-August 2020

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CONCORD 46 Henniker Street

DOVER 218 Knox Marsh Road

EXETER 18 Continental Drive

NASHUA 7 Redmond Street

302 Hounsell Avenue

LEBANON 55 Etna Road

MANCHESTER 25 Union Street SEABROOK 115 Lafayette Road

44 A Unique home for a C hallenging Site

A steep location shaped the design of a Lake Sunapee multi-level retreat that delivers for access, entertaining, and privacy. By Wendy Ducharme

Photography by John W. Hession

54 A Beautifully Crafted L akefront Retreat

A talented design team created a one-of-a-kind— and award-winning—home. By Debbie Kane

Photography by John W. Hession

64 A Gracious Lake house

Architect Jeremy Bonin designed a large house for year-round living and entertaining that still feels cozy and comfortable inside. By Jenny Donelan

Photography by John W. Hession

18 From the Editor 20 Letters from Our Readers

Favorite Finds

Outdoor Living

home Cooking Savoring Summer By Mary Ann Esposito 34 By Design A Lifelong Link By Debbie Kane

74 Garden Rx Gardens That Enhance a Home’s Renovation By Robin Sweetser

80 Master of her Craft Textile Transformations By Andi Axman

88 At home in new hampshire Once More, and Always, to the Lake By Laurie D. Morrissey

Illustration by Carolyn Vibbert

residential commercial interior design

Jenny Donelan is an editor and writer with a wide variety of interests, and has covered areas that include computer technology, best business practices, pets, skiing and home design. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe and numerous other publications.

Wendy Ducharme has been writing for New Hampshire businesses and publications since 1986. She covers a broad range of topics, but has a special interest in architecture, home design, real estate, community development and travel. She lives in Candia and can be reached at ducharmewriting.com.

Mary Ann Esposito is the host of the public television series Ciao Italia, now in its twenty-ninth season, and the author of thirteen cookbooks, including her most recent, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy. She lives in New Hampshire. Visit her website at ciaoitalia.com.

Debbie Kane is a writer and editor based on the New Hampshire Seacoast. She writes about home, design, food, spirits and a variety of other subjects for regional publications and clients across New England. She may be reached at debbiekanewriter.com.

Morgan Karanasios is New Hampshire Home’s photographer. While she was a student in Dijon, France, she took photographs throughout Europe and continues to develop her passion for photography.

Catrine Kelty is a Boston–based food stylist who was born in France and raised in Montréal with a French/European upbringing. She styles for numerous magazines and cookbooks, including the recently published The Blue Zones Kitchen by Dan Buettner and Mary Ann Esposito’s Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy. Visit her website at ckfoodstylist.com.

Rose Z. King is New Hampshire Home’s editorial assistant. She is a PhD student at the University of Glasgow, specializing in Venetian Renaissance art.

Laurie D. Morrissey has published articles and essays in many magazines, and is a frequent contributor to Northern Woodlands and its syndicated ecology column, “The Outside Story.” Her poetry appears in The Worcester Review,  Poetry East, Common Ground Review, Modern Haiku, The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku and many other journals. She lives in Hopkinton.

Gary Summerton is an award-winning New England–based photographer who specializes in work for architects, interior designers, builders, construction firms, and kitchen and bath designers. An affiliate member of ASMP, AIAP and AIANH, he lives in Sunapee Harbor with his wife Cheryl and two children, Cameron and Morgan.

Robin Sweetser writes a gardening column for the Sunday Concord Monitor and is a contributor to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, among other publications. A former Seacoast resident, she now lives and gardens in Hillsborough.

Bill Truslow has been helping clients tell their stories with photography from his Portsmouth studio for more than three decades. His work has taken him all over the world, photographing portraits, advertising campaigns and editorial images for global organizations as well as for local businesses. For more information, visit truslowphoto.com.

Carolyn Vibbert is a Portsmouth illustrator whose work also appears on packaging for food and wine brands such as Barbara’s, Stone Cellars and Williams Sonoma. She is represented by Freda Scott, and you can see more of her work at fredascottcreative.com.

july/august 2020

V ol. 14 | Number 4 N hh om e m agazine.com

Ernesto Burden e

OR Andi Axman

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Kara Steere

Rose Z. King PHOTO

Morgan Karanasios

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Jodie Hall, Nicole Huot

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Jenny Donelan, Wendy Ducharme, Mary Ann Esposito, Debbie Kane, Catrine Kelty, Laurie D. Morrissey, Gary Summerton, Robin Sweetser, Bill Truslow, Carolyn Vibbert

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Jessica Schooley (603) 413-5143 • (603) 345-2752 jschooley@mcleancommunications.com

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Brook Holmberg

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Emily Samatis

cOORD i NATOR Heather Rood Digi TAL m e D i A S P eci AL i ST Morgen Connor S AL

mANA ge R Angela LeBrun

editorial Corresponden C e Andi Axman, editor

New HampsHire Home 150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 736-8056 editor@NHHomeMagazine.com

s ubs C riptions

Subscriptions, N ew H amps H ire H ome PO Box 433273; Palm Coast, FL 32143 or call (877) 494-2036; or subscribe online at NHHomeMagazine.com; or email NHHome@emailcustomerservice.com

New HampsHire Home is published bimonthly by McLean Communications, Inc.; 150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH 03101; (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the publisher’s written permission is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, McLean Communications, Inc.: New HampsHire Home disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors.

Summertime and the Living Is…

As we learn how to maneuver in this new normal, two places we can find comfort are home and the outdoors.

… Not as easy as it used to be. We’re still figuring out how to adapt to Covid-19 being part of our lives. So many things are now more challenging—or worse, impossible. Did we ever imagine yearning for the days when we’d have friends over for dinner or visit loved ones out of town? Or go on a vacation? Could we envision working from home? Becoming our children’s teachers? Who ever gave grocery shopping a second thought and thought it would require so much planning? The list goes on.

As we learn how to maneuver in this new normal, two places we can find comfort are home and the outdoors. New Hampshire has an abundance of natural beauty so if we have to stay put this summer, our state is a great place to be.

That’s what drew two couples from the New York City area to the Lake Sunapee region—one worked with Jeremy Bonin, of Bonin Architects in New London, to design a year-round home (page 64); another worked with architect Peter J. White in New London to create a place for friends and family to enjoy time together (page 44).

A third couple came to Ken Tatro, of Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC in Meredith, when they discovered the perfect site on Lake Winnipesaukee (page 54). The home he created caught the attention of the 2019 New HampsHire Home Design Awards judges, who gave it an honorable mention for architectural design.

When they moved from Gilford to her family’s summer cottage on the other side of Lake Winnipesaukee, Lynn and Dick Elkinton enlisted architect Aimee Bentley, of Beckwith Builders in Wolfeboro, and interior designer Michael Cebula, of Cebula Design in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to build a more functional, year-round home on the site (page 34).

Sally and Bruce Larsen turned to architect David Drasba, of Scully Architects in Keene, to design their Jaffrey Center home’s additions as well as noted landscape designer Gordon Hayward to develop a landscaping plan that unified the old and new portions of the house (page 74). Not only have Sally’s beautiful gardens been featured on numerous garden tours, she’s also documented them for the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens.

Summer is also the time to savor fresh, local fruits and vegetables, and Mary Ann Esposito provides some delicious recipes (page 28). Bon appétit and enjoy summer!

Editor

P.S. It is with a heavy heart I let you know this is my last issue as editor of New HampsHire Home. I have loved being a part of each and every issue of this publication, and will miss you, dear reader. Here’s to all of us continuing to celebrate the great work of New Hampshire’s design community.

Gardens, Gardens and More Gardens

In late April, I started reading your garden issue [New Hampshire Home, May/June 2020] at the end of the driveway, having pulled it from the mailbox, and it was a very slow walk to the house. What a feast for despairing eyes; what hope and cheer it brought—not only for the day but also for the coming spring. The bold artistry of Jill Nooney brings a smile to the face [Looking Ahead at Bedrock Gardens]. Gardeners can learn a lot from the photograph of Bill Noble’s flower garden [A Garden of One’s Own] with mixed shrubs and perennials, reminiscent of some more contemporary English gardens. I will definitely look for his book. The Garden Rx section with suggestions for springflowering shrubs [Spring Gems] is very noteworthy. Many thanks for a bright spot and something to look forward to. You have done a wonderful job, and orchestrated it well with your talented group of writers and photographers.

— Debbie Hopkins in Wolfeboro

bee balm and hydrangeas. Right: Deutzia x ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’ matures between one- and two-feet tall, with a two- to three-foot spread.

The best thing happened to me today. The May/June 2020 issue of New Hampshire Home arrived in my mail. Robin Sweetser’s feature on Bedrock Gardens [Looking Ahead at Bedrock Gardens] is fantastic, and I love her writing. I think I have read this story three times and want to again. Morgan Karanasios’s photos and art director John Goodwin’s layout are gorgeous. I was so delighted to see the cover. My heart needed this work of art. Thank you!! You have captured the good news of a special place that is needed in these times. Bravo!

— Kate Bashline, community outreach coordinator of Bedrock Gardens in Lee

Your May/June 2020 issue contains a wonderful review of Spring Gems—plants, shrubs and trees that thrive in New Hampshire—that we found most informative. We are always looking for plants that can survive our winters, and flourish in spring and summer. So we were just delighted to see this review of possibilities. Some of these plants we already enjoy, but many were new to us and will likely become a part of our landscape. Thank you for the timely article and for the advice of our local horticultural experts.

— Barbara and Bob DeGuise in Amherst

I love your magazine! I soaked up the May/June 2020 issue and have too many pages earmarked for future reference—so many beautiful gardens!

— Cynthia Copeland in Keene

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told during my first meeting with a client something like: “I’ve been following your projects in New Hampshire Home for more than ten years, and I love the designs your office produces. It’s a privilege to finally meet you.”

I met with one potential client who had collected photographs she loved. All her photos were of our lakefront houses! She hadn’t made the connection and was surprised when she realized we had designed all the lake camps she loved.

Thank you for continuing to publish some of our projects!

— Christopher P. Williams, AIA of Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC in Meredith

We love hearing your thoughts about the stories we’ve published, and we’re always on the lookout for homes and gardens that might interest our readers. Write to us at Editor; New Hampshire Home; 150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH 03101; or e-mail editor@NHHomeMagazine.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

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home cooking with Mary Ann

Esposito

Savoring Summer

It's the time of year to make the most of fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables.

high summer is what a gardener waits for all year long. This is when many fruits and vegetables explode on bushes, on vines and in perfectly hoed rows.

In my own home garden, I am like a kid in a candy store, not knowing what to choose to harvest first. Those cute-asa-button yellow cherry tomatoes called SunGold are as sweet as any candy, and I pop them in my mouth by the handful as I fill my basket. Some will go into salad, some I will dry for winter use, and some I will make into a refreshingly light tomato sauce for pasta.

Over by the sunniest side of the garden are beautiful and shiny purple eggplant. Those will go into a classic eggplant parmigiana, and some will be pickled, too.

By my count, there are more than twenty kinds of vegetables in the garden. Looking over this expanse of man-made creation, I am grateful for the magic of soil and seed. As the yields come in—and it is usually all at once, during July and August—I am ready with a plan to turn long yellow Italian beans, green striped zucchini, sturdy Swiss chard with rainbow-colored stems, bright red tomatoes, quilted looking leaves of kale and a host of others into a minestrone soup as I think ahead to cold winter days when a bowl of soup made with vegetables from my garden will bring back those sunny memories.

Grander garden thoughts get the better of me as I harvest an abundance of tomatoes and think to myself: What if I fill some crepes with a mixed vegetable combination? Why not?

Once I finish gathering all the vegetables, I head over toward the little garden shed where, on either side, my husband has planted a variety of blueberry bushes, along with peach and cherry trees. Harvesting the blueberries is especially challenging since the birds get first dibs and pluck the perfect ones, leaving me the hard-as-a-rock green ones. Still I manage to get enough to sprinkle on cereal or add to a risotto that I learned

By Mary Ann Esposito | Photography by John W. Hession | Food

to make years ago when visiting friends in northern Italy

Even if you do not have a home garden, a local farmers’ market or roadside stands offer the best of the summer season. So take advantage of it while you can. Summer’s passing is swift, and with it goes the availability and taste of fresh fruits and vegetables. Now is the time to savor the best. NHH

Catrine Kelty

Yellow Tomato Sauce

Makes about 2½ cups

This yellow tomato sauce is made from the SunGold cherry tomato variety, which grows well in my garden. Sweet as sugar and plump with a mild flavor, this sauce goes together in minutes and is best made in season. Use the sauce for pasta, for fish or in risotto.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 cups coarsely chopped yellow cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook until soft.

2. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Add the yellow tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well.

3. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

4. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

home cooking with Mary Ann Esposito

Risotto with Blueberries Serve S 6

I was so surprised to have this dish in northern Italy, never having thought to add blueberries to risotto. But it is a perfectly delicious accompaniment to chicken or duck dishes.

4½–5 cups chicken broth

6 tablespoons butter

½ cup finely minced white onion

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine, divided

1 cup fresh blueberries

1. In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer and keep warm.

2. In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until very soft—do not allow it to brown; it should remain colorless and almost seem to dissolve. Add the rice, stirring to coat each grain with the butter-onion mixture. Lower the heat to medium-low and add ½ cup of the white wine.

3. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the wine is absorbed. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth and cook, continuing to stir, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining ½ cup of wine. Add 4 cups of the broth, a half cup at a time, while continuing to stir—allow the rice to absorb each addition of liquid. The rice should be al dente, not mushy. If necessary, add up to ½ cup more of broth.

4. Reduce the heat to low and add the blueberries. Cook, stirring to mash the berries slightly until they have softened. Serve at once.

Hot and Spicy Zucchini Coins (Zucchini all'Arrabiata)

Serve S 4

Test your taste buds with tender, small-size zucchini coins sautéed in olive oil and mixed with just a teaspoon of hot red-pepper paste.   This is a hot and spicy, perfect side dish that can go with anything.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 small zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch round coins

1 teaspoon hot red-pepper paste or 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-size sauté pan and, when the oil begins to shimmer, add the zucchini and stir a few times.

2. Cover the pan, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, or just until the zucchini begins to brown.

3. Stir in the pepper paste or pepper flakes, and cook 2–3 minutes longer, just until the zucchini is tender.

4. Stir in the parsley and cheese. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and serve hot.

Recipe from Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites

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Crepes with Vegetables and Cheese

These elegant crepes make a wonderful first course or a light supper with a green salad.

Crepe Batter

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons grated nutmeg

2 large eggs, beaten

1 large egg yolk, beaten

1½–1¾ cups milk, divided

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Crepe Batter (see recipe below)

1–1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, well drained

1 large egg, beaten with a fork

1½ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus an additional 11/3 cup

1 cup seeded and diced fresh plum tomatoes, drained of their juice

21/3 cups chopped cooked broccoli

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pans and more for serving

1. Lightly butter a 6- or 8-inch crepe pan or a frying pan, and heat it over medium heat until the pan is hot. Add ¼ cup of the Crepe Batter and swirl the pan to make sure the bottom is evenly coated with a thin layer of batter.

2. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until the crepe is lightly browned on the underside. Flip it over and cook the other side until lightly browned.

3. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the crepes between sheets of wax paper as each crepe is made. Lightly grease the pan every so often to prevent the batter from sticking.

4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9-inch-by12-inch baking dish.

5. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg and 1½ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and mix well.

6. Add the tomatoes, broccoli, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper, and combine well.

7. Spread about ¼ cup of the filling over each crepe and roll up into a cylinder. Place the crepes in a single layer, seam side down, in the buttered dish. Drizzle the melted butter over them and sprinkle with 11/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

8. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until piping hot. If you wish, put the crepes under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. Serve immediately with additional melted butter on the side.

1. Sift the flour, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and egg yolk, 1½ cups of milk, and the butter.

2. Whisk the mixture until smooth and the consistency of pancake batter.

3. Stir in the cheese. If the batter seems too thin, add a little more flour; if too thick, add a little milk.

A Lifelong Link

A couple builds their yearround home on the lakefront site of the wife’s family’s summer cottage.

Lynn Elkinton and her family are among generations of Lake Winnipesaukee homeowners with a lifelong connection to New Hampshire’s most iconic lake. Originally from New Jersey, Lynn spent many happy summers in her family’s small lakefront cottage in Wolfeboro, swimming, boating and relaxing; she even met her husband, Dick, during one of those summers.

Later, when Lynn’s father offered to sell them the cottage, the couple—who lived yearround across the lake with their daughters in Gilford—jumped at the opportunity.

“The cottage was easy to use in the summer when the girls were young,” Lynn says. “When they were grown, and we had more guests in the house, it felt more cramped and uncomfortable.” The couple decided to build a more functional home where they could live full-time while welcoming friends and family

The couple wanted a home that complemented its wooded, lakefront setting. “It was important to have the house fit in rather than stand out,” Lynn says. “I wanted it to look like it belonged at the edge of a lake.

By Debbie Kane | Photography by John W. Hession and Morgan Karanasios

Many of the interior color choices were informed by the natural colors outside the house.”

The Elkintons were familiar with building a home—they built their Gilford residence—and weren’t afraid to tear down the Wolfeboro cottage and start over. “I love the process of planning spaces and how they’re used, then adding the elements that make a house a home,” Lynn says.

Created from art

Architect Aimee Bentley, of Beckwith Builders in Wolfeboro, helped the Elkintons visualize and build their new home.

A talented fabric artist, Lynn added her intuitive design perspective to the project; her stunning contemporary quilts are found throughout the home. “Her quilts and colors are beautiful,” Bentley says. “As we were going through the design process, I got a sense of what her tastes are, what interests her and how elements go together. It’s what makes the house unique and comfortable because Lynn could see how everything came together.”

Designed

for comfort

The 4,800-square-foot home stands on a steep lot at the end of a curving driveway. The front door and garage doors,

The home, which is spacious but doesn’t feel overwhelming, fits in with its wooded surroundings. To help with the exterior spaces, the Elkintons worked with Shamrock Landscaping in Mirror Lake.

constructed of Douglas fir, enhance the home’s classic cedar-shingle façade. Designed for easy living and comfort, primary living spaces—including the kitchen and master bedroom suite—are accessed on the main floor; a finished walk-out basement on the lower level offers access to the lake and can be used as an in-law apartment, with an office and full bath. Two guest suites are located on the second floor, and Lynn’s spacious art studio is over the garage. “The home is a good size but doesn’t feel big,” Bentley says. “It has a comfortable cottage feel.”

Inside is lots of light, thanks to abundant windows and high ceilings. Radiant-heated floors throughout are rustic white oak. The home is comfortable year-round thanks to spray-in insulation in the walls and roof as well as a heat pump that draws in warm and cool air from outside.

Interior details

Michael Cebula, of Cebula Design in Newburyport, Massachusetts, helped Lynn with accent color choices throughout the interiors as well as furniture placement and accessory choices. Inspired by the color and texture of Lynn’s quilts, he presented several storyboards with suggestions for colors and fabrics, especially in the dining and family rooms, which are centered around a large granite stone fireplace. “Lynn wanted a colorful space,” Cebula says. “She wanted warm reds, oranges and turquoise, which we incorporated with pillows, upholstery and carpets. She really likes texture as well as color.”

He also helped Lynn with furniture placement and incorporated many of the Elkintons’ treasured family antiques into his room designs. “This is the first time I’ve worked with a designer,” Lynn says. “And Michael was so easy to work with.”

Built-ins, shelves and ceiling beams were custom built and installed by Beckwith Builders.

continued from page 37

The kitchen

The kitchen is one of Lynn’s favorite spaces. “I love to cook,” she says. “We had just renovated the kitchen in our last house, so I knew exactly how I wanted things arranged.” The wellappointed space includes a six-burner Wolf range; a stainless-steel farmhouse sink; pull-out drawer storage for pots and pans in the center island; as well as a pantry that incorporates elements from the Elkintons’ original cottage (“Aimee was able to find brackets that complemented the ones we saved from the cottage for the pantry shelves,” Lynn says).

The pale gray kitchen cabinetry, designed by Crown Point Cabinetry in Claremont, is set off by gray-glazed tile and black granite countertops. The

island is topped in Blue Eyes granite from Italy.

Another detail that delights Lynn: the Tech Lighting cable rail lights that are strung across the kitchen. “At night, it’s like having stars in the sky,” Lynn says. “I love the way they look.”

Spaces for living

Lynn’s other favorite space is, naturally, her design studio and office. Spacious and functional, there is plenty of room for her to attend to several projects at a time. Grouped in the center of the room is a Bernina sewing table that holds several sewing machines and various cutting boards, where Lynn can cut fabric and assemble projects. A large cutting table abuts the sewing table.

Along one wall is an Elfa storage system with moveable baskets of fabric, organized by color, that Lynn can pull over to the sewing station. Under three windows facing the front of the house is a corner desk housing Lynn’s computer and office supplies. by design

In another area, she has a sink where she can hand-dye fabric. Cork flooring throughout the room is pretty to look at and comfortable to walk on.

Lynn also worked with Beckwith Builders to create a design wall—made of homasote (a recycled paper fiber board) and covered in flannel—which she uses to manipulate quilt pieces and imagine new work.

The Elkintons enjoy their home no matter the season—not only its design but its location. Situated on a part of Lake Winnipesaukee known as “the Broads,” the house offers expansive views of the water year-round. “We can see dramatic thunderstorms rolling across the lake as well as gorgeous sunsets,” Lynn says. “We just love being here.” NHH

Resou R c es

Baker Furniture • bakerfurniture.com

Beckwith Builders • (603) 569-6829 beckwithbuilders.com

Branch & Bloom • (603) 569-1347

Cebula Design • (978) 462-6984 • cebuladesign.com

Crown Point Cabinetry • (603) 542-1273 crown-point.com

Elfa • elfa.com

Farrow & Ball • farrow-ball.com

Pompanoosuc Mills • pompy.com

Shamrock Landscaping • (603) 569-6960

Tech Lighting • (847) 410-4400 • techlighting.com

Tufenkian • tufenkian.com

Wolf • subzero-wolf.com

Lea Kelsey, President

A Unique Home for a

Perched on a waterfront site, the home’s low profile from the front conceals the multiple levels of living space within. Architect Peter J. White in New London designed the home.

Challenging Site

A steep, l A keside loc Ation sh A ped the design of A multi-level retre At.

By Wendy Ducharme |

MMargaret Keane-Hajdarovic and H er H usband, j er ry, never considered themselves “lake people” until they visited a friend’s home at Lake Sunapee. The couple had always been drawn to ocean environments, but then they saw the beauty and serenity of Lake Sunapee and fell in love. They knew they had found the perfect spot for their second home.

As the chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 financial corporation, Margaret has a very busy professional life, while Jerry works long hours with a four-hour daily commute to and from New York City. They needed a haven where they could unwind with family and friends—the more the merrier. In 2012, Margaret and Jerry bought a home perched on the banks of Lake Sunapee, adjacent to a rocky, narrow lot that was considered virtually unbuildable.

As Margaret and her family navigated the steep climb to and from the water and hosted extended family gatherings that overflowed their home, the undeveloped lot next door was beckoning. Could a family compound be created to provide easier access to the lake, more entertaining spaces, additional bedrooms and more privacy for the family when entertaining?

Margaret and Jerry turned to New London design/build firm McGray & Nichols to find out. The couple had worked with Louise Bonfiglio, owner of McGray & Nichols, on an addition for their current Lake Sunapee home and trusted her judgment. “I looked at the lot and decided we could do it,” Bonfiglio says. “Site work was clearly going to be the biggest challenge because of all the boulders, ledge and the steepness, but it appeared to be a buildable site.”

The Hajdarovics bought the lot in 2016 and began refining their vision for the property. “We wanted the new house to complement the other house and not duplicate functions,” Margaret says. The original house had a lot of bedrooms but not a lot of space for outdoor entertaining, so Margaret and Jerry placed a priority on entertainment areas and easy access to the lake for the new property. The couple envisioned a family resort, with guests strolling from one property to the other, depending on what they were doing.

Site challenges

McGray & Nichols drew upon an experienced team to design the project. The first call was to landscape architect Chris Kessler at Pellettieri Associates in Warner. “Lake Sunapee has a lot of these steep sites. It takes close coordination with a landscape architect to do the site work and get the house built,” Bonfiglio says.

Architect Peter White, of Peter J. White and Associates in New London, was the next to join the team. White had designed many homes on Lake Sunapee—including the Hajdarovics’ existing home—but he says this was one of the most challenging sites he had confronted. In addition to forty feet

of elevation change between the road and the lake, the site had been filled in over the years with large boulders from construction elsewhere. “The site was not virgin soil. When you have fill, it poses huge structural challenges,” White says.

The narrowness of the lot, stringent setback ordinances established by the homeowner’s association, height ordinances and waterfront building regulations magnified the design challenge. “The site drove the original layout. We only had so much space to work with, yet we needed to make sure there was a nice flow between public and private spaces. It was a fun challenge,” White says.

Innovative solution

White and Kessler worked together to craft a solution that tucked the home right into the steep hillside. From the front drive and road, the house has a low profile; it is only from the back that visitors see how it cascades down the hillside.

Mary Patten, now of Sante Fe Home, LLC in New Mexico but then the project’s interior designer, describes the design as “almost like a multilayered tree house.” There are 5,400 square feet of living space and a 612-square-foot garage spread between six levels. Each level is linked by both stairs and an elevator.

The lowest level is, as Margaret describes, “entertainment central.” Her adult son, Brian, had a hand in creating a game room with billiards, a wet bar, a movie theater and even a hidden poker room. These spaces lead to an expansive Bradbury Creek granite terrace with a beautiful, cedar hot tub, outdoor shower, granite fire pit, and outdoor dining and seating areas. A more private area of the bottom floor features two bedrooms with baths and a laundry area.

The main level with the kitchen, great room, dining room, powder room, screened porch and deck access is next, with the entry foyer just a few steps above. The mudroom, entry, pantry and garage occupy the next level of the complex, sixlevel floor plan. The next level up is home to an expansive master bedroom suite with sitting area, home office and laundry. A fun bunkroom atop the garage is the very highest floor.

An emphasis on flow

Each of the home’s six floors links to various levels of landscape so the inside and outside are completely integrated. “We made an effort so the exterior and interior floor plans worked well together,” Kessler says. “Each level relates directly to the landscape through doors to terraces or decks. The ability to enter or exit the home on multiple areas and connect easily to the adjacent property is partially what makes the design so successful.”

From an exterior color palette that reflects the natural tones of the environment, to stone veneer on the lowest level that melds into stone terraces, swales and native plantings, the home seems to have grown organically out of the rocky site. A series of terraces breaks up the walk to the water—with the stone used becoming more natural and rustic during the passage from the house, to the ipe wood deck on the waterfront. “We used different materials to highlight the level of formality of a space or desired connection points,” Kessler says.

The outside and inside merge at pivotal transitions. Weather permitting, a screened porch with a gas fireplace is open to the adjacent dining room, providing a wonderful gathering space that is neither inside nor out. In cooler weather, a NanaWall folding glass wall is drawn across the opening, maintaining the view. Similarly, glass doors from the game room draw the eye to the outdoor terrace and the lake beyond. The color

of the flooring in the room was selected to reflect the color of the terrace, providing a visual segue between the exterior and interior.

Mary Patten joined the team as soon as conceptual drawings had been completed. She collaborated with White and Kessler to ensure a graceful flow between indoor and outdoor environments, public and private spaces, and the new and existing homes. “It was a treat to work on a house that was designed so well for its purpose and vision,” Patten says.

Patten first met Margaret and Jerry when they called upon her to create and furnish the interiors of their first Lake Sunapee home. Patten knew the couple treasured time with family and friends, but she wanted to be sure the new home also served as a hideaway with personal spaces just for them. Patten credits White for designing and McGray & Nichols for building “a wonderful, magical space that enabled me to create fabulous microenvironments.” Nooks and crannies are tucked throughout the home, creating private getaways even while the house easily accommodates a crowd.

The new house and the original home func-

A granite fire pit is the focal point of the expansive main patio, accessed directly from the bottom level of the home. The retaining wall doubles as seating.

Below: A series of terraces and stone steps lead to a wonderful waterfront deck crafted from ipe wood, which is naturally fire, insect and water resistant.

tion as a family compound, so the design team was tasked with yet another challenge: how to unite the two properties so they look related but not identical. Kessler explains that connection between the two properties begins right at the entrance from the road. A single driveway from the road leads to an entry court with access to the new home on the left and the existing home on the right. While paving materials artfully provide visual definition for each property, the shared entrance immediately telegraphs that the two properties are part of a whole.

White recalls having an early conversation with Margaret and Jerry in which he gave them a choice of building a home that looked the same as the existing one, a home that incorporated similar elements or a home that looked totally different. They chose the middle option—which, White laughs, “is probably the most difficult of the three.” Colors and architectural elements are similar, yet the new property has its own spin on everything from bracket and dormer style, to roofing material. “We worked really hard getting the roof lines to work,” White says. “We needed them to flow and be cohesive.”

Similarly, the interiors of the two homes are compatible but not duplicates. Margaret felt the original home was a bit dark, and wanted the new house to feel lighter and airier. It was designed with higher ceilings, more glass and a more open floor plan. Bonfiglio calls the building style “faux timber frame.” Although it was not constructed using timber-frame techniques, it sports the beams and open spaces of a traditional timberframe house.

The interior is filled with oak and painted wood finishes, along with a wonderful stone fireplace, that provide a classic New Hampshire lake house feel with a dash of sophistication. Patten calls it “country elegance.” “The interiors are casual and comfortable, but I upped the ante with wonderful materials,” she says.

A labor of love

Construction on the new home was not for the faint of heart. The steep site required the team to start at the water’s edge and work up the hill as they excavated, graded and built retaining walls along the way. Just getting the machinery down to do the work was challenging. Then road closures forced the project

to shut down from February until May 2018.

Despite the challenges, the home is a favorite among the team who created it. They relished the challenge of the so-called “unbuildable” site, and appreciated Margaret and Jerry’s openness to ideas and trust. “It was such a blessing to work for Margaret and Jerry, and with such a wonderful design,” Patten says.

As for the Hajdarovics, they got just they wanted: a magical spot for friends and family to enjoy time together, as well as a tranquil private retreat when they or their two adult children just want to get away. “The best thing,” Margaret says, “is that the new house is really great for all seasons. We’ve got the back terraces and waterfront for summer, the screened porch for fall, the fireplaces for winter. It is wonderful no matter when we go. I can feel my blood pressure drop when we hit the road to the house.” NHH

Resou R c es

Maine Cedar Hot Tubs • (207) 474-0953 • mainecedartubs.com

Mark James Stone Masonry • (603) 848-4888

markjamesstonemasonry.com

McGray & Nichols • (603) 526-2877 • mcgray-nichols.com

NanaWall • nanawall.com

Pellettieri Associates • (888) 826-2275 • pellettieriassoc.com

Peter J. White, Assoc. AIA • (603) 526-2445 • sheerrwhite.com

Sante Fe Home LLC • (505) 930-5956 • santafehomellc.com

A Beautifully Crafted

Lakefront Retreat

By Debbie Kane |

by John W. Hession

MMore than twenty years ago, Mary Louise (ML) and Larry Krakauer discovered the perfect site for their second home: a property on Lake Winnipesaukee. When they purchased the site, there was a small house on the lot but the Krakauers knew they wanted something more—a retreat with room to entertain friends and family, easy access to the water and a design that was a little different. “We wanted a house that was comfortable and casual where people could come in from the beach and relax,” ML says. “We also wanted something playful, that wasn’t formal or buttoned up.”

Together with members of their design and building team—architect Ken Tatro, of Christopher P. Williams Architects in Meredith; Meridian Construction in Gilford; Mink Hill Timber Frame Homes in Bradford; Omega Structural Engineers, PLLC in Newbury; Kitchen Encounters in Laconia; and designer Will Correia, of Circle Furniture in Pembroke, Massachusetts—the couple built a unique home that’s designed to last a lifetime. The project also caught the attention of the 2019 New HampsHire Home Design Awards judges, who gave it an honorable mention for architectural design.

Left: Architect Ken Tatro’s sandcastle design, with the house rising in different tiers, helps with the building’s visual massing and brings light into the home’s central living spaces. Positioning the home at an angle on the property created a larger backyard living space and better views of the lake.

Below: The curved eyebrow design is repeated in details like the front entrance overhang and one of the garage doors.

A home inspired by a sandcastle

The existing structure on the lot didn’t meet the couple’s needs. “The original home wasn’t well built or energy efficient,” Tatro says. “It wasn’t suited to its site, and there was no view to the beach. I wanted to design a new home that was sited well on the lot.”

The Krakauers wanted to be good stewards of the environment, so the new home complements its wooded landscape. Tatro positioned the structure at an angle from the lake, creating more interior views of the water and more functional lakeside space outdoors. He imagined the three-level house as a sandcastle, rising in tiers with a timber-framed central living area. The ground floor—encompassing a walkout basement and bunkroom—acts as a base for the rest of the home. The main and upper levels gradually rise to a cupola at the structure’s highest point. “The tiered shape helps with the volume of the interior spaces and brings light into the core of the

home,” Tatro says. The main and upper floors— which include a master bedroom suite as well as five bedrooms and an office—extend into two wings off the home’s center axis.

The cedar-shingled and stone home is well insulated, too, with an intelligent membrane system—a double-exterior wall and doubleframed roof—that controls vapor and circulates air through the walls and roof, enabling the structure to breathe. “It’s a relatively new type of system that really makes homes energy efficient,” says Tim Long, owner of Meridian Construction.

The external overhangs were constructed separately from the roof, then attached to the walls, which reduces thermal break and creates a continuous membrane system. The cupola on top of the home was built by Meridian on site, then lifted into place. Heated floors in the bathrooms and heat pumps keep the house warm during chilly days and nights.

Eyebrow arches create drama at the entrance

to the home and on its north side, facing the water, and reflect the wooded surroundings. Inside, views from the front hall look past a central stairway through windows to the lake.

Dramatic timber framing anchors the living areas

The home’s most dramatic feature is its beautiful, interior timber-frame construction. Stretching upward, the multi-tiered, hexagon-shaped framing anchors the center of the home, creating natural gathering spaces on the main level, including the kitchen, dining area and smaller seating areas. “Many timberframed spaces can feel overwhelming and the space loses intimacy,” says Kyle Whitehead, who, together with Taylor Blachly and Lucas Fowler of Mink Hill Timber Frame Homes, constructed the Douglas-fir timber frame. “The first level of framing in the Krakauers’ home is lower so it’s cozier. It’s a unique design.”

This central living area is the Krakauers’ favorite space. “It can handle a fair number of people who can break into different groups to do different things,” ML says. “I really like the community it creates when people are here.”

The home’s design team included, from the top: Christopher P. Williams and Ken Tatro, of Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC in Meredith; Alex Azodi, of Omega Structural Engineers, PLLC in Newbury; John Bruss and Tim Long, of Meridian Construction

The user-friendly kitchen, tucked under the slanted ceiling, was designed by Kitchen Encounters in Laconia. Custom-built oak cabinets help the kitchen fit seamlessly into the timber-framed space. A granite-topped center island faces the dining and living areas. A coffee bar on the far side of the space and a separate island with a beverage refrigerator enable guests to pour a cup of coffee or grab a drink without disturbing any action in the kitchen. “It’s nice to be in the kitchen but still be part of whatever’s going on across the room,” ML says.

Spaces for gathering

A challenge for Correia was selecting and grouping furniture that fit the spaces created by the post-and-beam design in the central living areas. “With all the amber wood in the main part of the house, I wanted a different color wood for the furnishings. So I selected a walnut dining set as well as a walnut coffee table and TV console in one of the seating areas,” he says.

Correia also selected earth tones for the walls and other furnishings throughout the house. “The monochromatic palette is very restful and organic,” he says. The walnut dining set, which seats sixteen, is centered under the cupola; above, two large ceiling fans help circulate air. Comfortable chairs grouped by the windows as well as a sofa and other furnishings by a large stone fireplace encourage contemplation and relaxation.

Upstairs, an open hallway overlooks the downstairs living space as well as connects the bedrooms and office spaces. A secret “club” room for children, accessed through a cabinet door, invites curious youngsters to spy through a portal window overlooking the downstairs living spaces. Another whimsical detail: coloredglass doorknobs in different shapes on doors throughout the house. “They’re fun things that make it an interesting house,” ML says. The builtins, stairs, railings and newel posts as well as the second-floor balcony were built by Meridian Construction.

Outdoors, a deck on the north side of the house offers seating as well as a fireplace and built-in grill. Underneath the deck, behind a steel grillwork door, is storage for kayaks, life vests, and various water and beach toys. The basement level contains a bunkroom to accommodate multiple visitors as well as a gym.

Congrats to teamwork

Ultimately, building the Krakauers’ home was a labor of love for the designers, construction crew and tradesmen working on the project. “Everyone was happy to be there,” Tatro says. “There was a lot of coordination, but everyone got along.” Correia agrees. “I think all of us really loved the craftsmanship it took to pull the house together,” he says. “It worked out beautifully.” NHH

Resou R c es

Big Ass Fans • (877) 244-3267 • bigassfans.com

Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC • (603) 279-6513 cpwarchitects.com

Circle Furniture • (978) 274-7000 • circlefurniture.com

Kitchen Encounters • (603) 366-9933 • kitchenencountersnh.com

Meridian Construction • (603) 527-0101 • meridiannh.com

Mink Hill Timber Frame Homes • (603) 938-6219 timberframenh.com

Omega Structural Engineers, PLLC • (603) 938-6222

A GrAcious Lake House

Architect Jeremy Bonin designed A l A rge house for yeA r-round living A nd entertA ining thAt still feels cozy A nd comfortAB le i nside.

By Jenny Donelan | PhotograPhy By John W. hession

A few ye A rs A go, when a couple from a suburb of New York City started thinking about a more bucolic place to live, their thoughts turned to the Granite State. “People we know have such wonderful memories of summers spent in New Hampshire,” they say. “When they would talk about how magical it was, they would always get this little twinkle in their eye. We knew we wanted to offer that same experience to our grandchildren.” Eventually, the couple found a lovely site on a lake in the Sunapee region.

There was already a house on the property, but the space didn’t provide the functionality the couple wanted in terms of space, views and natural light. The couple decided to replace the building with a home designed by Jeremy Bonin, of Bonin Architects in New London. The resulting

ten-thousand-plus-square-foot structure, located on 2.2 acres, is an outstanding example of a home with a lake-vernacular exterior and an updated interior. Just some of the many amenities are a library, spa, sauna, cigar room, gym, rec room and bunkroom for the grandkids. The house—which is situated so its inhabitants can enjoy both morning sunlight and sunsets over the lake— is full of windows and boasts numerous lake views. In fact, a large part of it is nearly “see-through”— you can look through windows in the front and see the lake behind the house through the back windows.

The house is roomy, with an open design and an uncluttered aesthetic, and one of its key features is that there are places for everyone— owners and visitors—to find private spaces with-

in. This is handy, because the couple loves entertaining and has lots of visitors. “More than a few people,” they note, “have said that even though it is big, there are cozy spaces. Guests tell us they can always find places to be alone or a spot to relax by themselves.”

Planning their ideal lake home

The couple bought the property in 2013. Bonin started designing the new house in 2014, and it was completed 2½ years later. Heading into the earliest phase, the couple had a few primary goals: They wanted an open plan with plenty of windows to take advantage of the house’s location on a small peninsula. “One of the most important things for us was the natural light,” they say. The clients also wanted to maximize views while

Above: A small footbridge leads from the house, which is sited behind the trees, to the boat dock.

Top: Facing the lake, the back of the house features a series of planted terraces and a wide, level lawn.

Facing page: Architect Jeremy Bonin designed the shingled lake house to take advantage of the views and privacy offered by its location on a small peninsula.

This page: The great room— with its vaulted ceiling and stone-surrounded, wood-burning fireplace—is the perfect spot for relaxing and enjoying the views.

Facing page, top: The bright and airy kitchen, which connects to the great room, features a generous island with space for seating and food preparation.

Facing page, bottom: The kitchen’s open design allows a view of the home’s central staircase.

maintaining privacy and, not least, they wanted to build a home for full-time, long-term living. This was not a weekend retreat—although they wanted it to serve as one for friends and family.

To help realize these goals, Bonin Architects. worked with McGray & Nichols in New London, owned by Louise Bonfiglio. Chris St Onge served as the company’s project manager for construction.

An initial challenge, according to Bonin, was the topography. The site slopes from the street toward the lake. “On most lakeside lots,” he says, “a walkout basement tends to be the easier and more direct solution. In this case, exterior living directly off the main floor was an important design goal. The solution was to gently terrace away from the residence with artfully crafted, locally sourced fieldstone to retain grade and form a series of planted terraces.”

The front of the cedar-shingled house, at grade level, faces the street. In back is a patio from which

the series of terraces descends to a large, level lawn, which eventually merges with trees that line the lake’s edge. A graceful footbridge leads to a boat dock.

The use of different structural solutions, including steel, allowed for the house’s open design without columns.

A serene indoor setting

As for indoor goals for the new home, the clients wanted a simple décor. They developed the interior design themselves, keeping furnishings fairly minimal and the palette neutral. Both the fine millwork done on site by McGray & Nichols and the outdoor scenery provide powerful visual impacts.

Floors are white oak throughout. There are three fireplaces—two gas and one wood—and radiant heat; the house uses geothermal heating and cooling technology. In addition, it’s a “smart

house” that can be programmed remotely, right down to the operation of window shades.

The central suspended staircase—with its elegant banister of stylized curves and turns, and its back wall of windows—is a stylistic and literal centerpiece of the house. This staircase was the greatest challenge of the project, according to Bonfiglio and St Onge. “To do a floating staircase is one thing,” St Onge says. “To do a floating curved staircase is above and beyond the norm.”

A steel skeleton within the staircase structure helped achieve that goal. There is also an elevator that services all three floors.

On the first floor’s main living area there is a master suite, formal living room, library, great room, dining room, kitchen and pantry, mudroom, office/craft room/laundry area with plentiful storage, and a powder room. The library, paneled in stained alder wood, is a standout. A coffered ceiling and leather armchairs hint at old-world sensibilities. “The library is distinctive, tranquil and warm; the alder paneling glows in the sun,” Bonin says. “The room is perfect for reading in the evening or watching the sun set

over the frozen lake on winter afternoons.” Just off the library, the sleek living room has a glass coffee table, white upholstered furniture with modern lines and a gas fireplace. This light-filled room opens onto the patio.

To ensure privacy, the master bedroom area can be completely closed off from the rest of the house as needed. The bedroom has built-in closets and window seats. Pocket doors separate a large dressing room and the master bathroom. The master bathroom is appointed in soft white, with white painted cabinets, a glossy white-andgray hexagonal marble tile floor, a walk-in shower and a soaking tub. Windows at tub level allow the bather to look out at the lake and the trees, but due to the siting of the house, the room is located high enough to be private.

The large kitchen—with gleaming white, glass-fronted cabinets—is well designed for small or large gatherings. A center island with four stools does double duty as a workspace and spot for casual entertaining. A large refrigerator, separate large freezer and two dishwashers (one drawer-type) ensure there are ample storage and

clean-up capabilities. The roomy pantry is stocked with food, including special snacks for visiting grandkids.

The kitchen also opens to the patio, from which the lake can be accessed. Off one side of the kitchen is a simple but elegant dining alcove with a rustic wood table and upholstered chairs.

On the other end of the kitchen is a comfortable great room, with a vaulted ceiling of exposed wood. Sturdy, upholstered gray couches and a stone-surrounded, wood-burning fireplace make it an ideal location for kicking back after a day of skiing, hiking, swimming, boating or kayaking. The fireplace has a one-piece grill (custom-made by a blacksmith) that offers an uninterrupted view of the fire and swings back on hinges for access to the fireplace.

Bonin designed the kitchen, great room and dining alcove to all connect. This was a request from the couple, who wanted to be able to work in the kitchen without being isolated from family members and guests.

The second floor has three bedrooms, a spacious rec room/playroom, a large computer work area in a deep alcove on the landing, and a bunkroom with six built-in bunks. The guestrooms are ap-

The homeowners wanted to maximize views while maintaining privacy, as well as build a home for full-time, long-term living.

pointed in serene shades of light gray and white, with the outdoor scenery through the windows providing additional beauty. The rec room flooring consists of interlocking carpet squares, so individual pieces can be removed and replaced in case of spills or stains. The bunkroom is one of the most charming rooms in the house. Each sleeping cubby has its own light and USB port. Sturdy rolling ladders to the top bunks and builtin storage under each set of beds help keep the room ship shape. Gray-blue, white and green fabrics—including a cheerful, graphical hedgehog print selected by the homeowners—convey a sense of fun and playfulness.

Going in and out

The lake can be also be accessed from the lower level of the house, where there is a hobby room/ art studio, the mechanical “control” room, a cozy media room and a specially ventilated “secret” room—a cigar lounge with a glass door onto which is etched a lake view. Wine-storage areas are built into the wall on either side of the door.

Flow is cleverly engineered to keep sand and dirt from getting into the rest of the house. People coming in from the lake can use the separate lower-level bathroom, towels and laundry area to clean up before heading upstairs. Another cleanup option is an outdoor shower.

Also on the lower level is a custom-built sauna and a Japanese-inspired spa room. The spa room has a tub on a raised platform that is framed by a Japanese torii-style gate. The tub is surrounded by cast-in-place concrete, styled to look like a mono-

lithic stone, and its backdrop is a wall-size photo mural of a natural setting in Japan. The walls are covered in grass cloth with bamboo trim, and the counter, on which sits a sink made from a single rock, is also made from bamboo. The floor is slate. Customizable LED lighting helps set the mood for the spa experience. The whole room is designed so that in low light, a person in the tub has the sensation of being outdoors. If extra privacy is desired, pocket doors allow the spa, sauna and bathroom to be closed off as one suite.

Outdoors and more

The family spends a lot of time outdoors. There are a boat and six kayaks. There is also a stone patio connected to the house for al fresco dining and

a walk-in shower, and a soaking tub as well as a sink/ vanity area with built-in storage (top). A large dressing room (above) is also part of the suite.

a large, level lawn where grandchildren can play.

The planted terraces off the patio beds surrounding the house provide long-term visual appeal—April through fall. About two years ago, Lizette Sliter, owner of Garden Life in New London, helped the homeowners customize the terraces to their desires. The terrace gardens started out with plantings in mostly green and white, but Sliter helped the homeowners incorporate some purples and pinks. Plantings now include Alium millennium, Sarah Bernhardt peonies, echinacea, amsonia, platycodon, perovskia and several varieties of sedum grass. “It’s so beautiful out there when everything is in bloom,” the homeowners say.

Now that the couple has moved from the relative busyness of suburbia to the beauty and tranquility of the Sunapee region, they note

that—in addition to the scenery—they enjoy the culture the area has to offer, including the local theater and arts scene.

In past years, the couple also has plenty of company, with frequent visits from grandchildren, extended family and friends. They agree that they have had visitors whom they never thought would come to New Hampshire. They recall wondering aloud to their realtor whether anyone would make the trip north to visit them. “The realtor said, ‘Once you have a lake house, you will be surprised by how many visitors you have!’” The realtor, say the couple, was right. NHH

Resou R c es

Bonin Architects • (603) 526-6200 • boninarchitects.com

Garden Life • (603) 526-2654 • gardenlifenh.com

McGray & Nichols • (603) 526-2877 • mcgray-nichols.com

Gardens That Enhance a Home’s Renovation

Gordon Hayward came up with a beautiful landscape design to help unify the newer and older portions of a Jaffrey Center home.

at first sight, Sally and Bruce Larsen’s home in historic Jaffrey Center looks like an antique Cape. Actually, the house was built in 1981 on a triangular piece of land subdivided from the historic Cutter family’s property and located across the road from the 1836 Cutter cemetery.

To accommodate their blended family, in 2006, the Larsens added several rooms to the original house. The sloping site and restrictions of the historic district made the seven-month-long project challenging. The best direction in which to grow the house was to the south where the property drops off steeply toward busy Main Street.

Architect David Drasba, of Scully Architects in Keene, designed the additions. “Bruce and Sally Larsen had a few goals in mind when they undertook renovations and an addition to their home,” Drasba says. “They wanted to achieve a better defined entrance and curb appeal, also to improve the function and flow of the house. The new living space showcases their exceptional antiques and is positioned to provide an excellent view of historic Jaffrey Center. Their garden and landscape design help to unify the old and new portions of the house.”

Creating the vision

To make way for construction, many of the existing plantings—including some mature trees and shrubs—were care-

Honey locust overhead lends some afternoon shade to the terrace located just off the new sunroom addition.

fully moved to the edge of the property that fronts Main Street where they now screen the view and filter road noise. “It was May by the time the building was finished, and the yard was all dug up and a mess!” Sally says.

By Robin Sweetser | Photography by John W. Hession

Noted landscape designer Gordon Hayward was enlisted to develop a plan for appropriate landscaping around the new addition and redesigned front entry. “A good garden design draws its strength from the house, the people

who live in that house and the land,” Hayward says. “The house, and particularly the doors, drive where the paths and adjacent gardens should be located. The back door drove the stone terrace and entry to the garden at the back, and that terrace drove subordinate paths to the north of the house.”

Many hands were needed to implement Hayward’s plan. Garden designer Maude Odgers, of Peterborough, worked with the Larsens that first year—along with Marc Hudson, of The Inspired Gardener in Westmoreland— to construct and plant the gardens Hayward designed. George Lohmiller, of Our Town Landscaping in Hancock, provided many of the new trees and shrubs that have been added since. Nancy Ellis, of Temple, has worked closely with the Larsens for many summers, digging up, moving plants and sometimes moving them again. “She’s been a treasure, and we couldn’t keep the place up without her,” Sally says. “She is like family.”

Maturing results

Years have passed, and the plantings have matured. Tall oaks shade the parking area and rows of ‘Winter Gem’ boxwood guide visitors to the new entry. Sally planted a ‘Little Twist’ cherry tree at the edge of the driveway and a mowed grass path, edged by pachysandra; cranesbill geraniums lead past viburnums to a dogwood at the corner of the house. “For quite some time, we put in a tree a year,” Sally says.

The original front door faces the

field to the west and gets full, afternoon sunshine. Beds on either side contain a mix of perennials, such as sedum, daylilies, baptisia, iris, salvia and coneflowers, and small shrubs that include ninebark and two dark pink azaleas. A row of ‘Walker’s Low’ nepeta defines the edge of the knoll where ornamental grasses, stephanandra and junipers cascade downhill toward the field.

The path continues around the side of the house to a bluestone terrace with seating for outdoor entertaining. This

Below: Surrounded by shrubs and small trees including crabapples, Korean lilacs and a dappled willow this terrace room is the perfect spot for outdoor entertaining or a private lunch.

was a hot and dry location, and all the stonework holds the heat. To give some shade, there is a honey locust, dappled willow, Korean lilac and a ‘Coral Burst’ crabapple.

The new sunroom is located off the old living room, now a library, at the south side of the original house. Surrounded by glass, it is a lovely space for dining. “It is like being on a boat over a garden,” Sally says. Some of her guests have likened it to being in a treehouse. The sunroom door opens to an adjacent patio paved with Goshen

stone. A raised bed under the kitchen window holds herbs, and both terraces are edged with planting beds and stone retaining walls.

“The design I developed for them was a kind of Stage 1. As they gained confidence, they took on more and more garden,” Hayward says. “And then there is Sally’s love of flowering perennials. That is where the color came from.” All the gardens are filled with colorful foliage and flowers. Sally pays close attention to textural contrasts and has layers of plants so there is

always something in bloom, including climbing ‘New Dawn’ roses, pink anemones, tall black cohosh, coneflowers, daylilies and lots of peonies, to name just a few. A mini wisteria climbs up an iron trellis and shrubs—including potentilla, azaleas and a Korean lilac—are planted around the perimeter to add a touch of privacy. “In-town like this, you want to do everything you can to be enclosed and protected,” Sally says. “I often use small trees instead of shrubs and planted a small maple next to the steps.”

The story of the barn

Two long flights of granite steps lead down the terraced hillside to the barn.

“The destination of the barn at a much lower grade than the upper terrace drove steps down to that barn,” Hayward says. “The slope in the land drove the height of stone walls—all of which were built parallel or perpendicular to the buildings related to them.”

Bruce designed the barn—built from locally milled hemlock—to house his lovingly restored 1917 Model T Ford.

“The roof pitch is rather steep on purpose,” Bruce says. “I had to add the cupola because neighbors were thinking it was to be a chapel!”

Located at the bottom of the slope, the barn was built on the site of their old vegetable garden. “I’ve really missed that garden ever since,” Sally says, “but we find places to plug in vegetables.”

She has kale and lettuce growing in window boxes, and other vegetables and herbs in pots on the patios.

The location of the barn helps to soften the impact of the new addition— which is three stories high—grounding it and making it seem less imposing.

Bruce built a brick patio connecting the lower level of the addition to the barn, and the patio offers another area for outdoor dining and entertaining.

On the west side of the barn is a secret garden enclosed with stone walls, and ringed with perennials—including phlox, poppies, filipendula and monarda—and full shrubs—such as hydrangeas and viburnums.

On the shadier side of the house and barn, Sally has planted daylilies that were gifts from friends, a collection of hostas, rhododendrons and Japanese painted ferns.

“Bruce and Sally did a good deal of this design work,” Hayward says, “especially as it relates to the lower barn, which was not in place when I worked on the design. They followed on with my notion that in a traditional garden, straight lines that relate the lines of garden beds to those of the house, result in a coherent garden plan.”

Learning and teaching

“Gordon taught me the importance of selecting fine shrub and tree material, and of using several different paving

leaf sizes,

colors and heights. Shade-tolerant plants including lilies, begonias, calibrachoa, lamium and

are woven together to form a multidimensional tapestry of flowers and foliage.

Top: The original front door of the house looks out over a row of ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint. The builder of the house was concerned about keeping the historic nature of the village intact. Even though the house was built in 1981, it has an heirloom look.

materials for interest,” Sally says, “but especially the effect of the straight line in garden design to draw the eye into the landscape, directing where people look and where they go. He straightened every bedding line, and for us, it evoked a sense of order and a crispness that matched the formality of the interior.”

Left: Bruce says the 1917 Model T was pretty rusty when he got it. He has restored every inch of it, even the upholstery. He and Sally enjoy taking it out for a spin.

The resulting gardens are threedimensional works of art that continually grow and change with the seasons. They have been featured on numerous garden tours, including The Garden Conservancy Open Days and Monadnock Music fundraisers.

The Larsens are dedicated organic gardeners, who encourage birds, bats,

butterflies, bees and other beneficials to share their gardens. Sally and Bruce have planted lots of native plants, including milkweed, blueberries, viburnums, cardinal flower and serviceberry. Bruce and his granddaughter built a bathouse, which they hung on the barn, and nest boxes for birds are scattered about the property. Predator birds—such as peregrine falcons and hawks—often hunt in their field. Tree swallows have made homes, and a mama turkey has nested in the stephanandra. “Even though we are near a major road, we see a lot of wildlife,” Bruce says.

Sally has documented their garden for the Garden Club of America collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. She has also led others—including Gordon and Mary Hayward—through this complex process. The purpose of the Smithsonian archive is to document unique, historic and contemporary gardens, both large and small, for researchers and the public today and in the future.

“Such a linear, traditional garden layout fits directly into the Larsens’ approach to interior design—indeed into their lives,” Gordon Hayward says. “They are traditional people who honor the past, something you can see in the way they decorate their home. Furthermore, the high level of care and maintenance comes directly out of their devotion to looking after the details of their home. There is not a lot out of place in the Larsens’ lives. Thus, a garden that is very well looked after is a direct reflection of who they are and what they value.” NHH

Resou R c es

Hayward Gardens • (802) 387-4766 haywardgardens.com

John Stanek Custom Builders • (603) 924-9927

Our Town Landscaping • (603) 525-3794 ourtownlandscaping.com

Scully Architects • (603) 357-4544 • scullyarchitects.com

The Inspired Gardener • (603) 399-4354 inspiredgardener.com

Textile Transformations

Natural fabrics become twoand threedimensional works of art in Jane Balshaw’s studio.

What makes a painting, a sculpture, a building or a graphic design pleasing to the eye? Proportion, balance and color are three components that come into play—and they are the foundation of painter, fiber artist and colorist Jane Balshaw’s work.

Based in Canterbury, Balshaw has been a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen since she moved here from California in 2003. Several of her pieces are scheduled to be on display in Art, Craft & Design: The Exhibition at this year’s craftsmen’s fair (see page 84 for more information).

The league also calls upon Balshaw for other reasons—with her background in

interior design, she has helped the league with layout and display in its galleries throughout the state, including the newly designed smaller shop in Hooksett.

But Balshaw’s heart is in her studio, and she’s had commissions from homeowners, business owners and institutional clients throughout the state—and beyond. She was on the homestretch of renovating her studio when we spoke this spring.

New HampsHire Home [NHH]: How did you find your way to the art world?

JaNe BalsHaw [JB]: I grew up in California where both my parents were artists. My father was a portrait photographer who had a lab in the house, and he also did lithography. My

By Andi Axman | Photography by Jane Balshaw

mother was an airbrush artist in San Francisco, who did work for Saks and Bergdorf-Goodman. Later in life, she became an oil painter and a Chinese brush painter. My mother’s sister, Nell Melcher, was an internationally known watercolorist—their mother was a watercolorist and their father was a sign painter. So I was exposed to art early.

NHH: Did you study art in college?

JB: I did not have a formal art education, but I did study interior design and fashion analysis in college. I was always interested in how we understand proportion and balance in the world around us. That’s how I became interested in the golden ratio [also known as the divine proportion, the golden ratio is a mathematical concept that goes back to the ancient Greeks; the ratio is approximately 1:1.618 and appears in geometry, art, architecture and other areas]. There is a natural and mathematical proportion in the world around us. We see it in the ratio of the length of our fingers to the length of our arms, in the design of the Parthenon and in Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the Vitruvian man, which represents the beauty and symmetry of the human frame as well as the divine connection between the human form and the universe. Proportion and balance are also used in clothing design, such as determining the best hemline based on the body type of the person wearing the dress.

NHH: How has your interest in the golden ratio affected your work?

JB: I figured out that you could apply the same ideas concerning proportion and balance to color so the finished work has harmony. I use Fibonacci’s number sequence to blend my paint and proportion my artwork. This number sequence was introduced to Western Europe in 1202 by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci—also known

as Leonardo Bonacci or Leonardo of Pisa—to relate to the golden ratio. The sum of two consecutive numbers in the sequence equals the next number— for example 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so forth to infinity. The relationship between each sequence is that of the golden ratio, which is the perfect balance we see in the natural world around us. Examples of Fibonacci numbers appear in biological settings, such as the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the flowering of an artichoke and an uncurling fern. I believe using this balance allows the viewer of my artwork to feel engaged and satisfied.

NHH: What’s your methodology?

JB: I use three primary color wheels in my work. One wheel is tinted red—

primary red, reddish yellow and reddish blue. A second has primary yellow, yellowish red and yellowish blue. The third is primary blue with bluish yellow and bluish red.

I mix my own paints and have everything in my studio organized according to these systems of color. For example,

Examples of Jane Balshaw’s monotypes on cotton include, clockwise from top left, Crossing Over, which is stitched, appliquéd and hand quilted; Purple Mountain Majesty, which is stitched and quilted; Hope Springs Eternal, which is quilted and embellished with painted and sculpted cotton; and Aggregate, which is stitched and quilted.

when I designed the upholstery for chairs by New Hampshire Furniture Masters Tom McLaughlin and Jeffrey Cooper [see page 81], I chose colors for my fabric that complemented the reddish brown color of the wood.

NHH: So the colors in your fabric come from paint and not from how the fabric was dyed or woven?

JB: That’s correct. Painted fabrics don’t

fade, and they hold up better than dyed fabrics. The paint is acrylic, which makes it stain-resistant. Anything that gets on the fabric does not penetrate. To clean it, I just use cool water on a cloth.

My wall art is also painted. I use natural fabrics—I prefer cotton but have used silk—as the colors become more entwined rather than laying on top as they would on synthetics.

NHH: Some of your pieces look like they’re quilted.

JB: Quilting is a passion of mine. I learned how to sew in the fifth grade and made my own clothing. For me, quilting is a mix of my color world with sewing. Every textile piece I do could be considered a quilt, if you define that as layers of fabric held together by thread. But you are not confined to using only textiles. I’ve used molded felt and paper.

Designs to Simplify Your Life!

master of her craft

NHH: What are you working on now?

JB: I’m enjoying painting botanical vessels, which are made from canvas fabric that I cut, restitch and then sculpt into shape. Then I use a few layers of gesso to prime the fabrics, embellish them with hot glue and paint with my acrylic paint. I use colors that fit into what I call my triadic color theory system.

NHH: What’s the best part of your work?

JB: I like the analytical part of the design process—designing shape and determining color, and then pulling it all together from my mind’s eye and seeing it work. NHH

See the Work of New Hampshire’s Finest Craftspeople!

Because of the pandemic this summer, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s eightyeighth annual fair August 1–9 will be a virtual event at nhcrafts.org. As one of the premier craft shows nationwide, the fair showcases work by some of the finest juried craftspeople in the country.

See and shop for one-of-a-kind fine craft that is both beautiful and functional. In addition to the not-to-be-missed Art, Craft & Design: The Exhibition, where you can see Jane Balshaw’s work, you can connect with the hundreds of makers, and learn about their vision and passion for their craft—all from the comfort of your home!

Highlights of the fair include:

• Shopping directly from league members

• Daily craft demonstrations that stream online

• Workshops by craftspeople that are provided as webinars

The 2020 League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Annual Fair Saturday, August 1–Sunday, August 9 Online for 2020 at nhcrafts.org

Resou R c es

Jane Balshaw • (603) 491-7305

janebalshaw.com

League of New Hampshire Craftsmen (603) 224-3375 • nhcrafts.org

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Belletetes

Whether your project is large or small, complicated or simple, Belletetes takes your ideas and makes them happen. We have all the tools, products and skills necessary to make your project a complete success. Specializing in lumber, decking, windows, doors, paint, stains and flooring—as well as fixtures and cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms—we have everything for your remodeling needs. And don’t forget to take advantage of our free estimates!

51 Peterborough Street in Jaffrey • (603) 532-7716 • belletetes.com

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

3W design, inc.

Since 1988, 3W design, inc. has taken clients’ dreams and made them real without the stress and anxiety homeowners often face alone. We listen to ideas, ask questions, offer choices, design your new spaces—then we build them! From a new kitchen or a redesign, upgraded master bath or complete integrated design of your new home or a remodel—our experience is the remarkable difference in delivering beautiful spaces that are uniquely yours.

7 Henniker Street in Concord • (603) 226-3399 • 3wdesigninc.com

FLOORING

Ponders Hollow Custom Wood Flooring

Born from the experience of a fourth-generation, family-run sawmill, Ponders Hollow specializes in custom solid wood and engineered wood flooring. Beginning with responsibly-harvested trees, we specialize in wide planks sawn from a broad range of native and exotic species. We use state-of-the-art machinery, hand-grading and tailoring each board to your specifications.

16 Ponders Hollow Road in Westfield, MA • (413) 562-8730 pondershollow.com

Soake Pools

Create a spa-like experience in your own backyard. We manufacture four-season, luxury plunge pools designed to be warm in winter, cool in summer and small enough to fit almost any backyard space. Soake Pools are made in New Hampshire, and delivered tiled and ready for your finishing touches. Small pools. Big benefits. Visit our website and contact us for more information.

Pembroke, New Hampshire • (603) 749-0665 • soakepools.com

SPECIALTY WOOD PRODUCTS Ponders Hollow Custom Millwork

Ponders Hollow will provide you with all the high-quality standard and custom mouldings you need to complete your project, whether it’s new construction, renovation or historic restoration. We’ll guide you through the ordering process, so you’re assured that you’ll have everything you need and that the finished look will reflect your design vision.

16 Ponders Hollow Road in Westfield, MA • (413) 562-8730 pondershollow.com

LIGHTING

Derek Marshall Sculptural Lighting

Engage the eye from any angle in a room using The Wave chandelier, designed and made by Derek Marshall in his NH Studio. The dramatic form of The Wave chandelier was inspired by naturally occurring patterns of ocean, sound and light waves. This double-curved armature features four Mini-Sushi pendants shown in a warm American art glass. Available in over 40 American art glass colors.

85 Upper Road in Sandwich, New Hampshire • (603) 284-7000 derekmarshall.com • linda@derekmarshall.com

Once More, and Always, to the Lake

Peo P le who s P end a lot of time on a lake —whether year-round or every summer or for just one much-anticipated week every year—tend to feel possessive about it. We talk about “our lake” and “our loons,” as though without us, these things wouldn’t exist. Lakes and loons don’t belong to people. We know that. What we possess are the moments we spend at the lake—moments we return to no matter how long it has been since we were there.

If you grew up on a lake, as I did, it’s where you learned to swim, skip stones and catch frogs. It’s where you learned to bait a hook, paddle a canoe, row a boat and slide a motorboat up to a dock. On the lakeshore, you learned to build a campfire, cut marshmallow sticks and make a s’more. You spent winter afternoons on the ice and trudged home to a warm house with a pair of skates slung over your shoulder.

As a boy, E.B. White spent every August at a rented camp on Belgrade Lake in Maine. Memories of these summers inspired one of his most famous essays, “Once More to the Lake.”

The author of Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little describes returning to Belgrade Lake with his son and re-creating his childhood experience. He recalls the dragonfly that alit on the tip of his fishing rod; the pine scent wafting through the screens; and early morning paddles “when the lake was cool and motionless.” Although some things had changed, much remained as he remembered—so much so that he had a few confused moments, uncertain if he was the father or the child.

Lakes stay with you.

When I was seventeen, a boy gave me a book of poetry by W.B. Yeats. The poem I loved most was “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” penned more than a century ago in Ireland. The author was a young man in his twenties—but his poem is filled with nostalgia and longing. Living in London and yearning for a more peaceful place and time, he begins, “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.”

Innisfree is a real place. As a child, the poet often visited this small island in Lough Gill with his family. Whether in reality or in memory, he always returned to the lake.

I divide my life into three lakes: my original one, where I lived with my parents and my brother; the Maine lake where I taught my own children to swim and skip stones; and my current one, a small New Hampshire lake with long stretches of undeveloped shoreline. I spend early morning and dusk with the birds—cedar waxwings, nuthatches, woodpeckers, titmice, robins—as they work the alders and huckleberries.

Directly across the lake is a Girl Scout camp with a small waterfront. The voices of the campers are as welcome as those of the birds, as they play Marco Polo, cruise along the shore on paddleboards and set out on their cross-lake swims accompanied by counselors in kayaks. Each twoweek stay ends with a ceremony on the beach, beginning at dusk and lasting until well after dark. After the last campfire song, each Scout lights a candle and carries it to her cabin. Tiny white lights weave through the trees in a line and gradually disappear as the girls go inside to their bunks. The lake will always belong to them. NHH

By L aurie D. Morrissey | iLLustration By CaroLyn ViBBert