Houzz Tour: Coastal Maine Home Celebrates White, Wood and Windows
Efficiency, resiliency and waterfront views drive the design of this New England vacation house
Annie Thornton
15. januar 2019
This window-lined, open-plan vacation home is located on a wooded bluff overlooking Casco Bay in southern Maine, where a family of four goes for hiking, kayaking and relaxation. “The architecture is primarily about making a space that would serve as the setting for family memories,” says architect Thomas White, who was guided by the family to keep their new-build home compact and basic.
Photos by Anthony Crisafulli, except where noted
Vacation House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple from Massachusetts with two young daughters use this house as a weekend and vacation home.
Location: Freeport, Maine
Size: 880 square feet (82 square meters); two bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms and a multiuse loft
Designers: Thomas White (architect) and Lorenzo Antinori (designer), both of Actwo Architects
When the homeowners bought this property, it had a small, dilapidated house that was 0 to be a tear-down. The project’s pro team — which included local engineering firm Baker Design Consultants and design-build firm Peter B. Rice & Co. — decided to rebuild in the same spot. The property has coastal setbacks, and this is the only place on the property that doesn’t have trees or irregular topography that would prevent new construction.
The land also has strict zoning restrictions that required the structure not to exceed a certain percentage of the lot coverage, floor area or cubic volume of the original cottage. The team decided to replace the one-story cottage with a two-story house to take advantage of coastal views. This meant “weeks of analysis between the three calculations,” White says, as the new home would need to fit in a footprint roughly half the size of the previous home’s to comply with the regulations. “It forced us to explore every inch of vertical space to stay within the cubic-volume threshold,” he says.
Find an architect on Houzz
Vacation House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple from Massachusetts with two young daughters use this house as a weekend and vacation home.
Location: Freeport, Maine
Size: 880 square feet (82 square meters); two bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms and a multiuse loft
Designers: Thomas White (architect) and Lorenzo Antinori (designer), both of Actwo Architects
When the homeowners bought this property, it had a small, dilapidated house that was 0 to be a tear-down. The project’s pro team — which included local engineering firm Baker Design Consultants and design-build firm Peter B. Rice & Co. — decided to rebuild in the same spot. The property has coastal setbacks, and this is the only place on the property that doesn’t have trees or irregular topography that would prevent new construction.
The land also has strict zoning restrictions that required the structure not to exceed a certain percentage of the lot coverage, floor area or cubic volume of the original cottage. The team decided to replace the one-story cottage with a two-story house to take advantage of coastal views. This meant “weeks of analysis between the three calculations,” White says, as the new home would need to fit in a footprint roughly half the size of the previous home’s to comply with the regulations. “It forced us to explore every inch of vertical space to stay within the cubic-volume threshold,” he says.
Find an architect on Houzz
Photo by Megan Burns
Living Spaces Bring In Outdoor Views
Inside, the home features open spaces, simple detailing, plenty of windows and lots of white and wood. “The client expressed a desire for a Scandinavian sensibility that would be warmer than a pure minimalist aesthetic but would not seem out of place in coastal Maine,” White says. Images from Houzz helped the homeowners and designers communicate their visions for the space.
The home’s simple shape and detailing address the architect’s goal of designing an efficient structure. “We used a basic box form that enclosed the most space with the smallest perimeter,” White says. South-facing windows take advantage of coastal views and maximize daylight. High-performance Marvin windows prevent the home from overheating in summer or losing heat in winter.
Locally sourced pine with a clear finish covers the ceiling and inspired the rest of the interior finishes. Wide-plank white oak wood floors with a pickled finish run throughout the house. “The idea was to make the wood floor and wood ceiling blend without being the same species and dimension,” White says.
Browse hardwood flooring in the Houzz Shop
Living Spaces Bring In Outdoor Views
Inside, the home features open spaces, simple detailing, plenty of windows and lots of white and wood. “The client expressed a desire for a Scandinavian sensibility that would be warmer than a pure minimalist aesthetic but would not seem out of place in coastal Maine,” White says. Images from Houzz helped the homeowners and designers communicate their visions for the space.
The home’s simple shape and detailing address the architect’s goal of designing an efficient structure. “We used a basic box form that enclosed the most space with the smallest perimeter,” White says. South-facing windows take advantage of coastal views and maximize daylight. High-performance Marvin windows prevent the home from overheating in summer or losing heat in winter.
Locally sourced pine with a clear finish covers the ceiling and inspired the rest of the interior finishes. Wide-plank white oak wood floors with a pickled finish run throughout the house. “The idea was to make the wood floor and wood ceiling blend without being the same species and dimension,” White says.
Browse hardwood flooring in the Houzz Shop
The kitchen, dining and living areas occupy the front of the house. The 7-foot-long galley kitchen features compact appliances, custom cabinets, granite countertops and an island with a built-in storage bench. “We wanted to use as much space as we could,” says Stuart Rice, whose firm, Peter B. Rice & Co., oversaw the home’s construction and fabricated the kitchen cabinets to perfectly fit the room’s dimensions.
Cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Photo by Megan Burns
A sectional sofa shares the double-height front room with the open kitchen and dining area. “It was about creating a singular spatial experience for the family gathering area,” White says. “Living, dining and cooking all occur within this room.”
Shop for sectional sofas on Houzz
A sectional sofa shares the double-height front room with the open kitchen and dining area. “It was about creating a singular spatial experience for the family gathering area,” White says. “Living, dining and cooking all occur within this room.”
Shop for sectional sofas on Houzz
Photo by Megan Burns
A Custom Loft Ladder Can Be Raised or Lowered
A ladder devised by the design team accesses a multiuse loft at the back of the house. The loft can be used for sleeping, relaxing or storage. (Though not photographed, two small bedrooms, a powder room and a full bath take up the back portion of the first floor.)
The ladder’s design came from a need for something that could fit a small footprint and be moved out of the way when not in use. “We had a crude idea of what this might be,” White says of the design, but the architects deferred to the contractors to craft something that would be light enough, safe enough and easy enough for a family with children to operate.
A Custom Loft Ladder Can Be Raised or Lowered
A ladder devised by the design team accesses a multiuse loft at the back of the house. The loft can be used for sleeping, relaxing or storage. (Though not photographed, two small bedrooms, a powder room and a full bath take up the back portion of the first floor.)
The ladder’s design came from a need for something that could fit a small footprint and be moved out of the way when not in use. “We had a crude idea of what this might be,” White says of the design, but the architects deferred to the contractors to craft something that would be light enough, safe enough and easy enough for a family with children to operate.
Ultimately, they engineered a design that pairs wood ladder stairs with a mechanical device found in nearly every home with a garage. “We came up with the idea of mounting a garage door system,” Rice says.
The track and motor were installed in the basement and connect to the wood ladder via a rope-and-pulley system. A remote garage door opener raises and lowers the ladder. (The team worked with the local building department to make sure everything is to code.)
The track and motor were installed in the basement and connect to the wood ladder via a rope-and-pulley system. A remote garage door opener raises and lowers the ladder. (The team worked with the local building department to make sure everything is to code.)
The loft space overlooks the open living area and has a view of the ocean beyond.
The loft can be used as a third bedroom and features built-in storage along the walls.
An All-Weather, Energy-Efficient Design
While the house is intended for seasonal use, “it is a year-round structure,” Rice says. White adds, “We utilized ultrahigh-efficiency foam insulation that provided a tight envelope that minimized air infiltration.”
Exterior materials, including the siding, roofing and decking, were chosen for their resiliency, minimal upkeep and aesthetic value. The metal roof stands up to ice buildup, and the composite siding resists rot and degradation.
While the house is intended for seasonal use, “it is a year-round structure,” Rice says. White adds, “We utilized ultrahigh-efficiency foam insulation that provided a tight envelope that minimized air infiltration.”
Exterior materials, including the siding, roofing and decking, were chosen for their resiliency, minimal upkeep and aesthetic value. The metal roof stands up to ice buildup, and the composite siding resists rot and degradation.
The wraparound composite lumber deck offers more outdoor living space and opportunity to take in the ocean view. (Notice how the metal-and-cable railings mirror the handrails inside.)
As the homeowners don’t live here full time, most of the home’s systems can notify them of issues or be controlled via smartphone. There are alarms for leaks and system failures. The thermostat can also be set so the homeowners can arrive with the home already at a comfortable temperature.
This floor plan shows the home’s first floor, left, and lofted second floor, right.
More on Houzz
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More on Houzz
Tour more vacation homes
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Can you tell me what the wall color is?
I really like that custom soft ladder. If I had guests over and I owned that place, I would have the ladder raised without them seeing it. I would then tell them: let's go to the second floor! I can imagine what some of their faces would look like.
I would love to know what color they used on the walls please?