AMONG the fondest memories for a Newbury homeowner was visiting her family’s 200-year-old summer house in Jaffrey, just up the road from Thorndike Pond. Those laid-back summers stayed with her long after she married and had a family. When she and her husband decided to build a lakefront home of their own on Lake Sunapee, they knew they wanted to create their own special memories. “We wanted a nice piece of property with a boathouse that had enough space to house ourselves, our boys, their wives and [our] grandchildren,” the wife says. “The lake was the draw.”
The couple found the perfect site on a peninsula with stunning 180-degree views of Lake Sunapee. It originally included a small house that wasn’t winterized, a stand-alone garage and a boathouse that had withstood one too many tough winters. “We wanted to live in the house for a few years, get used to living on the lake and see what the weather was like before we rebuilt,” the wife says. The couple wanted a larger home with space for family (which includes four sons, their wives and grandchildren) but that also felt comfortable for just themselves, with features enabling the couple to age in place. They spent time on the lake, viewing area homes from their boat and asked friends for references to local architects. Research led the couple to Bonin Architects in New London.
The inspiration for the new home was obvious. “We wanted to take advantage of the many views of the lake and surrounding mountains, and provide multiple gathering spaces inside and outside the home for varied entertaining,” says Bonin Architects project manager Christopher Timberlake.
This Lake Sunapee home by Bonin Architects takes full advantage of the gorgeous surrounding environment.
The project was divided into three phases completed over several years: restoring the boathouse; creating a carriage house with a two-car garage and upstairs living space; and replacing the main house. All structures were designed simultaneously to ensure a cohesive aesthetic. Old Hampshire Designs of New London was the general contractor on the carriage house and main home; McGray & Nichols of New London was the general contractor on the boathouse.
To maintain the property’s natural topography while staying in compliance with waterfront restrictions, the boathouse, garage and main home were torn down and rebuilt using their existing footprints as much as possible.
The property development required shoreland permitting and attention to stormwater controls based on the home’s proximity to the lake. “While waterfront sites are amazing,” says Jeremy Bonin, principal partner and lead architect of Bonin Architects, “they have unique challenges because the waterfront itself imposes setbacks. In some cases, leaving a small ‘island’ of land that is allowable for development. While balancing development and addressing its impact on fragile waterfront sites is important, careful design, landscape and stormwater controls are equally important in the vision of the property.”
The first two projects developed were the boathouse and carriage house. Designed to tie in aesthetically with the main house, the boathouse features cedar shingles; rich, red trim; and barn doors that open toward the dock and lake. “It makes the structure feel more open,” says the husband. “People kayak by and tell us they love those doors.”
Left: The social center of the home is the great room. The large, open space offers views of the lake. Interior designer Amanda Raymond of Studio Sage Interiors chose easy-to-maintain hickory floors that contrast with stained Douglas fir beams.
Above: The spacious kitchen is located just off the great room and dining room. The space is anchored by a dual-height island. The island's cooktop allows the homeowners to cook while looking at the lake.
The new carriage house includes upstairs living space with a kitchenette and fireplace, and a two-car garage underneath. The family lived in the carriage house while their primary residence was under construction.
Sitting above the lake, with views down to the water’s edge, the main house “feels as if it has always been there,” says landscape architect Gregory Rusnica of Bonin Architects. Rusnica created a landscape plan for the home that took advantage of its existing white pines and Canadian hemlocks; natural rock outcroppings add to the property’s rustic appeal.
Left and above: The new carriage house includes upstairs living space with a kitchenette and fireplace, and a two-car garage underneath. The couple lived here while the main home was still under construction.
The cedar-shingled and stone home is constructed with two wings that angle away from the front entrance, creating lake and mountain views from all areas in the house. A lower, sweeping roofline makes the 6,300-square-foot house feel grounded; an eyebrow arch creates drama at the front entrance. Bonin used the property’s natural slope to provide exterior access from the basement and first floor out into the backyard and down to the lake. Paths through the woods and along the waterfront give the family multiple ways to enjoy the property while moving from one space to another.
“We love the open floor plan of the house,” says the husband. “No matter where you are, you feel like you’re on the lake.”
The home’s open concept accommodates flexible entertaining. Primary living spaces on the main floor—kitchen, dining room and great room—are defined by beautiful, interior timber-frame construction by Old Hampshire Designs. Amanda Raymond, of Studio Sage Interiors in New London, worked with the homeowners on the interiors.
“We wanted to create the sense of a grand New Hampshire camp,” she says. “The landscape really directed what we selected for furnishings, colors and fixtures.”
The social center of the house is the great room, a large, open space with windows showcasing Lake Sunapee on three sides. Stained Douglas fir beams contrast with easy-to-maintain hickory floors, which are throughout the house, and a massive fieldstone fireplace. Raymond selected Foa’s White, a creamy Farrow & Ball paint, to warm up the space. “The scale in this room is so large that we needed to make sure we picked furniture and lighting that fit the space,” she says. Raymond incorporated the couple’s existing furnishings and floor coverings into her design scheme. Two distinctive, wrought-iron chandeliers in the room are by Currey & Company.
The basement level includes a recreation room, wine cellar and bunkroom. The post and beams in the recreation room's bar area from an old farmhouse.
Just off the great room and dining room, the spacious kitchen is oriented toward the outside views and has access to an outdoor dining area. The space is anchored by a dual-height island, with a granite-topped prep space on one side and an elevated dining/bar surface on the other. The dining surface is topped by live-edge walnut; the cooktop, which is set in the island, enables cooking while gazing at the lake. The island is a rich contrast to the soft, sage-green custom cabinets, designed by Raymond and built by Shaker Hill Granite of Enfield, which lighten the space and can be accessed from the adjacent dining room.
The master bedroom suite, not surprisingly, also provides views of the lake. There is also a bedroom on the first floor, which can serve as a primary bedroom to accommodate aging in place.
“We decided to go with a soft color to keep the space natural and light, and prevent it from feeling weighed down,” Raymond says. The kitchen’s work surfaces are easy-to-maintain granite, as is the natural ledger-stone backsplash behind the sink.
Also on the main floor are an office and bedroom suite on the north end of the house that can act as a primary bedroom to accommodate aging-in-place needs. Upstairs, the master bedroom suite offers lake views; two additional bedrooms with a shared bath are also available. A loft overlooking the living room is the grandchildren’s preferred play area.
The basement level includes a spacious recreation room (complete with a full bar, foosball and shuffleboard), a wine cellar, a bunkroom as well as access outdoors to the boat dock and lake. The post and beams in the bar area are from an old farmhouse, a tribute to wife’s family’s Jaffrey house.
The couple can easily name their favorite spot in their home: the wraparound deck. “In the old house, there was a place on the outdoor deck to watch the sun set,” the wife says.
Now, “We can look at Mount Sunapee and watch the sun set,” says the husband. “It’s fantastic year-round.”
They’ve found the perfect place to create their own memories.
The design team, from top to bottom: Jeremy Bonin, Christopher Timberlake and Gregory Rusnica of Bonin Architects, and Amanda Raymond of Studio Sage Interiors
RESOURCES
Bonin Architects (603) 526-6200 boninarchitects.com
McGray & Nichols (603) 526-2877 mcgray-nichols.com
Old Hampshire Designs, Inc. (603) 526-6945 oldhampshiredesigns.com
Shaker Hill Granite (603) 632-9800 shakerhillgranite.com
Studio Sage Interiors (603) 526-2121 studiosageinteriors.com
