This residence was designed for a retired couple who owned land overlooking a quiet harbor on the Connecticut River. They needed space for visiting family and an efficient kitchen for creating gourmet meals. A careful manipulation of interior volumes enhances the feeling of spaciousness in this 2,000-square-foot house. The exposed rafters and cutout hip beams give a broad, tent-like appearance to the roof, which rises from low eaves to a central tower at the entry vestibule that admits light into the center of the house.
Because of the slope of the site, the house seems to sit high in the trees and is essentially invisible from the river because it is stained the color of surrounding oaks. The entry side, on the other hand, is bright and cheerful, the color of a thousand forest daffodils. The landscaping capitalizes on natural features. Rock ledges are exposed and herbs are planted in the cracks. The forest floor, reinforced with blueberry sod, serves as the lawn, and a yellow lattice screen defines the entrance and encloses a secret garden. A small swimming pool cut out of the ledge is edged by large rocks and landscaped with evergreens and cotoneaster. The surrounding lattice enclosure is painted the color of forest shadows. A tiny gazebo and deck overlook the river.
Photography © Norman McGrath