MAKING MEMORIES ON WINNIPESAUKEE

STUNNING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES MAKE BOB AND CYNDI TROOP’S LAKE HOUSE FEEL LIKE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

WITH SWEEPING VIEWS of Lake Winnipesaukee from almost every room in their 12,000-square-foot house, the Troops’ dream home was custom-built to reflect their love of the lake and family. The couple enjoys catching sunsets on the deck of their primary bedroom and having enough bedrooms for children, grandchildren and dear friends.

Although the three-story home includes six bedrooms, seven fireplaces, nine bathrooms and an elevator, the Troops joke that they’ve actually downsized. Prior to designing this lake home more than six years ago, the Troops had been living out of two houses—a main house and a guest house—next door.

When the opportunity arose to purchase property that could better accommodate their lifestyle and family, they jumped at the opportunity.

“We watched every nail go in, and every board go up,” says Cyndi Troop, who worked with architect Ward D’Elia of Samyn-D’Elia Architects of Holderness to create her vision of the house.

The Troops chose Alan Prescott of Center Barnstead to lead construction, along with their son-inlaw Eric Bernow of Evergreen Mountain Builders. It took Prescott and his team five years to complete the house, which required extensive stonework, steel and engineered lumber. He also completed all of the custom mill work on-site. Prescott has worked with the Troops for the past 13 years and has remodeled and built other houses. He says this one is the largest house he’s ever built in his career.

“There’s a little bit of everything in this house,” Bob Troop says. “The lower level is campy, the dining and living room are formal, and everything else is pretty traditional. It’s a combination of the architectural design we had in our other homes.”

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, the Troops began summering at the lake before making it their permanent home. They had originally planned to build a home with a first-floor primary bedroom but had to change plans to be able to squeeze their house onto the lot. For example, Cyndi wanted to be able to see certain locations—such as downtown Meredith, a church steeple and the mountains—from their bedroom. They also wanted a house that had an open kitchen connected to an outdoor terrace.

“Our first challenge was using the site efficiently —both in terms of getting the house on it and making it practical for the construction process,” D’Elia says.

While the architect describes the Troops’ home as a “gracious shingled New Hampshire-styled lake house,” it also includes intricate stonework, high ceilings, dramatic overhangs and lots of glass.

Left: The living room features a two-and-a-half-story stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling views of the lake. Top: The home includes intricate stonework, overhangs, lots of glass and plenty of outdoor space. Above: The outdoor kitchen can be used all year long thanks to Lynx propane heaters.

Fireplaces and chimneys were integrated into the structure to make it both functional and beautiful.

“At most lake houses, people want to entertain and host guests,” says John Otte, a project architect with Samyn-D’Elia Architects. “While the house needs to accommodate large groups, when they go home, you may just have two people and you don’t want them to feel like they’re rattling around in a big empty space.”

The primary bedroom may not be located on the first floor, but it includes plenty of extras—including a large, open bathroom, a walk-in closet, a laundry area, a fireplace, a cedar closet and a dressing area. It even includes a sitting area made just for sipping morning coffee. In nice weather, an outdoor deck off of the bedroom allows the Troops to sip their coffee outdoors.

“Having worked with Bob and Cyndi before, I knew what they liked and their morning routines.

It was important for them that the space critically connected to their master suite and also their closet. (Interior designer Meghan Collins) did an exquisite job blending all of those spaces,” says Susan Booth of Vintage Kitchens in Concord, who designed the kitchens and bathrooms.

The bathroom also includes plenty of built-in cabinets, a separate tub and shower and a gleaming marble floor.

An open plan connects the kitchen to dining and seating areas.
Opposite page top: The kitchen, which opens into the great room, is ideally designed for both functionality and entertaining.
Interior designer Meghan Collins worked with the Troops to incorporate existing furnishings and other items into the overall design of each room.

While the Troops say the bedroom is their favorite room, the kitchen plays an integral role in their social lives. It not only had to serve as an entertainment center, but it also allows Cyndi to cook and be a part of any gathering. It was important to the Troops that the kitchen sink look out to the lake and include a large island for their grandchildren to gather around. Granite countertops and cherry cabinets allow for plenty of work space and storage. At the same time, the kitchen opens into the great room and allows for a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

“The kitchen is a mix of cherry and paint and mahogany beams,” says Collins, an interior designer with Bedford-based Creative Spaces. “The floor is walnut. We painted the island to lighten that up a little bit.”

Another challenge for the design team was to ensure that no one felt lost in the kitchen, despite its size.

Booth and Collins worked closely together to make sure that each of the “working zones” within the kitchen complemented one another. The kitchen includes a spacious island, dining area, a baking area, an extra oven and several sitting areas that needed to be designed to work together harmoniously, Booth says.

Looking down from the top floor, the Troops’ living room showcases a two-and-a-half-story stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling views of the lake.

Sliding glass doors bring guests to yet another outdoor space. In addition, the circular back staircase looks up the hillside and provides a dramatic view of the natural granite ledge on the hillside and trees native to New Hampshire.

They hired the mason and stone style that would be used,” D’Elia says. “Our job was to make sure it was where it needed to be in terms of integrating with the rest of the house.”

The main kitchen isn’t the only place in which the Troops enjoy family celebrations. In the lower level of the house, there is a large mahogany bar, pool table, another fireplace and a kitchen that extends outdoors. All of the floors on this level are quartersawn oak. Bob enjoys grilling and wanted an outdoor kitchen that could stay cool in the summer, but also function during the winter. Lynx propane heaters keep outdoor barbeques going all winter long.

“I’ve been married 51 years in July, and I can’t tell you that I’ve ever cooked a steak in the house,” Bob says.

The primary suite provides plenty of views of the lake, both from the bedroom and bath and outdoors on the porch.

The outdoor kitchen includes Lynx stainless steel appliances, a large grill and stainless undercabinet storage built into the stone to keep dishes and cooking utensils. In addition to breathtaking views of the lake, guests can feast their eyes upon the intricate stone columns and stone facing on the house. The stonework alone took four years to complete.

A wine cellar, a steam bathroom, an exercise room, two bedrooms with fireplaces and two mechanical rooms finish off the lower level.

Although the Troops were excited to build and furnish a new house, they still wanted to incorporate some of their past into their decorating scheme.

This included using existing furniture that was either in storage or located at one of their previous homes, Collins says. In fact, the design of the house not only had to take into consideration the topography and functional use of each room, but each room also had to complement furniture the Troops already owned.

“My first task was space planning. I had the architect’s plans and the floor plans. I went around their main house and guest house and measured every single piece of furniture,” she says. “From that, I could see their taste and get a general sense of their style—which was traditional but understated.”

Throughout the home are six model ships painstakingly crafted by Bob Troop’s father. Four of them are displayed in custom-built cabinetry.
Right: The wine cellar on the lower level

Collins was then able to pick color schemes for the entire house and better understand how to incorporate existing pieces—such as furniture and rugs—into each room.

“We had a guest house that we had not used very often that included very high-quality furniture that we wanted to make use of primarily because of the comfort,” Bob says.

Cyndi says that there were pieces from her parent’s and grandmother’s homes that also were used to furnish the house.

“Meghan made it all work,” she says. “The pieces we have in place are all very important to us.”

Visitors will notice six model ships showcased throughout the home. Bob’s father, a former World War II Navy pilot, hand-built model tall ships to specification.

“He spent 3,000 to 4,500 hours on each ship,” Bob says. “I have one on the credenza, and then for the rest of them, we custom-built cabinetry for each of those ships.”

On the third floor, there are three other guest bedrooms that give friends and family plenty of space to relax and unwind. These spaces were designed to be away from the main living area and allow for privacy, D’Elia says. There are sitting areas near each guest room, and each has its own ensuite bathroom. Some rooms have fireplaces, and all but one bedroom has a lake view. The bedroom that doesn’t face the lake instead gives guests a gorgeous view of the natural granite ledge.

“The grandchildren each have a room they sleep in, and they have friends that visit that have certain rooms they always go to,” says Booth.

Custom windows, unique bathrooms and dramatic ceilings make these bedrooms anything but cookie-cutter spare rooms.

“Once Meghan and Cyndi had a thematic feel for the bedrooms we complemented that in the bathrooms with the tiles and vanities,” says Booth.

“So some vanities have texture, and some are very smooth. Some are a little more rustic and some are much more refined.”

Nearly every angle of the home and grounds take advantage of the pristine lake setting.
The team from left: Eric Bernow of Evergreen Mountain Builders, Harry Gordon of Harry Gordon Stoneworks, Julie Wood of The Leading Edge Drapery, builder Alan Prescott, Meghan Collins of Creative Spaces, John Otte of Samyn-D’Elia Architects, homeowner Bob Troop, Ward D’Elia of Samyn-D’Elia Architects, homeowner Cyndi Troop, Christi Benney of Vintage Kitchens, Nancy Manning of Artistic Tile and Susan Booth of Vintage Kitchens

Even the powder room on the first floor includes a marble floor and mahogany wood trim.

The Troops played a major role in ensuring that no detail was left behind, while at the same time designing purposeful, beautiful spaces. The whole house is a lovely example of what happens when a great team of experts not only do a great job individually, but also have a deep respect for the other professionals on their team, Booth says.

“The overarching theme for me is the accessibility in these spaces,” she says. “You feel like you could sit in any chair, pick up a book and read or have a cup of coffee or a drink and that Cyndi and Bob would sit down and chat with you. They have this amazing ability to make every space feel approachable, comfortable and elegant—but in no way stuffy.”

“Good architecture only comes with good clients,” he says. “They brought a lot of taste and knowledge to the table.”

The Troops consider their lake house project to be a labor of love, and they liken the design and building crew to family.

“The crew that finished this house, some of them we’ve known for a long time—over 22 years,” Cyndi says. “The whole team was very special. We were pleased to work with them through thick and thin, and they are like family.” NHH