A Bretton Woods ski house combines traditional alpine and contemporary styles.
Located just a four-minute walk from the nearest chair lift at Bretton Woods, this traditional post-and-beam home is reminiscent of European ski chalets, and features gorgeous views of Mount Washington and unexpected modern touches.
THE BRETTON WOODS SKI HOME of Buddy and Pam Phaneuf is enough to make even non-skiers want to strap on boards and hit the slopes. It would be easy enough to do with the nearest chairlift a mere four-minute walk from the home’s front door.
But this house has a lot more going for it than just a convenient location. The home’s traditional post-and-beam design has contemporary touches, appealing textures, gorgeous views, and loads of natural light and functionality. With the home’s warmth and homey feel, it’s easy to imagine gathering with rosy-cheeked friends and family for après-ski delights after an active day in the chilly outdoors.
The Phaneufs purchased the home three years ago to make it easier for their family to ski together. “Our three kids started skiing at a very young age,” Buddy says. Christmastime visits to Europe that combined skiing with cultural siteseeing soon became a family tradition, but now that the children are grown and busy, a more accessible location seemed the best way to maintain the family’s ski time.
When Buddy and Pam came across the Bretton Woods house, it reminded them of European chalets they have stayed in. Built in 2002, the roughly 3,500-square-foot, open-concept home offers plenty of space even if guests join Pam, Buddy and their two dogs—Nadine and Mrs. Peanut Butter (who, given her coloring, “is really more of a fluffernutter,” Buddy says).
To make the house even better suited to their needs, they hired Randy Trainor of C. Randolph Trainor Interiors to help plan renovations. Today, the home’s ground-level main entry opens to where the bulk of the construction occurred. Heading left from the entry, up a couple of stairs, leads to what used to be an in-law apartment; the Phaneufs converted the space to a bathroom and two guest bedrooms— one with bunk beds and another that can be split in two if needed. Brian Lang of Gorham, who served as general contractor for the Phaneufs—installed two big barn doors in the area to allow light to flow in.
Next to the bedrooms is a ski room that is a ski-lover’s dream. “Having a ski room is very important to us,” Buddy says. Without changing the footprint of the original room and guided by photos Buddy took of a ski room in Austria, Trainor and the Phaneufs transformed an unappealing storage space into a highly practical yet aesthetically pleasing room that won New Hampshire Home’s Specialty Room Design award in 2020.
As an experienced skier and ski instructor, Trainor’s design business has evolved to focus almost entirely on ski homes, she says, and she recognized that the Phaneufs needed a hardworking room. The skiing-oriented changes are evident upon approaching the room, as Trainor swapped out the original wood steps for long slabs of granite because she knew ski boots would ruin wooden steps. Similarly, the tile floor in the entry and ski room is durable enough to withstand people clomping around in wet ski boots and snowy, dripping clothing.
Natural light pours into the open-concept home. A fieldstone fireplace anchors the living room, and exposed beams add warmth. The space is decorated with items the homeowners collected during their travels.
A washer and dryer in the room are now tucked out of sight behind a sliding barn door, and the room’s drop ceiling has been replaced with a much more attractive pine ceiling and recessed lights—a tricky task because the ceiling needed to continue to provide access to the mechanicals for the house. Trainor’s solution included panels in the new ceiling that can be easily moved. With pine walls, the room envelops visitors in an inviting, organic-feeling atmosphere.
Plenty of seating is available with two long, built-in benches on opposite sides of the ski room, enabling a small crowd to be together as they suit up in the morning or take off layers at the end of the day. Storing bulky coats isn’t a problem, and individually lighted cubbies provide space for each person’s gloves and other accessories.
Probably the room’s piece de resistance, though, is an electric boot-drying rack. Mounted on the wall, the rack blows hot air to prep a dozen ski boots for the next run on the mountain.
The room itself is warm, too, thanks to its radiant heat and is linked with the home’s sound system. It has become “a fun space,” Buddy says. “When we’re getting ready for skiing, everyone’s heading down there and getting ready with the dogs. After skiing, we come back, hang out, maybe have an après-ski drink, and talk about the day and the runs.”
One floor up, on the home’s main level, spectacular views of Mount Washington and the White Mountain National Forest are visible through windows that cover the length of the house—from the primary bedroom through a three-season room, kitchen, dining room and living room. Natural light pours into the house, and cherry wood throughout imparts warmth.
In the living room, a fieldstone fireplace anchors the space, while overhead, exposed beams stretch across the cathedral ceiling. A black, leather sofa by Roche Bobois with subtly rounded edges and polished aluminum legs is balanced by a solid-looking, square coffee table that is coated with glossy lacquer and punctuated with eye-catching, inlaid gold-colored flecks and chunks. Underfoot, a fluffy, sheep’s-wool woven rug made in Greek flokati style provides a light and airy contrast to the heavy black furniture.
The spacious kitchen features cable lighting, a new wine fridge and cabinets that blend in with the existing cherry, and plenty of room for family gatherings. Next to the kitchen is the dining area.
On one side of the fireplace, a small cabinet discreetly houses audio/visual equipment. While on the other side, a door leads outside to a bluestone patio and fire pit. Across from the leather sofa, more texture comes into play with two shaggy chairs placed against an exterior wall. “We saw something just like those at a ski lodge, and I remember saying, ‘These things are amazing,’” Buddy says. “The dogs love sitting on them, too.”
A small table between the chairs is one of many pieces Buddy and Pam discovered during their travels. They purchased several of the home’s rugs while visiting the Middle East; other items came home with them from India, Africa and other locations. Framed ski posters adorn the walls of the house were bought during family ski trips and represent some of the places the family has visited.
The dining room features a table crafted by Northfield-based Vantz Live Edge Furniture, a company that provides employment and more for men in recovery from addiction. “[Buddy] showed me a picture of a live-edge,” Trainor says. “He said, ‘We really like this look,’ so I looked for someone local who could make it. You pick your slab and decide what kind of base you’re going to put on it. ... It was great working with the guys [at Vantz], and they did a fabulous job.”
The center of the table adds interest with a gently undulating inset filled with stones and covered in glass, evoking streams that flow in nearby mountains. Additional wow factor and texture come from the dining-room chairs. “I suggested [chairs covered completely in] animal hide,” Trainor says, “and that didn’t go over well, so then we talked about all leather and that didn’t quite seem to work. So we settled on hide on the back and white leather [on the front].” The leather is treated, so spills and drops at the table aren’t a concern, she says.
Across from the dining area is a full bathroom and a TV room, although the TV is rarely turned on, Buddy says. Also bordering the dining area is the kitchen. A well-designed, spacious kitchen was important to the Phaneufs. With limited dining options nearby and a son-in-law who is a former chef, “We spend the weekends cooking,” Buddy says. Not to mention, “After you’ve been skiing all day, you don’t feel like getting dressed and going out somewhere,” he says. “So, we wanted to have a big, open kitchen where people could gather around.”
A desk in the kitchen was removed—“I didn’t want to have any more reasons to work” while at the house, Buddy says— and replaced with a wine fridge and cabinets that blend in with the existing cherry. The kitchen’s lighting was in serious need of an upgrade, so Trainor supplemented it with trapeze lighting, also known as cable lighting. The suspended lights, which are strategically located, provide excellent illumination for kitchen work, and their red glass housing adds pops of color.
The ski room is one of the most important spaces in the house. This practical yet beautiful space won the Specialty Room Design award in 2021. Durable tile floors were installed, a washer and dryer are tucked out of sight, built-in benches provide plenty of seating, and radiant heat keeps everyone warm.
Overlooking the kitchen and dining areas is a loft that serves as a game room and a spot for Pam’s Peloton. In a pinch, it can also provide additional sleeping space.
Outside the home, a hot tub will soon be installed in the patio area. Nearby, beautiful Japanese gardens and terraces created by the home’s previous owner are perfect for a meditative, warm-weather stroll.
This year marks the Phaneufs’ fourth winter in the house, and the family continues to take full advantage of it with hiking in the area during the warmer months. “So, we’re using it much more than just as a ski house,” Buddy says.
When the house is full, “it’s not uncommon for a bunch of us to sit around the bar area in the kitchen, having drinks and cooking,” Buddy says. “There’s music, and the dogs will be hanging out”—looking for attention and food. “It’s chaotic,” he says, “but in a good way.” NHH
RESOURCES
Brian Lang Home Remodeling and Construction • (603) 752-7847
C. Randolph Trainor Interiors • crtinteriors.com • (603) 823-8133
Eduardo Custom Furniture • eduardocustomfurniture.com • (603) 254-6705
Luxint • luxint.com • (603) 236-7771
Vanz Live Edge Furniture • vantzfurniture.com • (207) 691-9549
