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Houzz Tour: Modest, Modern and Zen Cabin in Maine
A seasonal space on a lobstering island becomes an energy-efficient, storage-conscious home with respect for local architecture
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
An energy-efficient contemporary cottage on a small Maine lobstering island is not a common sight. For years, a couple had a rustic seasonal cabin on Spruce Head Island that they enjoyed on weekends. After living in the nearby town of Rockland, they decided to build their dream year-round residence on their cabin property. Enter architect Carrie Shores of Larson Shores Architects, who had a local practice and had become friendly with the owners as fellow business owners (the wife owns a spa in town).
The couple had several important priorities. They wanted to live simply in a modest home with an open floor plan. While they wanted the home to have a small footprint, it still needed to support their lifestyle and meet their needs. They wanted to tread lightly on the land and create an energy-efficient home. While they loved a minimal Zen aesthetic (think Japanese teahouse), it was very important to them to respect the architectural traditions of the lobstering island, which is populated by small, simple cottages. Shores worked hard to incorporate all of these factors in the home's design.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple interested in living simply
Location: Spruce Head Island, Maine
Size: 1440 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths
That's interesting: The owners saved some wood from an old apple tree removed during construction to create a mantel.
The couple had several important priorities. They wanted to live simply in a modest home with an open floor plan. While they wanted the home to have a small footprint, it still needed to support their lifestyle and meet their needs. They wanted to tread lightly on the land and create an energy-efficient home. While they loved a minimal Zen aesthetic (think Japanese teahouse), it was very important to them to respect the architectural traditions of the lobstering island, which is populated by small, simple cottages. Shores worked hard to incorporate all of these factors in the home's design.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple interested in living simply
Location: Spruce Head Island, Maine
Size: 1440 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths
That's interesting: The owners saved some wood from an old apple tree removed during construction to create a mantel.
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| This is the side that faces the view out to the lobstering harbor and beyond. While Shores perserved the site as much as possible, it was necessary to dig a new septic system. The siting of the resulting berm atop the tank helps improve the view, as the area in between the home and the coastline has a lot of busy commercial lobstering activity and the berm blocks this less picturesque part of the view. |
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A slatted ipe fence creates backyard privacy while still allowing the house across the street to keep its view of the harbor and islands.
"The difference in the angles of the sunlight change dramatically from summer to winter," explains Shores. She studied this carefully and sized the overhangs to provide summer shade while still allowing sunlight to make its way into the house in the winter.
"The difference in the angles of the sunlight change dramatically from summer to winter," explains Shores. She studied this carefully and sized the overhangs to provide summer shade while still allowing sunlight to make its way into the house in the winter.
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In the living room, the concrete floors receive warmth via the winter sun and radiant heating. Shores placed built-in window seats in prime spots for enjoying the heat, the sunlight and the view. The seats also have storage space underneath.
The concrete floors "are stained a rich brown that has a mottled, leathery look," says Shores. Careful attention to materials was paid in the home's overall aesthetic.
Paint: Harmony Sassy Green, Sherwin-Williams
The concrete floors "are stained a rich brown that has a mottled, leathery look," says Shores. Careful attention to materials was paid in the home's overall aesthetic.
Paint: Harmony Sassy Green, Sherwin-Williams
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"When planning small space, think about what you have and where it will go, and design for your daily life," advises Shores. "I spent a lot of time talking with my clients about what their life looks like and planning out what their storage needs would be."
Case in point: Shores used every inch she could underneath the staircase. The black square you see is the entrance to a built-in dog bed. To the left of it is a half-bath, hidden behind a pocket door.
Cabinets: Ikea; counters: Corian; paint: Harmony Simply White, Sherwin-Williams; appliances: Energy Star rated
Case in point: Shores used every inch she could underneath the staircase. The black square you see is the entrance to a built-in dog bed. To the left of it is a half-bath, hidden behind a pocket door.
Cabinets: Ikea; counters: Corian; paint: Harmony Simply White, Sherwin-Williams; appliances: Energy Star rated
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The flooring on the stairs and upstairs is rapidly renewable bamboo.
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Moving upstairs, the floor plan consists of four quadrants that have a central pivot point. There are pocket doors that remain open when the couple is home to keep an open feeling, and can be closed for privacy when they have company. The couple uses one of the quadrants as a guest room and a home office.
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The floor plan gives a clear idea of how the layout works well within the home's small footprint. Upstairs you can see how the pocket doors function within the plan.
"I worked hard to make sure the house seems larger than it is," says Shores. "Another way I did this was to force people to move from one room to another on the diagonal, and I sited windows and doors to coordinate with these diagonals." To see an example of this in the plan, look at the first floor; the entry door is in the bottom right corner; you can sense the strong diagonal view and path through the living room to the kitchen in the top left corner.
"I worked hard to make sure the house seems larger than it is," says Shores. "Another way I did this was to force people to move from one room to another on the diagonal, and I sited windows and doors to coordinate with these diagonals." To see an example of this in the plan, look at the first floor; the entry door is in the bottom right corner; you can sense the strong diagonal view and path through the living room to the kitchen in the top left corner.
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This is the view from the master bedroom's bed. There is another important set of custom-designed built-ins that provide storage, display space and seating. The door leads out to the upper porch.
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Being on the upper porch feels like being one of the island's osprey, nesting up in the spruce trees.
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"We wanted to bring the rich warm wood into the bath," says Shores. Thus, the same ipe from the decks was used on the floor and up the side of the bathtub.
Floor-to-ceiling recycled glass mosaic tiles make the full bath feel larger, as does the uncluttered Corian countertop with wall-mounted faucets.
Floor-to-ceiling recycled glass mosaic tiles make the full bath feel larger, as does the uncluttered Corian countertop with wall-mounted faucets.
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Another important aspect of the design was respecting the local architecture. The island is full of shingled cottages, so Shores used cedar shake shingles that were pretreated to look weathered.
The more minimalist windows, black trim, black roof and uncluttered interior satisfy the clients' love of a simplified Zen lifestyle and aesthetic.
The more minimalist windows, black trim, black roof and uncluttered interior satisfy the clients' love of a simplified Zen lifestyle and aesthetic.
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Having trouble making out the house in this picture? That's the point; I took this picture soon after the house was constructed while standing down at sea level and looking up at it. It shows how well the exterior fits in with the other rooflines, the trees and the site.
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| A big part of enjoying this property is being outdoors. Porches and windows were sited to take full advantage of the ocean breeze. A balcony stacked atop a screened-in porch has spectacular views out to the harbor. The decks are constructed from ipe wood. The ceiling over the upstairs porch is tongue-and-groove stained cedar, which adds interest and character. More: The Maine House Fairy Houses |
Ideabook published on April 12, 2012.
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Only question is lack of a handrail on the stair - in many places they would require one on at least one side of the stair.