Bedford, NH
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The Old City Hall 126 Daniel Street Portsmouth, NH 603.433.9918
Hollis, NH
Bill Fish Photography
dovetailedkitchens.com
Discover where you can buy the best performing appliances,the best outdoor furniture by Telescope Casual, and the best in home furniture. We have all the appliance brands and guarantee the best prices. Telescope Casual has a 15 year warranty and is made in New York state. Great furniture by Palliser can create a comfortable and stylish family room, Living room and home theater room.
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see how good lighting makes a great home even better
read the feature article about the Villa Como house in this issue
learn more on our website, www.hillroadlighting.com
HILL ROAD LIGHTING DESIGN we are passionate about lighting hillroadlighting.com | 207.676.4052 | 26 Hill Road | Wells, Maine 04090 All Photos Š2009 George Gruel oddstick.com
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C R E AT I N G S PA C E S F O R YO U R
Do you have a mental picture of your dream home? We know that dreams come in all sizes but are all very special. At TMS, we guide you every step of the way, turning your dream into reality. Working together, we can make this creative experience as rewarding as your new home. Contact us for a free consultation or visit www.tmsarchitects.com to view our portfolio.
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We invite you to visit The Atlantic Design Center, where our professional designers will help you reaalize your dream for your home.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27
Fall 2009
30 In every issue 16 20 25 126 128
From the Editor Events Accent on Community Sources Circa
On the cover
63 Inspiration
Seasonal Influence
27 SHOWERED IN STYLE
55 BEGIN WITH THE BONES
Make a splash with trends for the bath.
Create an inspiring garden by focusing on the architecture of the landscape.
30 NO SMALL FEAT Designer Heidi Gerquest creates a cozy but chic home in Freeport, Maine.
63 WARM-YOU-UP SOUPS
37 BEST OF ACCENT
68 IN VINO VERITAS
Meet the winners of Accent’s 2009 designer awards.
Take a culinary journey on New Hampshire’s wine and cheese trails.
40 TALENT Inside the Salmon Falls workshop of furniture maker Allan Breed. Plus, discover the works of sculptor Danielle Annis and photographer Paul Wainwright.
49 HOMEWARD FOUND Skip the mall. Locally made goods step up for every occasion.
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Recipes from Stonewall Kitchen.
Kitchen by Vintage Kitchens. Featured on page 104.
How important is it that we rank among the top nationally recognized hospitals in Acute Heart Attack Care? Ask them. When someone has a heart attack, a swift response makes all the difference. Exeter Hospital’s acute cardiac team provides fast and effective care, ranking among the best in hospitals nationwide. The result? Ask any patient who has benefited from it. To learn more, call 1-800-4-EXETER, or visit www.exeterhospital.com.
Exeter Health Resources is a proud sponsor of the New Hampshire Goes Red Campaign and New Hampshire’s 4th Annual Go Red for Women Luncheon. Go Red is a trademark of AHA. Red Dress is a trademark of DHHS.
N E W
H A M P S H I R E
Features 72 FROM TWO DIMENSIONS TO THREE Designer Jay Armstrong creates a custom home on a unique site in Newbury, Mass.
78 A VIEW FOR ALL SEASONS A hilltop Wolfeboro home comes into its own.
89 VILLA COMO Karen and David Della Penta decided to build their dream house—and they dreamed big.
101 ACCENT ON KITCHENS A special advertorial section featuring more than 20 pages of beautiful kitchens and local design resources.
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
~ Seneca Harborside Hotel • Spa • Marina
Samoset Resort
Wentworth by the Sea
The Sagamore Resort
Discover a family of four luxury destination resorts surrounded by pristine blue waters. Invigorate yourself in award winning dining, plush accommodations, nourishing spa treatments, championship golf, and spectacular vistas.
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A Passion for Perfection 1 2 Tu r n b e r r y D r i v e
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Cumberland, ME
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Eliminate your Clutter. September/October/November 2009 Volume 7, Number 5
The
C
loset onnection
603-742-1131
Publisher Kathy Poggi
Editor
• Closets
Melissa Wood
Art Director Marsha Jusczak
Advertising Art Director Jennifer Mast
Contributing Editors Sabrina Velandry & Lynn Felici-Gallant
Editorial Assistant Jamie Thompson
• Home Offices • Pantries • Laundry Rooms • Garages • Alcoves / Attics
Writers Lynn Felici-Gallant, Crystal Ward Kent, Jonathan King, Janet Mendelsohn, Cynthia Mulcahy, J. Dennis Robinson, Jennifer Saunders, Jim Stott
Serving Locations In:
Photography
• Southern ME
Rob Karosis, Ellen McDermott, Michael Penny, Mike Rixon, James R. Salomon, Cheryle St. Onge, Greg West
• NH Seacoast • Northern MA
Cover Photography Steve Booth
Advertising Sales
Marjorie Ferris, Jenna B. Pelech
ACCENT HOME & GARDEN Published by Network Communications, Inc.
Home Design Division President Adam Japko
Circulation Manager Kurt Coey
Newsstand Manager Bob Moenster
Advertising and Editorial Office 1000 Market Street, Building 2, Unit 1 Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 603 436-0391 Printed in U.S.A
Chairman/CEO Daniel McCarthy
CFO Gerry Parker
General Counsel Susan Deese
www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
15
from the editor
I believe that Accent Home & Garden is more about the people than the beautiful spaces we feature. I write a few stories per issue, which brings me face to face with some of homeowners of the properties we feature within. Scratch the surface, and there’s always more than what the eye beholds. Their homes are an extension of their personalities, reflecting who they are and what they love. Karen and David Della Penta whose home, Villa Como, is featured in this issue were kind enough to give me a threeand-a-half hour tour of their magnificent home and extensive grounds. I didn’t just see the property but also met two wonderful people who live life to the fullest, thoroughly enjoying every moment they spend at their dream home. In talking to the home professionals who worked on the property, it was clear that David and Karen inspired them to do the best work possible, a fact that did not go unnoticed. The Della Pentas celebrated the completion of Villa Como by throwing a house-warming party for everyone who worked on their home, where they could bring their families and proudly show them the fine work they had created.
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
Best wishes,
Melissa Wood, Editor ACCENT Home & Garden Inspired Living in Northern New England 603 436-0391 | melissa@accentmagazine.com
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PHOTO BY CHERYLE ST. ONGE
Scratch the surface at Accent, and you will find a small but passionate group of people. Assistant editor Jamie Thompson not only compiles the necessary bits and pieces, such as sources and events, but also brings forward her love for art in beautifully written pieces on local talent. Art director Marsha Jusczak creates every single layout, making sure the pages look stunning and that technical details are nothing less than perfect. Advertising art director Jennifer Mast creates gorgeous ads that enhance the look of the entire magazine. In the front office, Jenna Pelech and Marjorie Ferris have made me rethink the title of salesperson: I’ve seen both in action and neither would broker a deal unless they truly believed it would bring results. Overseeing it all, publisher Kathy Poggi has a special knack for bringing people together and pulling off unforgettable events. Spearheaded by Kathy, this summer’s preview party for the Decorator Show House was called “the best one in memory” by the director of the Museums of Old York. Most importantly, however, Accent is about our readers. The most rewarding part of my job is the opportunity I’ve had to meet you at networking events, parties, and trade shows. Many of you have told me how much you love the magazine, and I hope these pages have helped inspire you to create your own wonderful spaces. I know that each of you has a story to tell through your home as well, whether you are building your dream house, working toward that goal, or living simply. We are all works in progress, after all.
Inspired Design Attained
Battle Associates Architects 150 Staniford Street
West End Place
Boston, MA 02114
617-367-5975
www.battlearchitects.com
Did you know you can
SAVE OVER 50% on your energy costs with
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September/October/November 2009 | Volume 7, Number 5
Contact Us 603 436-0391
Publisher Kathy Poggi x 212 kpoggi@nci.com
Regional Sales Manager Marjorie Ferris 207 829-4477 marjorie@accentmagazine.com
Regional Sales Manager Jenna B. Pelech x 214 jenna@accentmagazine.com
Advertising Art Director Jennifer Mast x 215 jmast@accentmagazine.com Making Geothermal Affordable
Advertising and Editorial Office
233 Vaughan St., Portsmouth NH Call or visit us online to learn more
1000 Market Street, Building 2, Unit 1 Portsmouth, N.H. 03801
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To subscribe: Phone 800 830-5132 or email accent@starrcorp.com. To advertise or for general information: Call 603 436-0391 or e-mail sales@accentmagazine.com. Correspondence: Write to Editor, ACCENT HOME & GARDEN, 1000 Market Street, Building 2, Unit 1 Portsmouth, N.H. 03801; or e-mail editor@accentmagazine.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to ACCENT HOME & GARDEN, PO Box 9002, Maple Shade, NJ 08052. Canada Post PM40063731. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor ON N9A 6J5
Premier Rye Beach Location Superbly renovated shingle-styled oceanfront Victorian opposite the ocean/ beach and Rye Beach Club and close to Abenaqui CC. Old world charm combined with luxury finish including a spectacular epicurean-inspired kitchen, 2-story great room and palatial master suite. Sweeping ocean views through-out. Call for appointment. Listed at $3,350,000.
560 High Street, Hampton, N.H. 03842 603 929-1100 x124 | cell: 603 502-8488 apender@careyandgiampa.com 18
Amy Arguin Pender
September/October/November 2009 www.accentmagazine.com
ACCENT HOME & GARDEN is a magazine published seven times per year, focusing on architecture, interior and landscape design, décor, and food and wine in northern New England. ©2009 by Network Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission.
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personalize innovative interiors
sustainable comfort
calendar of events
Sandra Curtis Design, LLC AWARD WINNING INTERIOR DESIGN
September/October/November ’09 Find whimscial scarecrows all over town when Wolfeboro holds its annual Scarecrow Festival from September 26 to October 3. Festival maps showing the locations of all the scarecrows are available to pick up at the Wolfeboro Area Chamber of Commerce. 603 569-2200 www.wolfeboroonline.com. Photo by Sharon Lambert. September 3 Sixty Years of the Gilman Garrison Going Green Gather at Gilman Garrison House for a tour of the rarely opened basement and attic. The tour will focus on the way William Dudley, the last private owner of the house, restored the building on a budget to create a house museum by reusing materials, recycling, and re-forming furniture. Light refreshments will be served. 5:30–7:00 p.m. Admission $14, $7 for Historic New England members. Registration required. Exeter, N.H. | 603 436-3205 | www.historicnewengland.org
September 3–7 Fall Artists Weekend on Appledore Island This fall painting weekend is for artists looking for a touch of adventure. Paint on the island that inspired American Impressionist Childe Hassam and other artistic, musical, and literary greats of the late 19th century. This program is all-inclusive; round trip boat transportation, isles field trip, lobster bake, all meals, lectures, island tours, and accommodations. $950 per person. 603 430-5220 | www.sml.cornell.edu
Sandra J. Curtis, ASID 603-528-1188 Post Office Box 7012 Gilford, NH 03247 www.sandracurtisdesign.com
September 4 Growing Edible Tropical Fruit Few things are more rewarding than plucking a lemon off your plant in the middle of the winter or savoring your own fresh figs in the middle of summer. At this event, held at Lyman Estate Greenhouses, learn to grow numerous types of citrus, including lemons, limes, and oranges, along with delicious figs, on your windowsill or in your garden. Each participant goes home with a plant. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. $35; $25 for Historic New England members; $15 for Garden and Landscape members. Waltham, Mass. | 781 891-4882, ext. 244 | www.historicnewengland.org
September 5 Summer Lobsterfest Enjoy a cruise on Lake Winnepesaukee and the ultimate New England dining
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experience in one night. Dancing to live music and a beautiful sunset (weather permitting) is part of the package. Barbecue chicken is also served. $49 per person, 7–10 p.m. Weirs Beach, N.H. | 603 366-5531 | www.cruisenh.com
September 12–13 22nd Annual Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival Come celebrate the long tradition of this crafts festival, featuring nearly 100 jury-selected artisans, along with music, food, environmental education, and a charity raffle. Tickets are available online for $12 or at the festival itself for $7, which runs from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Wells, Maine 207 646-4521 | ww.laudholm.org/crafts_info.htm
September 12 United Maine Craftsmen’s Fall Festival of Arts & Crafts Over a hundred of Maine’s talented artisans will be selling their unique handcrafted products on the beautiful grounds of Smiling Hill Farm. Ample free parking and food vendors included. Westbrook, Maine | 207 621-2818 | ww.unitedmainecraftsmen.com
September 12 Ogunquit Art Association Reception Come to the Barn Gallery to see the artwork of the Ogunquit community, featuring old and new members of the OAA and invited New England sculptors. Showcases include Jayne Adams and S. Patricia Benson. Reception from 5–8 p.m. The fall season runs from September 2–October 4. Ogunquit, Maine | 207 646-8400 | www.ogunquitartassociation.com
Jackson Hill Cider Day Enjoy children’s crafts, music, demonstrations of spinning, cider pressing, crafts, and refreshments at the historic Jackson House. The house will also be open for tours. Portsmouth, N.H. 603 436-3205 | www.historicnewengland.org
September 18 & 19 6th Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta Wolfeboro Bay will thunder with the sound of more than 70 vintage race boats as they run demonstration laps on a onemile oval course. Spectators are invited to get up close and personal with the boats and their drivers in the pit area. Wolfeboro, N.H. | 603 569-4554 | www.nhbm.org
September 19–December 6 Moods of Nature: Jay Connaway and the Landscape of New England Jay Connaway (1893–1970) used bold brushwork and a subtle palette to create his distinct style of bold impressionism. This exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art features 25 paintings and is the first of its kind since Connaway’s death. His work is best known for incorporating the sky, waves, and snow-covered hills of Maine and Vermont to present the region as a calm and constant landscape despite modernization elsewhere. Portland, Maine | 207 775-6148 | www.portlandmuseum.org
Custom Builders - Fine Cabinetry & Interior Woodworking - Architectural Millwork 800 899-1664 17 White Birch Lane, York, Maine 03909 www.mainecoastbuilders.com
Spicy Apple Perennial best-selling combination of apple slices, cinnamon and bay leaves. Handmade in the USA.
September 19 & 20 Fairy House Tours Take an enchanting walking tour through private and public gardens in Portsmouth’s historic South End from 12–4 p.m. The tour features whimsical houses for fairies built with natural materials. These unique creations will be featured at Strawbery Banke Museum, Prescott Park, the Gov. John Langdon House, the Wentworth-Gardner House, and other private gardens. The tour starts and concludes on Peirce Island in Portsmouth, where you’re invited to bring a bag of natural materials and help build a fairy house village. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 436-2848 | www.fairyhouses.com
September 20 New Hampshire Furniture Masters Auction This annual auction event is one of the best opportunities to purchase original pieces of studio furniture from New England’s finest artisans while supporting your local craftspeople. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the associations’ educational programs. Admission $75 in advance, $82.50 at the door. Manchester, N.H. | 603 898-0242 | www.furnituremasters.org
Nature’s Outpost Fine Home & Garden Accents 85 Lafayette Rd., Route 1 • North Hampton, NH Open 7 Days • 603-964-9316 www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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CUSTOM RENOVATIONS & REMODELING
September 26 Guided Mushroom Hike Join amateur mycologists Jill and George Montgomery for a brief introduction to mushroom identification followed by a trail hike to collect various species found growing at The Fells. Finish by naming your specimens and learning which are edible and which are not. Wear sturdy shoes and bring along a shortbladed knife and gathering basket. Saturday, 1–4 p.m. Admission $6, free for members. Newbury, N.H. | 603 763-4789 www.thefells.org
September 26 Family Harvest Festival See tractors and other farm equipment spanning the last 80 years and learn how simple machines help farmers pump water, press cider, and prepare food at this family-friendly festival. Entertainment includes a hay bale maze, horse-drawn wagon rids, scarecrow building, pumpkin treasure hunt, fold music, and a puppet show. Cider, donuts, and hot lunch are available. 11 a.m.–4p.m. Admission $6 for adults, $4 for children. Free for Historic New England members. Newbury, Mass. | 978 426-2634 www.historicnewengland,org
September 30–October 30 New Hampshire Art Association Exhibits Want to brush up on local art and artists? Stop by the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery to view works from members of the New Hampshire Art Association. In October, the gallery will feature new works in wood by Bruce Teatrowe in the East Gallery, while the Main Gallery will feature a photographic retrospective from longtime Seacoast favorite Peter Randall. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday from 12–4 p.m. Opening reception on Friday, October 2, 5–8 p..m. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 431-4230 | ww.nhartassociation.org
603 498 4210
>
P ORTSMOUTH NH
WWW. A LTERNATIVE S OLUTIONS B UILD .COM
October 3 5th Annual Celebration of the Arts and Antiques Show Over 20 dealers and artists set up among the gardens of Calmore. Enjoy live music, demonstrations, and refreshments. Rain or shine. Free admission. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Dunstable, Mass. 978 649-8882 | www.seasonsatcalmore.com
October 3 & 4 Green Home & Living Show Thousands of
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433-2084
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This event will showcase 175 exhibitors offering the latest energy-efficient, eco-friendly products and services. Enjoy a broad range of exhibits and dozens of activities for all ages, including free seminars, Planet Kid’s Zone, speakers, and much more. Saturday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Portland, Maine | 207 221-0772 www.greenhomeandlivingshows.com
October 3–October 24 Interpreting Color for Interior Design At Coolidge Center for the Arts, explore the art of interpreting color for decorating interior spaces; discover the defining qualities of color and its applications in creating interior design statements. Learn how to bring balance and harmony to a living environment. 9–11 a.m. $140 tuition for four-week course. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 436-6607 | www.wentworthcoolidge.org
October 10–12 26th Annual Cape Ann Artisans Open Studio Tour Meet the artists and see their newest works in the studios where they are created. Artwork includes jewelry, pottery, painting, pastels, sculpture, photography, mosaics, fabric art, and glass beads. Maps are available at Cape Ann chamber of Commerce and Gloucester/Rockport Visitor information centers. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. each day. Essex, Gloucester, and Rockport, Mass. | 978 546-6186 | www.capeannartisans.com
October 11 Edwardian Afternoon at Castle Tucker The Edwardian Age was an era of fabulous entertaining and elaborate fashion. On the lawn of Castle Tucker, enjoy a display
of fine period fashion and amusements by the ladies and gentlemen of the Order of Edwardian Gunners, Downeast Chapter, overlooking the spectacular Sheepscot River Harbor. Wiscasset, Maine | 207 882-7169 | www.historicnewengland.org
October 15–18 New Hampshire Film Festival The mission of New Hampshire Film Festival (NHFF) is to celebrate the art of filmmaking. NHFF unites highly talented students, professional filmmakers and screenwriters with industry experts, educators, avid moviegoers, and film connoisseurs from around the globe for a highly interactive weekend of nationally recognized and undiscovered gems. The festival is one of the largest in New England, screening approximately 60 films. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 647-6439 | www.nhfilmfestival.com
October 16 Fall Orchid Sale Celebrate the blooming season of the orchid collection at the Lyman Estate greenhouses—among the oldest examples still in existence in the United States. Hundreds of orchid plants are for sale, including many hard-to-find varieties. Visit these antique greenhouses and enjoy gorgeous floral colors, shapes, and scents. Waltham, Mass. | 781 891-4882, ext. 244 www.historicnewengland.org
October 17 Field Trip to Saint-Gaudens Join Exeter’s American Independence Museum for a field trip to Cornish to visit the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a master sculptor known for the Shaw Memorial in Boston and Standing Lincoln in Chicago, made Cornish his home and co-founded an art colony there. Barbara Rimkunas, curator of the Exeter Historical Society, will present background information during the ride. We’ll tour the house and gardens, visit the artist-in-residence sculptor’s studio and enjoy lunch on the grounds. Registration necessary by October 2, $50 for members, $65 non-members. Exeter, N.H. | 603 772-2622
October 24 International Progressive Dinner Join The Fells for a fundraiser featuring ethnic fare from around the world in celebration of United Nations Day. Eight fabulous hosts each open their homes to serve eight to ten guests a memorable meal. Enjoy dessert and aperitifs at The Fells. $75 per person, reservations required. Newbury, N.H. 603 763-4789 | www.thefells.org
October 24 Newburyport ArtWalk Take a stroll through downtown Newburyport where 13 art galleries will be hosting artist receptions, light refreshments, new works, and more from 3–7 p.m. The walk is self-guided, and maps are available to download online. Newburyport, Mass. | www.newburyportartwalk.com
October 30 Ghosts on the Banke Come and meet the Ghosts on the Banke at Strawbery Banke’s famous Halloween celebration! Long-dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and wayward pirates haunt the streets and houses of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood as families trick-or-treat safely from historic house to historic house. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 433-1107 | www.strawberybanke.org
October 30–November 20 Decorative Style Explorations Come to Coolidge Center for the Arts for a four-week class to learn about decorative styles for interior spaces. Explore historic, classic, heritage, and contemporary interiors. Discover how to artfully express your style for creating peace, harmony, balance, vitality, and renewal in your living environment. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. $140 tuition. Portsmouth, N.H. | 603 436-6607 | www.wentworthcoolidge.org www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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Exceptional Homes
Flanders Enterprises, LLC was awarded Best of Show at the 2008 Cornerstone Awards. The Cornerstone Awards are awarded by the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire in 40 categories to recognize excellence in all areas of the building industry.
Providing Outstanding Craftsmanship, Service, Expertise & Integrity from Concept to Completion.
603 279 4254 | Meredith, NH
www.flandersent.com
ACCENT
oncommunity 1
5
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The Museums of Old York celebrated the 20th anniversary of their decorator show house with a preview party on July 17. Held in the barn of McIntire Farm, the event featured the 2009 Best of Accent awards. Anne Cowenhoven received a designer recognition award for her dedication to the annual event. | 1. Kathy Poggi, ACCENT, and Deb Weeks, Brazo. 2. Outside the barn. 3. Decorative lighting created a festive atmosphere. 4. The barn featured an art show. 5. Pat Fortunato and Jenna Pelech, ACCENT. 6. Julie Cook, Landry & Arcari, Anne Cowenhoven, Ben Cook, and Jeffrey Arcari, Landry & Arcari. The Arcaris presented a custom-designed rug to Cowenhoven for her award. 7. A view from the loft. 8. Marsha Jusczak, ACCENT, and Brian Jusczak. 9. Kathy Poggi, ACCENT, and ACCENT award-winners Pat Fortunato, Chuck Hugo and Maya Travaglia, Charles Hugo Landscape Design, Anne Cowenhoven, Sarah Hourihane, DeStefano Architects, Robert Carty, TMS Architects, and Peter Lawton. 10. Chuck Hugo and Maya Travaglia. 11. Charles Hugo Landscape Design also created the landscape for the show house. 12. Sarah Hourihane, DeStefano Architects. 13. Robert Carty and Buffi Robbins, TMS Architects.
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The Seacoast Home Builders & Remodelers Association held their 16th annual Scholarship Golf Classic at the Portsmouth Country Club on August 4. | 14. Kathy Poggi, ACCENT, and Kendall Buck, president of NH-HBRA. | 15. Melissa Wood, ACCENT, and Digger, Lifestyles Kitchens. 16. Dick Conley, Carrie Donahue, Pella Windows, Jenna Pelech, ACCENT, Chris Ragusa, CM Ragusa Builders, Jenna Pelech, ACCENT, Melissa Wood, ACCENT, and Scott Fiorentino, Fiorentino Group Architects.
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LLC Photo by Gregg West
B&G Cabinet Exceptional Service & Value
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National Kitchen & Bath Association
inspiration | trends
Showered in Style
Make a splash with high-tech, high style bathroom trends Transform your bathroom into a relaxing spa retreat, or a high-tech space that will get you energized during your morning shower. With a multitude of options available, you can create a bathroom that goes above and beyond the necessities. Hand-crafted accessories, ecofriendly appliances, and the latest in technological innovation bring style and substance to the bathroom. Above: STONE FOREST Carrara marble bathtub is carved from a single block of natural stone. Visit www.stoneforest.com for more information. WRITTEN BY JAMIE THOMPSON
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Left: JACUZZI Omega shower features black stone, teak, and glass in this inclusive sauna/spa. A cascading showerhead, rainfall ceiling tile, handheld shower, and four body sprays make for an indulgent experience. Available at Stateline Supply. Facing Page, Clockwise from top left: HUNTER decorative fan improves ventilation while preventing mold and mildew, all without sacrificing style. Available at Home Depot. ALSONS Mustang Red combination hand shower/showerhead system operates one or both at the same time for full-body coverage. The hand shower is incorporated into the fixed showerhead for a seamless look. Available at Ace Hardware. DESIGNER RODS are completely customizable. Send your materials, such as seashells collected on the beach, to create a custom shower or towel rod. Available at www.designerrods.com. GROHE Ondus AquaFountain shower system allows you to control water temperature digitally, providing for a totally personalized shower. The sleek design is organically inspired, while the backlit interface is unabashedly high tech. Available at Standard of New England. WATERFALL Twenty-One bath vanity inspired by the Rat Pack era features functional storage solutions and customization options. Available in 13 different colors and trim options, this vanity will fit with any bathroom decor. Available at Boston Design Center.
inspiration | trends
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The office features a cabinet hand-painted by Heidi in bright shades that complement the sage green walls. | Inset: The living room features an antique French daybed and chaise.
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inspiration | designers notebook
No Small
FEAT
Taking a practical approach to her home’s design, Heidi Gerquest created a comfortable, inviting home that plays to the strengths of a small space without skimping on style. For interior designer Heidi Gerquest, buying her first home was a matter of fate. “My parents were thinking about retiring to Maine, and I was looking at a house for them with my mom,” Heidi says. “Her friends kept saying, ‘Oh, this would be a great place for Heidi.’ I thought there was no way; the house was too expensive at the time, and it came with a lot of acreage.” Heidi didn’t buy the house, but two years later, it went back on the market with a more appealing offer and she seized the opportunity. Heidi’s design career started much the same way, with a bit of serendipity and a dash of destiny. In the 1980s, in Portland’s historic Old Port, Heidi and her friend had a business making furniture out of old architectural pieces, all bearing Heidi’s colorful painted designs.
WRITTEN BY JAMIE THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES SALOMON
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This page, above: Slipcovered armchairs offer a cozy spot to enjoy a book and a cup of tea in the sitting room. Classical and folk art pieces mingle to create a charming tableaux. Inset: The sitting room also features a turquoise blue antique French Canadian dresser, which Heidi says is her favorite piece. The four prints above the desk are inexpensive finds that look blue-chip when matted, framed, and hung salon-style. | Facing page, from left: Heidi relaxes in the sitting room. Heidi and her daughter head towards home. The home’s entrance features granite steps and an arched transom and tall windows typical of Greek Revival design. Overlooking a pond, the property presents many picturesque spots from which to enjoy the view.
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Although Heidi enjoyed the work, her true passion was interior design. So, on a whim, she entered Metropolitan Home magazine’s Home of the Year contest. Her winning entry was an abandoned cottage on Peaks Island in Maine that she fixed up, spending less than $50 per piece. Thus Heidi’s design career was born. Since 1989, Heidi has done work in Canada, Italy, Colorado, and New York City, as well as a lot of local business. “I like doing houses that are not big budget, but I do enjoy big budget projects as well,” says Heidi. “I just think it can be really fun to see what I can do without spending a lot of money.” Heidi embraced her penchant for diminutive homes and design challenges with the décor of her home. Situated in a quiet, woodsy neighborhood in Freeport, overlooking a pond with a stream running along the back of the property, the 1820s house looks like it belongs in a Sarah Orne Jewett story. Its historic roots and quaint, old-fashioned style lend the right note of rusticity to Heidi’s modern, madcap chic. “It’s a bit like a plumber with a leaky faucet,” Heidi laughs. But she is too modest; the lively fusion of styles, fabrics, colors, and accessories is harmonious and sophisticated. “I tried to make it look as good as possible given the items I had. I just collected
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things from doing design work for a lot of people, occasionally buying things for myself.” The result is veritable collector’s cabinet of curiosities, in which each piece has a story. “I love textiles, and a room might start with something as seemingly insignificant as a pillow,” says Heidi. “I’ll start with something small and the room will grow around it. A blue French Canadian antique dresser inspired the sitting room, for example.” The sitting room is a cozy spot to enjoy a good long read, with a plush sofa piled high with pillows and two slipcovered armchairs. The four framed prints above the desk exemplify Heidi’s democratic design philosophy: “They are Picasso prints, not real, that I bought for five dollars at an antique book shop and had framed.” For such a small investment, those four prints look gallery-worthy. Such resourcefulness is a recurring element throughout the home’s design. For example, Heidi transformed flimsy plywood closets into functional and beautiful built-in shelving. Every little nook and cranny is taken advantage of, providing a home for books and the TV. Efficient use of space is also somewhat of a trademark of Heidi’s, who is accustomed to working within the confines of a small home. A long, narrow space at the back of the house does triple duty as a kitchen, Above: Windows salvaged from an English greenhouse let the light flood into the combination sitting area, dining room, and kitchen. Marrying form and function, an antique console conceals a monitor heater.
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dining room, and sitting area. The stunning floor-toceiling windows that surround the sitting area take the room from everyday to extraordinary. “I had several seven by four feet paned windows from an old English greenhouse that inspired the design for the kitchen,” says Heidi. This part of the house was formerly a shed, but Heidi had it remodeled after several years, calling upon her friend at Sunrise Builders of Portland to make her design a reality. The room’s spaciousness and variety of furniture could make it difficult to create a cohesive space. Heidi easily avoided that problem by sticking to a primary palette of deep cobalt blue, rich red, and sunny yellow. A colorful painting by her friend, Portland artist Nance Parker, echoes the blue of the sofa, as well as golden yellow that pops up on the throw pillows and in the area rug. The dining chairs, surrounding a massive farmhouse table from Polly Peters Antiques, are painted in a glossy cherry red, coordinating with the rug and the armchair cushions in the sitting area. Right: In her daughter’s room, Heidi painted the walls with a pattern inspired by wallpaper spied in a Swedish interiors book.
Anchored by the color scheme, the mix of furniture looks inspired rather than haphazard. “My designs for other people are usually a combination of contemporary and antique pieces, and that’s true for this house,” says Heidi. “It is definitely an eclectic mix.” For instance, the master bedroom features an antique iron bed from Polly Peters Antiques, as well as an old captain’s trunk, repurposed as a bedside table. A reproduction antique rug–“one of the few things I bought”–sits under the bed, in subdued shades of red and green. Heidi also likes to play with balance and proportion in her designs, and that is evident throughout the house, but especially in the master bedroom. The bed is framed by two windows–topped off by swags handmade by Heidi from fabric samples–and two whimsical topiaries, lending the arrangement a pleasing symmetry. But the big captain’s trunk throws off the balance ever so slightly, adding an unexpected, fun twist. “The house just has a good feeling,” muses Heidi. “It’s fun working on small houses; they’re like little gems.” Above: Shades of red and green liven up the light-filled master bedroom, the star of which is a beautiful antique iron bed. Two paintings hang above the bed, a nod to Heidi’s love of art. “There are a lot of artists in my family; my grandmother and aunt are painters. So a lot of the artwork in the house is from family and friends,” she says. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126 36
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2009
BEST OF ACCENT ACCENT Home & Garden magazine is proud to announce the winners of the first annual Best of Accent Awards. The awards distinguish outstanding local talent in the home design industry, recognizing creativity in the categories of design/build, landscape architecture, kitchen, bath, and interior design. A slideshow showing all entries can be found on the web at www.accentmagazine.com.
awards
Congratulations to this year’s winners! BEST DESIGN/BUILD TMS Architects TMS Architects was awarded Best Design/Build for their 4,300 square foot residence overlooking a tidal estuary leading directly to the Atlantic Ocean. The home is a stunning four bedroom designed and built by TMS Architects to take advantage of the home’s unobstructed view of a tidal estuary and the ocean view beyond. Living areas are situated to face the ocean, and a multitude of windows embrace not only the waterfront views, but also an expansive stone patio for outdoor living.
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BEST BATH DESIGN Patricia Fortunato, ASID Patricia Fortunato, ASID, designed a luxurious master bathroom in a stunning remodel on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesauke. His-and-hers pedestal sinks are topped off by pivoting oval mirrors, and embroidered fabric wallpaper adds textural interest. A large claw foot tub is nestled in a private nook in front of a window overlooking the lake. A variety of shapes, textures, and patterns were used to create interest in the all-white bathroom.
> BEST KITCHEN DESIGN Peter Lawton, CKD Peter Lawton’s design was the final transformation of a 1970s suburban remodel. The designer’s signature custom window faces the home’s backyard and features but-joined glass surrounding a granite counter. Semi-custom cabinets, a wet bar, and wine storage offer functionality and visual appeal. A bronze accented marble tile backsplash and marble tile flooring are luxurious finishing touches.touches.
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BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design
BEST INTERIOR DESIGN
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Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design received the award for Best Landscape Design. Hugoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning entry was a two-year long project, starting from a bare plot of land, which now seamlessly blends into the surrounding landscape of stones and trees. Classic New England stone walls, a dramatic fire pit, plenty of room for entertaining, and lush native plants distinguish this unique landscape design. Hugo carefully considered the desires of the client while ensuring that the design complemented the existing natural landscape.
DeStefano Architects DeStefano Architects was awarded Best Interior Design for their work on a traditional riverfront home with a unique, modern interior. The openconcept space was designed with oversize elements to complement the airy feel: a wide front door, a large fireplace, and comfortable dining room are inviting. Using natural materials such as wood, stone, and slate, DeStefano Architects created a constant connection with the outdoors throughout the interior.
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inspiration | local talent
ALLAN BREED
[ Reproduction Furniture Maker ]
People come from all over the country to cross the threshold into this peaceful yet vibrant space located up a set of stairs and at the end of the hallway in the main building of the Salmon Falls Mills. Here at the Breed School, where students learn hand carving and cabinetmaking, the atmosphere is busy yet calm — a reflection of the quiet determination of the school’s teacher and founder, Allan Breed. “I don’t set it up as a race or a competition between people,” Breed explains. “I try to emphasize just learning than accomplishing a specific project. I try to get people to learn how to think about it.” For more than 20 years, Breed has focused on reproducing 18thcentury American furniture by hand. He is a master in his craft who has earned a reputation as one of the top in his field in the country, Allan Breed,The Breed School clients that include high-end auction houses such as Sotheby’s and American 18th Century Furniture by Hand 13 Liberty Street Christie’s, and his workshop, which also serves as his classroom, is South Berwick, Maine 03908 right here under our noses in Rollinsford, N.H. 603 749-6231 Breed’s interest in antiques began early, with a longtime love of breeds@comcast.net history. When he was a kid he collected old bottles, then moved on WRITTEN BY MELISSA WOOD
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KAROSIS
Allan Breed guides a student in an introductory carving class. The small class sizes provide many opportunities for one-on-one interaction.
to furniture when he was a teenager, discovering pieces at auctions and flea markets. “When I was a little kid I was always interested in going up into people’s attics and seeing what was around,” he says. At age 19, during the summer of his freshman year at college, he was offered a rare opportunity when Jonathan Fairbanks of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston took him on as a volunteer and then hired him to work in the museum’s furniture restoration department. It was there that Breed learned many basic techniques through intensive, hands-on training, working alongside master cabinetmakers on some of the finest early American furniture pieces. He left after the second summer, coming to Portsmouth to start a restoration business of his own above Carters Antique Shop in 1976. “They were one of the first people to come into the area and restore old buildings,” he explains. His business grew, in part from recommendations from connections made at the museum, and he opened a cooperative woodworking shop with a couple other craftsmen at the Button Factory. Back then, explains Breed, “It was just a raw space. I don’t even think it had heat. There were still pigeons flying around.” As he took on more and more commissions, Breed refined his skills, learning on his own by taking on more work and figuring things out. “I learned cabinet restoration by taking things apart,” explains Breed, who taught himself how to carve and do cabinetmaking. “Nobody really showed me.” Breed takes the same learning-by-doing approach with his woodworking students. Classes are limited to six people and last one week at a time. “I set the bar pretty high, and the things we do are challenging,” he says. Breed only uses power equipment to rough out the shape of pieces, taking the place of an apprentice, Breed explains. The rest of the work is done by hand. Breed, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history, not only teaches his students design and technique, but also helps them understand the historical significance and background for each piece, and does not hesitate to pass on everything he knows to his students. “There’s really only a handful of people who do what I do, and not all of them teach,” he explains. “It’s about understanding the history and the process. When I’m making something for a museum, it has to be correct historically and physically; it has to be done right.” Students at the Breed School come from all walks of life with one thing in common: an interest in woodworking. Breed’s students have ranged from a fashion model from New York City to a retired doctor in his 80s, and have included a couple husband and wife, and have arrived here from all over New England and also Florida, California, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, Arizona, and elsewhere. Right: Scenes from inside the Breed School, which also serves as Allan’s workshop. The busy space is never drowned out by the noise of power equipment as Allan only uses power tools to rough out basic shapes. The rest of the work is done by hand.
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“At the end of the week people really do have a sense of accomplishment. People know it when you’re giving them something too easy,” he says. “There’s a difference and people appreciate being challenged, I think, because that’s how you learn.” In Breed’s workshop, students not only have the opportunity to learn from a master woodworker, but also witness that craftsman at work. Currently, Breed is making a Newport highboy to replace one sold by Sotheby’s auction house and eight Newport chairs on commission. Working alongside him for the past two and a half years is Breed’s son Sam, who developed a taste for woodworking while in high school after he sold a clock he made as an art project. “He likes it, and he’s good at it,” says Breed. “It’s always nice when you know what you want to do at an early age because it’s not that common.” And though Breed has been doing this for more than two decades, he is the first to admit that he doesn’t know everything and turns to a hefty rolodex of museum curators and antiques scholars for help. “The more you know the more you realize how much more you have to learn,” he says. “You can’t know how to do everything. It’s kind of endless.” FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126 www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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inspiration | local talent
DANIELLE ANNIS Painter and sculptor Danielle Annis understands the bond between humans and horses. “It is breathtaking,” she says, “to witness how deep a level of communication is possible with a relationship built on subtle cues, and intense trust.” Though horses are generally silent, if you take time to listen, horses communicate their wishes and fears, she says. “They have minds of their own but truly want to please, and when you achieve harmony, you fly together.” In essence, horses make you feel alive, says Annis. “They are powerful and unpredictable, yet gentle; and very intelligent, spiritual creatures. Horses will humble you, and may hurt you, but they often heal you, too. They have an incredible presence, a raw honesty that ignites my passion as an artist. I’m in synch with them, tied to them, and through my work, I want the viewer to feel that same emotion.” Although she continues to paint in both oil and acrylic, Annis’ current focus is sculpture. Her newest works are equine hooks, available at Somnia, which are utilitarian pieces that marry form with function. “It’s art that’s usable,” Annis says. She is also working on small ornaments as well as a series of life size equine busts.
[ EQUINE ARTIST ]
Danielle Annis, Portsmouth, NH 603-422-9606 603-498-2997 www.elegantlyequine.com Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, N.H. Somnia, Portsmouth, N.H. Commissions Considered Prices: Sculpture $100 to $3,000 | Hooks $35 to $150 | Ornaments (5”x 4”) $25 (resin or bonded bronze) $175 (custom) | Oil paintings $400 to $1,500
WRITTEN BY JANET MENDELSOHN www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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Forty Four Windows, Ponemah Mill, Taftville, Connecticut, 2007 | Facing Page: Door, Olde Meeting House (1755), Danville, New Hampshire, 2004
inspiration | local talent
[ PHOTOGRAPHY ]
The play of light and shadow, the quality of lines and shapes — these have a transcendent beauty in black and white. Without color, the world can become abstracted, simplified, or more complex. This is the world of photographer Paul Wainwright, who makes large-format black and white photographs. Paul first became interested in photography at age 12, when a friend showed him how to develop negatives: “It was like magic,” recalls Paul. Though he has been making images since that first experience in the darkroom, Paul did not become a full-time photographer until 2001. “For so many years in my life I was caught up in making a career,” he says. “I saw photography as creative expression outside of that. But since 2001, I’ve really enjoyed being creative on a full-time basis.” Paul’s photographs capture the mystery and beauty of his subjects; rendered in stark black and white, a sweeping natural landscape or an unassuming window in a meetinghouse becomes strange and wonderful. “There’s an expressiveness to black and white that you can’t get with color,” Paul says. The purity of the images is reflected in the deliberation of his craft, and Paul relishes the entire process, from initial exposure to final print. WRITTEN BY JAMIE THOMPSON 46
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Photo courtesy of Mark Fernald
PAUL WAINWRIGHT
Paul Wainwright Photography Atkinson, N.H. | 603 362-6589 www.paulwainwrightphotography.com www.colonialmeetinghouses.com Limited edition prints $400-$2200 Panopticon Gallery, Boston, Mass. McGowan Fine Art, Concord, N.H. Empty Spaces – Historic architecture from New England | October 1–31 at the Kimball Public Library, Atkinson, N.H. Opening reception October 1, 6–8 p.m.
“There is something very satisfying about working with silver emulsions and darkroom chemicals. Sure it’s slower than digital photography,” Paul says. “But, what’s wrong with that? I think by working slower, both in the field and in the darkroom, I am forced to really think about what I want my images to say.” Since Paul typically creates only one negative for each photograph, he must be especially thoughtful when it comes to fieldwork. The result is timeless, beautiful, and striking—each image is painstakingly crafted in a way that is respectful of the art. Those qualities lend themselves nicely to Paul’s colonial meetinghouse project. Inspired by the simplicity and austerity of early American architecture, Paul began photographing New England’s colonial meetinghouses. “I just became really interested in the artistic value of the buildings, and the history behind them,” Paul says. What started as a few images has now grown: a book including about 75 of Paul’s meetinghouse photographs will be published in 2010, to be accompanied by a traveling exhibition. “Most people think of photography as documenting something,” says Paul. “But I’m after capturing a sense of space and time. I want to document how I feel about something, not how it looks.”
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inspiration | green living
Homeward Found LOCALLY MADE GOODS STEP UP FOR EVERY OCCASION
Did you grow up thinking that anything good for you must not be much fun? To challenge this notion, we present a sampling of locally made products to save you time and effort. These finds are one-of-a-kind, and will satisfy much more than would a cookie-cutter buy from the mall. When you need a tasteful gift or a little touch of luxe for your home, turn to one of the several local artisans just a call, click or a short walk away. Locally-made goods are good for the hometown economy, the environment and even your schedule. Clockwise from top: ALL FEET ON DECK for Amanda Forgit's exclusive handmade bath mat, repurposed from used spinnaker sails (2'x3'), $95 at Sea Bags.| DAISY DUCHESS: Custom "Gerber Daisy" floor cloth on a richly hand-painted 100 percent cotton duck canvas (6'x6'). $1,500, available through Sarah Minor Design. | COOL HUES: "Munjoy Blue" hand-printed linen/cotton pillow. Colorfully anchoring any nook or coverlet and sewn in Maine. $85 each, available at Angela Adams. WRITTEN BY CYNTHIA MULCAHY www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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inspiration | green living
Clockwise from top: STAR POWER: Graceful bowls in "Twilight" base glaze quietly radiate serenity. Beautiful yet crafted for everyday use. $38â&#x20AC;&#x201C;800, depending upon size and shape (6"-22"+), available at Glen MacInnis Studios. | FIRE & ICE: One-of-a-kind "Sorbetâ&#x20AC;? cuff positively glows. Each striking piece of handmade glass bead and silver jewelry is born through an ancient Italian technique. $330, available through Laura Preshong Jewelry. | DINNER PLANS: Hand-thrown porcelain dining set in "Doat Green" glaze (mug also available). Exhibiting utility and style, and made from locally-found clay. $100 for dinner/salad/bowl, available at Kit Cornell Pottery.
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inspiration | green living
Clockwise from top: RATHER SWIMMINGLY: Delightful "Koi" effortlessly catch your eye. Embossed on handmade paper, framed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Koiâ&#x20AC;? (14"x36") and other available decorative and functional pieces embody centuries-old artistic traditions. $335, through Island Designs. | WILD & WOOLLY: Bold animal motif placemats hand-felted from 100 percent sheep's wool, the classic renewable resource. Durable and easy-to-clean. $160 for 6, available through Hansard Welsh Design Felt. | DYNAMIC DUO: Michael Wise's outdoor chairs and table, looking smart and fashioned from spruce and mahogany. Chairs come apart and fit together for simple stowing. $99-150 (combination pricing available), available through Architectural Woodturning & Millwork.
FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
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The Landscape Professionals of Villa Como Gary Hinz Grounds for Living LLC Innovative Landscape Design for 40 years | 603-642-5720 Plantscapes Management Quality Lawn & Garden Care | 603-742-1182
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Photography by www.intrepidphotography.com
seasonal influence | gardening enthusiast
Begin with the Bones Designing a Garden with Intent Creating a garden without first considering architecture is like decorating a home before it is framed. In many instances, the architecture of a landscape — often called the bones — can differentiate a pretty garden from a spectacular one. Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in design, or a sophisticated computer program, to create the garden of your dreams. Simply follow these few principles to create an inviting garden with purpose.
Avoid Impulse Buying All too often, new gardeners begin designing at the garden center or nursery, instead of with a piece of paper or journal. The scenario is familiar: We see a plant, select it for our garden, see another, choose that, then another, and so on, until our gardens are filled with one each of every plant we can afford. Even experienced gardeners fall victim to impulse; after all, who can resist the allure of a beautiful flower or that rare plant about which you’ve been reading? There is nothing wrong with such an approach; in fact, some of the prettiest gardens in the world are cottage gardens replete with hundreds of single species. However, cottage gardens are also highmaintenance, and many gardeners later lament the unkempt look and lack of structure of a cottage or cottage-like bed. Above, from left: Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Harry Lauder’s Walking stick) with its curvy branches is a terrific example of a deciduous shrub that enlivens a four-season landscape. | Ornamental grasses, with their characteristic soft plumes, are a stalwart of a good garden design. | The late season drama of dark brown-leafed Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’ (Ligularia) combines beautifully with evergreens to add structure and form to the garden.
WRITTEN BY LYNN FELICI-GALLANT
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There is nothing more naturally sculptural than a deciduous tree with a contorted shape or interesting bark. Many professional landscape or garden designers wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t conceive of a plan without first placing trees and shrubs that provide interest year-round. The magnificent Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) shown here is just one example of a deciduous tree that is as stunning without leaves as it is filled with foliage.
the placement of evergreens. Add deciduous trees and shrubs with interesting shape or bark, and ornamental grasses for texture and movement. One way to consider the bones of a garden is to imagine how the landscape will look during the winter, when the flowers and foliage have fallen. Verdant, blue, or gold-leafed evergreens such Chameacyparis (Falce cypress) cultivars, weeping trees such as Salix (Willow), the contorted limbs of a deciduous Corylus (Harry Lauder’s walking stick), and the foliage of ornamental grasses, remain year-round. And each extends the gardening season by creating winter interest.
Begin with a Plan Begin by drawing a simple plan to show the general layout of the garden. Do you want a path, a focal point, or axes? You may be surprised how a rough sketch of these features alone will help guide plant placement. If you have an existing garden, autumn is a terrific time to reflect upon the successes and failures of the past season, to restructure the garden, and to plan additions for next spring.
Add the Bones Once you’ve decided the layout and flow of the garden, it’s time to add the anchors. Hardscape — including patios, stone walls, pathways, and boulders — should be first, followed by
Foliage First Before adding a single flowering plant, place foliage perennials on the plan. And do so en masse. Foliage plants soften the hardscape, trees, and shrub selections, and ready the garden for the addition of perennials and annuals for color. Many foliage perennials are evergreen or semi-evergreen; that is, they retain their foliage during winter, and thus also contribute winter interest to a four-season plan. Gardeners with shade or part-shade perhaps have the greatest options for perennial foliage plants, including myriad Heuchera (Coral bells) cultivars and colors, native and nonnative ferns, cascading ornamental grasses such as the 2009
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The Japanese have perfected the art of evergreen placement. Japanese gardens have few, if any flowers, yet are among the most beautiful and serene landscapes in the world. You don’t need to create an Asian landscape, however, to appreciate the importance of evergreens. Careful selection of colorful evergreen species, such as a gold Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Cripsii’ (Hinoki false cypress), green Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’ (Bird’s nest spruce), or Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’ (Montgomery blue spruce), anchor a landscape with or without flowers.
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Perennial of the Year, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola,’ (gold Japanese forest grass), and, of course, Hosta. Sun often gives gardeners the most trouble in terms of design, as there are so many irresistible sun-loving flowering plants from which to choose. For foliage anchors in sun, try non-blooming Stachys byzantia (Lamb’s ear), Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle — grown more for its foliage than its flowers), and any of the vast selection of ornamental grasses, from dwarf varieties such as Pennisetum ‘Hameln’ (Dwarf fountain grass) to towering cultivars of Miscanthus (Maiden grass). Some Heuchera cultivars can also tolerate sun so long as they receive enough moisture; be sure to research the plants that work best for your location.
Perennials and Annuals Last It may seem counterintuitive, but flowering plants should be the last ones a gardener adds to her landscape. Fortunately, flowering options abound. From roses for sun, to Anemone (Windflower) for shade or part-shade, judiciously placed flowers complete a garden. While the choice of plants at this stage of the design is nearly limitless, a few principles adhere. As with foliage plants — unless the flowering perennial can stand alone as a specimen — always plant in groupings of odd numbers. Designers plant in odd numbers to create a more unified arrangement (the third plant anchors and balances the other two), and groupings create a more dramatic effect than single plants.
Accent with Ornament For many gardeners, the piece de resistance of the garden is the addition of ornament. Art, ornament and sculpture personalize a garden; ornament is expressive and speaks to the style or taste of the garden-maker. Gardeners may use ornament to create a destination or point of reflection. Or a piece of sculpture may simply fill a hole. Regardless of intent, ornament accents the garden in the same way a good design begins it, with focus and with purpose. Every garden should include at least one species of ornamental grass for movement, texture, and grace. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
Wo o d b u r n & C o m p a n y L a n d s c a p e A rc h i t e c t u re , L L C 103 Kent Place, Newmarket, NH 603 659-5949 w o o d b u r n a n d c o m p a n y. c o m
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seasonal influence | home cooking
warm-you-up Even the longest Indian summer must at some point give way to autumn, and though we hate to see summer go, we always welcome New England’s changing of the seasons. We’re especially excited about fall because it brings with it such a wonderful array of seasonal flavors, which we love to blend into soups, our favorite way to stay warm on a chilly night. Living in Maine, we swear by hearty, delicious, warm-you-up soups, but for those who might still be skeptical, take this year’s increased focus on costconsciousness as an invitation to bring a variety of soups into your home. Whether based on entirely fresh ingredients, canned produce or a medley of leftovers, soups can be as economical as they are savory and satisfying. Use the recipes included below as a guidepost, but feel free to improvise, adding herbs and spices you love, or tossing in any extras you might have on hand. Also, remember that fresh ingredients don’t have to be more expensive, so shop your farmers’ market for local produce for as long as the growing season allows. Root vegetables, such as those featured in our Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup, will be available for months to come at the farm stand and in your grocer’s aisles. Any potato or winter squash variety will enhance this dish, which can be left chunky or pureed to your desired texture. Soup is a cook’s best friend. Add a drizzle of pesto, dollop of cream or dash of green onion on top and you’ll instantly give these cozy meals a bit of panache. And keep in mind that soup always tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had time to blend together, so make a pot a day ahead if you’re anticipating a particularly biting frost! We consider every new season a fresh opportunity to expand our culinary skills and find interesting ways to make restaurant quality meals at home. We’re constantly revisiting old favorites and finding new classics we know we’ll return to again and again, and we hope you’ll do the same in your kitchen.
Soups Tomato Basil Soup with Basil Cream FOR THE SOUP: 4 pounds of tomatoes (about 6 medium), cored 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound yellow or Vidalia onions (about 3 medium), sliced Salt and pepper 1/3 cup packed, coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra whole leaves for garnish
4 cups low-sodium canned chicken or vegetable broth, or homemade chicken broth A few basil leaves for garnish FOR THE BASIL CREAM: 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper
To make the soup: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Gently drop tomatoes into boiling water and cook for about 20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in ice water. Using a small, sharp knife, peel the tomatoes. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside. In a large pot, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring well. Add half of the chopped basil and raise the heat to high. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. To make the basil cream: Puree basil, cream, and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. The basil cream can be made several hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve cream at room temperature. Add remaining chopped basil to the soup and, working in batches, puree soup in a food processor or blender. Taste for seasoning. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. When hot, pour into bowls and swirl about a tablespoon of the basil cream into the soup. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately. Serves 8
WRITTEN BY JONATHAN KING AND JIM STOTT www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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Serves 6
ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces One 2-pound butternut squash, or any type of winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 medium celery root (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 leeks, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 shallots, quartered 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 5 cups canned low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, or homemade chicken broth
1 bay leaf 3/4 cup dry white wine Pesto for garnish, optional Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400º. Toss parsnips, carrots, squash, celery, celery root, leeks, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil together in a large, shallow roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Raise heat to 450° and roast for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the broth in a large pot with the bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove vegetables from the oven and deglaze the pan with the wine, using a spatula to loosen any bits clinging to the pan. Pour vegetables and liquid from the bottom of the pan into the pot with the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, partially covered. Serve piping hot with a spoonful of pesto, if desired. www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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Serves 8
PASTA E FAGIOLI 2 tablespoons flour, Salt and pepper 12 ounces boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup dry white wine 1 large onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 medium carrot, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh parsley leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves 6 cups homemade chicken broth, or low-sodium canned One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 3/4 cup small pasta (conchigliette, ditalini, and orzo work well) Two 15-ounce cans cannelini or white kidney beans, drained About 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Season flour with salt and pepper, and lightly coat pork with mixture. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and brown pork in batches, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pork to a bowl. Add wine to pot, raise heat to high, and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to release any bits clinging to the pan. Pour wine mixture into bowl with the pork and set aside. Reduce heat under the pot to medium, and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add onion and garlic to the pan, and cook, stirring until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, half of the parsley and half of the rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and tomatoes, and bring mixture to a strong simmer. Stir in pasta and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add beans and browned pork with wine juices, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Just before serving, stir in remaining parsley and rosemary. Serve soup piping hot in large bowls, topped with grated Parmesan. www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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seasonal influence | entertaining
In Vino Veritas Discover the hidden culinary treasures of New Hampshire with wine and cheese trails Savoring a rich, flavorful glass of wine and a spread of fresh, handmade cheeses sounds like the perfect way to spend an idle fall afternoon in the Mediterranean. But the pleasures of wine and cheese can be enjoyed a little closer to home with New Hampshire’s Wine and Cheese Trails. These scenic driving loops take you on a tasty tour of New Hampshire’s vineyards, wineries, and dairy farms. “This is a unique activity that allows people to experience New Hampshire in a new way,” says Gail McWilliam Jellie, director of the Division of Agricultural Development, which created the trails. Start your tour with The Near Coast Trail, which winds around the state’s seacoast, boasting the largest and oldest wineries in New Hampshire. Grapes flourish in this region, where temperatures are balmy and the growing season is extended. Occupying some of the oldest farmland in the state is Candia Vineyards, producing wines with the heady aroma and fruity taste of the Diamond grape, a unique treat for the palate. Above: Zorvino Vineyards, in Sandown, makes wines from their own and Californian grapes. | Facing Page, From Top: Wines from Candia Vineyards, goats at Via Lactea Farm, and Jewell Towne Vineyards in South Hampton.
WRITTEN BY JAMIE THOMPSON
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South Hamptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewell Towne Vineyards is an award-winning winery that produces both traditional varieties and wines made from more unusual cool climate hybrid grapes. At their postand-beam barn overlooking the Powwow River, take a tour of the winery, enjoy wine tastings, and browse the gift shop and art gallery. End your coastal tour at Brookford Farm, a dairy farm settled on 280 acres of certified organic land, to enjoy a wide variety of cheeses as well as milk, cream, and yogurt made from their small herd of Jersey cows. Heading west, the dramatic views of the Merrimack Valley and the Lakes Region offer a picturesque backdrop for a wine and cheese tour. The lake countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fertile farmland yields delicious produce, including vegetables and fruit that La Belle Winery, in Amherst, uses to create extraordinary wines. From sweet and fruity, such as the
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Red Raspberry Wine, to crisp and spicy, like the Jalapeño Pepper and Sweet Onion wines, La Belle’s creations are flavorful and unexpected. Enjoy several varieties of goat cheeses at two goat dairies in the Lakes Region: Heart Song Farm, in Gilmanton Iron Works, makes both fresh and mold-ripened goat cheeses, and Via Lactea Farm in Brookfield offers chevre, feta, and aged cheeses. The Sandwich Creamery is an ideal place to stop on one of those sultry Indian summer days, with 30 flavors of homemade ice cream and sorbet. They also offer Brie, Caerphilly, aged raw milk cheddar, and soft cheese spreads. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT New Hampshire’s Wine and Cheese Trails can be found online at http://www.visitnh.gov/what-todo/dining/wineandcheese.aspx. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
DESIGN
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With its incomparable views of the Great Salt Marsh, the Armstrong home in Newbury, Massachusetts, has been designed with living spaces that are warm and welcoming while making the most of the stunning vistas of this unique property.
From Two Dimensions to Three Creating a Custom Home on a Unique Newbury Site When Lloyd and Suzanne Armstrong first discovered the five-acre site overlooking the Great Salt Marsh from Newbury Neck Road, they knew they had found the place they wanted to call home. Enchanted with the property’s unobstructed views in every direction, privacy, and serenity, the couple’s next step was to find the perfect person to design a home that would be the ideal balance of living and work spaces. And who better than their own son? “They were in love with the site,” says Jay Armstrong, who, given this unique, expansive site that from certain vantage points overlooks the marshes and even Plum Island, worked to design a home that would fit into the natural environs surrounding it. “The site was so powerful that I really wanted to design a house that took advantage of everything there was to be seen in that panoramic view,” he explains. As Jay’s company, Jay W. Armstrong Design, specializes in custom buildings, it is no surprise that the Newbury Neck Road home seamlessly blends the warmth and comfort of natural wood, stone and inviting furnishings within
Design Details DESIGN & BUILD Jay W. Armstrong Design BUILDERS Brickhouse Construction DeGrapo Builders CUSTOM METALWORK Cassidy Brothers Forge, Inc. WRITTEN BY JENNIFER SAUNDERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL PENNY www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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while carefully placed windows, doorways and porches bring the beauty of the outdoors inside. To bring that two-dimensional design into its three-dimensional reality, Jay worked with Brickhouse Construction, DeGrapo Builders and Cassidy Bros. Forge, Inc. When it comes to the design phase of a property such as this one, where the location itself is an integral part of the project, Jay looks at the parcel with a photographer’s eye for ways to combine the broad, expansive vistas with some of the more intimate views available on the site. To those ends, he varied the types of windows used throughout the house and within the stairwell: some large, with minimal window treatments, bringing the outside into the house, and some small, giving the illusion of a framed photograph of the landscape. The goal of incorporating the exterior elements of the property with the interior is also reflected in the creation of the courtyard, the use of porches, and the blending of the living room with the first floor deck for entertaining both indoors and out. And outside, as with the interior, design choices customize this home — such as walnut handrails with stainless steel panels, created by Cassidy Bros. Forge, which have been the perfect combination for the site both aesthetically and practically, given the salt air and unpredictable weather. Stepping back to the beginning of the process, Jay explains that it is essential to understand the space and what it would be like to move through it. Once he has that understanding, Jay shifts his focus to the details–including Douglas Fir for the exterior; walnut doors and cherry cabinets in the
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kitchen; ash to encase the fireplaces; maple floors, tiger maple for the stair treads; limestone floors in the kitchen and bathroom and subtly repeated design patterns throughout the home, to allow each space to lead into the next. The design of the house features rectangular geometric angles as well as triangular geometry, emanating from an anchor point. The use of angles, along with the echoing of patterns and design choices, create continuity and points of interest, and make this house anything but a box. “I basically played with 15-degree angles gradually flowing into each other,” Jay explains. “It has a level of complexity but is anchored at the same time.” And that can be seen — and felt — from the moment a guest or family member steps into the house. The foyer ceiling, which is one of Jay’s favorite elements, features a combination of walnut and patinated metal patterns expanding outward to reinforce the grounding elements of the foyer as a stopping point while also creating a wave pattern in keeping with the marshland surrounding the property. Another favorite element of the house is its helix staircase, a custom metal piece made by Cassidy Bros. that connects the home’s walkout basement, first floor and second story — without a central support. Facing page, top: Keeping his parents’ passion for cooking in mind, Jay designed the kitchen with such features as cherry cabinets, black granite countertops, and varied counter heights for functionality. | Above: Reflecting the Armstrong’s love of entertaining, gathering spaces offer views of the Great Salt Marsh.
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“Given the lines of the house,” says Jay, “it was just one of those things that was waiting to happen.” Arriving on the second floor of the three-bedroom home, the master bedroom features a screened porch opening to a deck area above the kitchen while the master bathroom features Japanese aesthetics, mahogany cabinets and windows surrounding the bathtub for a view of the secluded landscape. It is designed, Jay says, as “the ultimate retreat.” The kitchen and home office suite also boast custom features. As Suzanne Armstrong is a therapist, Jay designed his mother’s office suite with a separate entrance, waiting area and bathroom, using building materials to muffle sound and provide privacy for her patients while creating a welcoming space inside to match the peace and serenity of the site itself. The kitchen’s cherry cabinets and black granite countertops are enhanced with special design elements including thin kerf saw cuts, shadowing and varied heights for the counters and island to provide variety and functionality in the room. Lloyd Armstrong has a passion for cooking and both he and Suzanne enjoy opening their home to their friends and family for gatherings, Jay explains, and so the kitchen “is a very comfortable space to be in.” Paying close attention to the entire project–from design to construction to finish–means the end product will be a cohesive one, and so Jay remains involved long after the design phase is over. He explains that on any project, it is essential to visit the job site, to work alongside the craftspeople, to ensure the best end result. “I love the process of seeing two dimensions go to three dimensions,” he explains. “I want to be engaged in that three-dimensional process.” Being at the site of his parents’ home with what he described as the exemplary, professional teams from Brickhouse Construction and DeGrapo Builders, Jay says, allowed him to make adjustments should issues arise in the translation of the design vision from the paper to the ground. Once the ground is broken, as he puts it, “The chase is on. You have to be around if you want to get a custom, detailed space.” Above: Jay enjoying the view–which is an integral part of his design–on the deck. He created both interior and exterior spaces for entertaining, and took advantage of the expansive vistas by incorporating several windows. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
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No one understands better than Standard of New England that a functional kitchen can also be a beautiful kitchen of timeless design and enduring quality. No one understands better than Standard of New England that you want your kitchen to express your personal style while you graciously enjoy it with family and friends. No one understands better than Standard of New England that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like your perfect kitchen to be in perfect harmony with our world by using water-saving faucets and quality, long-lasting products. We understand kitchens (and bathrooms too!).
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This page: The open and airy gallery space seamlessly joins the old and new parts of the house. | Facing page: The house is full of clever touches, such as the small pub off the kitchen, a Victorian globe filled with quail eggs, and this cozy nook with its squirrel lamp.
A View for All Seasons A hilltop home in Wolfeboro comes into its own The house is all about the land. It sits high on a hill, overlooking more than a hundred acres, sprawling as far as the eye can see. The vista captures sparkling lakes, rolling hills, and the ever-changing seasons. Ann Calvert fell in love with the Wolfeboro, N.H. house at first sight. Her husband, Jerry, saw the land’s potential as a working farm, with the idea of raising heritage cattle, a few horses and goats. But he was somewhat concerned about the home’s hodge-podge design, and wondered if it could be made to work. In the end, the glorious landscape won out, and the Calverts decided to do whatever it took to make the house fit their needs. “The house just spoke to me,” says Calvert. “The family who had lived here before left a wonderful spirit behind. They had led an active lifestyle — as we do — and that sense of a joyful, bustling family lingered on. I wanted our family to be happy and active here, too.” The initial house was built in 1820, as a simple four-over-four Cape. In the late 1890s, the Cape was raised and dormers were added; more additions followed in the 1970s and 1990s, making the house a unique blend of old and modern. Both Ann and Jerry wanted the house to be a place where their children, grandchildren, and Ann’s mother, could come for extended visits. They wanted spaces where they could gather as a group, and spaces where they could have privacy. To fit everyone in, and accommodate their needs, would require an extensive redesign. Ann called upon contractor Alan Vittum of Vittum Contracting, Inc., in Tamworth, N.H, and Jane “Cubby” Derby of J. Covington in Portsmouth, N.H., to find solutions. Design Details “Alan, Cubby, and I worked so well together,” says Calvert. “We BUILDER never used an architect; we just kind of figured it out as we went Vittum Contracting, Inc. along. Alan understood our vision, and he provided everything we INTERIOR DESIGN needed. He does beautiful finished carpentry. Cubby is a joy — I just J. Covington Interior Design, LLC walked into her shop and it felt like home. I knew we were meant to work together.” WRITTEN BY CRYSTAL WARD KENT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLEN MCDERMOTT www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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The first step was extensive structural rework. The supposedly simple task of expanding and modernizing an upstairs bathroom in the oldest part of the house led to the discovery that a main support was missing. Next, came a redo of wiring and plumbing, a new roof, and replacing windows with energy-efficient glass. “The house had problems that didn’t show,” explains Vittum. “In the beginning, it seemed like one thing led to another, but eventually everything was fixed.” With the repairs in order, Calvert and Covington moved on to the design, thinking about how the house needed to work. In essence there would be two separate but connected residences — Ann’s and her husband’s space, and the guest spaces, with some common gathering places. A light and airy gallery-type space called the “connector” joins old and new, and runs from the front to the back of the house. Light floods this area, which is highlighted by square white pillars, gleaming hardwood floors, and white beadboard paneling. Botanical prints line the walls, and Gothic benches invite you to sit and linger. At one end, French doors mark the entrance to the house, but your eye is quickly drawn to the far end, which opens onto a sweeping veranda and that panorama of lakes and hills. Off of the connector, in the oldest part of the house, are the kitchen, pub, and guest bedrooms, and bathrooms. The kitchen and pub are two of the home’s common areas. “We wanted the feel of a farmhouse kitchen,” explains Covington. “The space is not overly large, yet it feels roomy. We went with a clean, white palette, accented by the black granite countertops, the gold marble of the island, and the rich sheen of the hardwood floors. The white beadboard walls and plain-front glassed-in cupboards keep the look simple, and country. The cupboards also provide just the Facing page: From its high perch, the house has a commanding view of the neighboring lakes and hillsides. | Above: Both the back porch, and the lawn chairs, invite you to relax, unwind and drink in the panorama.
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The kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clean, white palette gives it a feeling of spaciousness, and provides the perfect backdrop for showcasing Annâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection of antique ironstone white china, as well as her contemporary pieces.
right space to show off Ann’s collection of antique ironstone white china, as well as her contemporary pieces.” The kitchen area flows into the dining room, with its stunning view of the surrounding countryside. An antique dining table, which seats eight, allows the clan to gather comfortably, while long pewter curtains add just a touch of formality. The wrought iron chandelier, with its distinctive S-hook design, is companion to the one over the kitchen island, thus linking the two spaces. Mindful of Ann’s love of reading nooks and cozy spaces, Covington also wove a small conversation area into the kitchen/dining room section. Here, winged-back chairs in a taupe plaid sit comfortably around a deerskin rug, while an end table, graced with a squirrel-shaped lamp, adds a touch of outdoor whimsy. Off the kitchen is the small pub, perfect for entertaining family and friends. The dark green “Pickwick” paneling was painted, glazed and rubbed down to look aged. “I wanted it to look like it had been smoked in for years!” laughs Calvert. “Alan brought in a painter who got it just right!” The bar itself was a Cubby find, and had come over from France. Vittum customized it with drawers and spaces for alcohol and condiments. A small fireplace, fitted with an old English coal heater (now wired for electricity), big leather chairs, and a plaid rug, make the space warm and welcoming. Even the grandchildren enjoy the area, as a special cupboard by the fireplace is full of toys. Upon arriving, the kids rush to their special cache, and soon the rug is littered with Legos and other treasures. Throughout the house, Calvert wanted a neutral palate and touches of nature. She constantly sought to imbibe the rooms with a sense of the outdoors, and Covington’s design echoed those feelings.
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“I’m not a huge fan of color,” she explains. “The house has a lot of windows that showcase a truly spectacular landscape, and I didn’t want to fight with that. I also feel that my guests are the color, and I like my living spaces to be more background.” The living area, which is enjoyed by all, is done in hues of cream and taupe, with accent pillows of dark brown and animal prints. A unique chandelier, made of antique wine barrel staves, is suspended overhead, while wood framing, a massive stone fireplace, and magnificent views anchor the room. Covington envisioned the room as two areas: a space for conversation and a space for watching television. The conversation area is surrounded by the fireplace and windows, while the television space features a cozy sectional and leather ottoman, with the television tastefully concealed in an armoire. The room, and indeed much of the house, has the natural touches that Calvert loves. A Victorian globe filled with quail eggs, adorns a table. A basket of acorns accents another, and a large wooden deer lounges by the fireplace. “I’m fascinated by nature,” says Calvert, who has a professional background in antiques. “I was intrigued by how the Victorians used globes like these to bring the outdoors in. I think that concept goes with this house, and also encourages my grandchildren to want to explore the world outside. I found the deer at an auction. It has real antlers mounted to carved wood. I think it’s from Asia because the face is rather stylized and it doesn’t resemble our species of deer. In any case, the grandchildren love him — he gets lots of petting!” The Calverts escape to the lake house as often as possible, and are clearly enchanted by their home. But perhaps it is Vittum, who spent a year working there, who best sums up the home’s appeal. “It’s a special place. It gets a hold on you. To arrive here at 7 a.m. and see the mist rising from the lakes, or the snowfall blanketing the hills, or the area spread with color — it was a view I never tired of.” Above: The antique dining table allows the family to gather comfortably and feast their eyes on the fabulous view. Facing Page: The living room offers cozy spaces for conversation, reading, and watching TV. Throughout the house, Ann and Cubby added elements to bring the outdoors in, such as a basket of acorns on the coffee table. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
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Building a Dream House
WRITTEN BY MELISSA WOOD PHOTOGRAPHED BY RIXON PHOTOGRAPHY
If you could build your dream home, where would you begin? First, make a list of all your favorite things you want to include. Second, find a team of people who will not just create it for you, but exceed your expectations. Third, enjoy every second you spend there. For Karen and David Della Penta, their dream home meant a place they never have to leave to play golf (rain or shine), tennis or bocce, walk on trails through the woods or a meadow of wildflowers, fish in a pond stocked with trout, boat or kayak on a river, and watch a movie in a theater. It also meant thoughtful details, including one-of-a-kind lighting and cabinetry, custom details by local artists, and an interior design that moves from casual to formal, providing plenty of options for entertaining. It’s all right here at Villa Como. “This was a fun project for us,” says David. “This is our dream house. It came out exactly as we expected, but even more so.” Their previous home in North Hampton had been more of a temporary place. Built while Karen was still living in Chicago, the house was used more for entertaining work colleagues than personal enjoyment. This time, the home would be all theirs.
Design Details ARCHITECT Fiorentino Group Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR CM Ragusa Builders INTERIOR DESIGN Cebula Design, Inc. LANDSCAPE DESIGN Grounds for Living LIGHTING DESIGN Hill Road Lighting Design
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Building the Dream After interviewing architects up and down the coast, Karen found Scott Fiorentino of Fiorentino Group Architects after driving by his office in York, Maine. She dropped by unannounced, talked to Scott, and knew she had found the right person for the job. In turn, Scott found just the right piece of property on which to build Villa Como — 13 acres of undeveloped land with majestic views of the Cocheco River in New Hampshire near the Maine border. For the rest of the design and build, Karen and David assembled a team of local professionals, remaining loyal to the same people who had worked on their previous home, including general contractor Chris Ragusa of CM Ragusa Builders, interior designer Michael Cebula of Cebula Design, Inc., and the landscape design/architect combination of Grounds for Living and HBLA. Rounding out the team were Hill Road Lighting Design, cabinetmakers Noah Tremblay and Jewett Farms, mason Hayden Hillsgrove, and mechanical engineer James Peterson of Peterson Engineering. Each one made a commitment to Karen and David that Villa Como would be their priority until it was completed. “It was an incredible group of people with no egos butting up against each other,” says Scott. “It was a really good, solid, cohesive family. We got to know each other so well because we were up here a lot.” More than once, people on the Villa Como team repeated Chris Ragusa’s words that the Della Pentas inspired them to do their best work: “Karen and David make you want to do good for them,” says Chris, who managed the site for the two-and-a-half years it took to complete. “They really motivated you to want to do a good job. There was not a time when Karen did not show up with boxes of bagels, coffee, and coolers of Gatorade.” Above: The front entrance of Villa Como, where guests are greeted by a long portico leading up to the front door. | Facing page, clockwise from top: A view toward the back of the house, which features an infinity edge pool and fullservice outdoor kitchen. | A wrought iron fence of reeds and birds by artist Walter Liff surrounds the pool. Some of the many landscape features of Villa Como, including bocce court, tiered gardens, and three-hole golf course. | Outdoor furniture by Gloster creates a cozy seating area overlooking the river.
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Chris likens the scale of the site work to digging up Boylston Street in Boston. The home’s foundation was dug deep enough to lay one foot of crushed stone underneath (the fill was used to build the access road, which included a bridge, to the property), and it was necessary to bring in electrical, automation, mechanical and security systems. And then there was a house to build that was not only grand in scale, but also had unique elements meeting exact specifications. For the crown molding, for instance, Scott drew three designs with a finished bead running over everything — right on the edge of formal and informal. David owns the knives so they cannot be repeated. Scott also designed the house so that trim and other details were all at the same height — a considerable undertaking since the house is 190 feet long. He also took photographs of the couple’s artworks, measured them, and designed the spaces to put them in. With all these details needing to come together, time was limited. In the fall, the Della Pentas sold their house in North Hampton and left for the winter. The house had to be finished when they returned in May. “When we came back we had no place to go but here so it had to be done, and done well,” says Karen. “Everything had to be 120 percent perfect,” agrees Chris. “If you look at that house, there’s not a nail hole, there’s not a crack.” When the Della Pentas returned eight months later, the whole team gathered to welcome them home. “They had a great house welcoming for us when we came home. They rolled out the red carpet and played the Rolling Stones’ ‘Start Me Up,’” which Karen says is David’s theme song.
Welcome to Villa Como It’s hard to believe that the land where Villa Como (named after Lake Como in Italy, where they had been married eight years before) sits today was once an empty field. The house is reached by a long driveway that passes a pond nestled in the woods—where David fishes for trout—up to the portico extending from their front porch and door.
The home’s great room features two seating areas, an art gallery, and the canoe, which is home to Santa Claus and a big bag of gifts during the holiday season.
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Spreading across the landscape at 16,000 square feet, the house is surprisingly unimposing due to Scott’s design for one-floor living that also captures views of the river below its sloping site. Villa Como’s traditional New England elements, such as blue cedar shingles, cedar roofing, stone patios, and covered porches, blend harmoniously with the gardens and woods that surround it. On top of the cupola perches an Osprey weathervane designed by Walter Liff of New Castle — one of the many artists the Della Pentas commissioned to create the custom details throughout their home. His work continues inside the house where a striper attached to glass prism hangs from the cupola and points in the direction of the wind. As you enter the front door, views lead through a foyer into a great room where a wall of glass overlooks the river below. Limestone floors with radiant heating and cooling are low-maintenance for entertaining as well as animal-friendly for the couple’s two Swiss Mountain Entelbucher dogs, Remy and Arliss, and cat, Theo. The décor reflects the home’s natural surroundings and David and Karen’s love of the outdoors. Blue, Karen’s favorite color, dominates throughout on walls, fabrics, and other accents. Interior designer Michael Cebula sought to implement different shades of blue by using unique fabrics and interesting details. “I wanted to make it all feel different but still give Karen the blue she wanted throughout the house,” he explains. The mudroom, he points out, features really beautiful gold limestone floors with a blue and gold mosaic limestone border, and fabric in blue and gold. “So you really see that blue because it’s against the sandstone and gold colors.”
Above: Architect Scott Fiorentino designed the office, located in the cloverleaf-shaped cupoloa, specifically to fit Thomas Moser furniture already chosen by Karen and David. | Facing page, top: The dining room was designed as a space for more formal entertaining. | Facing page, bottom: Just off the great room, the kitchen includes many unique, custom details, such as the milk bottle chandelier, hand-blown by an artist from Sonoma, Calif.
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Intended for casual gatherings, the great room features a canoe hanging from the ceiling (which houses a Santa Claus with a big bag of gifts during the holiday season), two separate seating areas, and an upstairs art gallery. Guests can sit at the wet bar, serving both the indoors and the adjoining deck, on chairs from a charter fishing boat. The back deck is also home to a full-service kitchen with seating and an infinity edge pool. “The over-the-edge waterfall of the swimming pool is a really neat feature not used in New England frequently,” says Gary Hinz of Grounds for Living, who designed it so that looking out from the sunroom you can see the water flowing over the edge of the pool, which is surrounded by a beautiful wrought iron fence of reeds that protects people from the edge but allows views of the natural and created landscape beyond. That sunroom turns into a screened porch with windows that sink down into the ledge below, carrying in the river breezes and the sound of falling water from the pool. Above you, sculpted birds of prey chase a smaller bird — each one is held by one peg and seem to fly through the air. The Della Pentas also wanted to create spaces for more formal entertaining, such as during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Separated by a stone fireplace, the adjoining formal dining room and living room serve this purpose along with a butler pantry that keeps the hosts from running back forth to the kitchen. “They’re here through the fall holidays,” says Michael Cebula, who worked with Karen to design the living room with red venetian plaster walls and dining room, which features deep blue walls with red accents. They brought in the same chairs and table from the dining room of the Della Pentas’ former house. “Karen wanted the formal living room and dining room to be less open,” says Michael. “They felt warmer and cozier for fall entertaining.” Above, from left: Villa Como is a sportsman’s paradise—inside and out. A wet bar serving the great room and back deck has comfortable chairs from a fishing boat. | In the golf-simulator room, two golf carts cut in half provide both storage and a whimsical touch as they seem to drive into the mural of David’s favorite golf course in California. | The ten-seat movie theater and Scottish style pub are located in the lower level, along with the workout room and sauna, golf simulator room, David’s fishing room, and the 1,800-bottle wine cellar.
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On those special occasions, the kitchen provides plenty of place and accessories to pull off a spectacular meal. Scott sketched out the kitchen design and contracted Jewett Farms & Company to make the cabinetry. “Scott cares about the interior as much as the exterior,” says Mike Myers of Jewett Farms, who worked on the design for six months. “Karen had specific ideas about where she wanted things to go,” says Mike. “Every single pot and pan had a specific place that it went in the kitchen.” Indeed, the kitchen not only has all the luxuries you would expect, but also custom details that are a cook’s dream: two pull-out cabinets for pots and pans, two ovens separated by a granite countertop in blue astral, an 11-foot butcher block island with an embedded knife block designed to fit exact specifications of the knives, and a painted mural by Nancy Grossman, depicting an open-air market with food stalls in Italy “I wanted to be inspired for cooking,” says Karen. The cabinets are single-face frame, which Mike explains means that they’re not modular and have more room for storage. He also pointed out every cabinet is grain matched — all of the wood grain runs evenly across drawers and doors. The refrigerator is designed to look like an old icebox, complete with oldfashioned hardware for pulls. Tucked into a quiet corner of the house, the master bedroom faces the water. Karen wanted a blue bedroom with coral accents, and Michael infused the space with white to make those colors pop. The décor includes a dark blue bed topped by white pillows with coral motif, a limestone fireplace, and a light blue ceiling, faux-finished to look like the sky. A unique feature is a white, canvas-covered fan that lights up within the canvas, brought from Germany by Hill Road Lighting Design. Though the room is cozy it extends outward with a large deck overlooking the river and two-story closet. Another space that is decidedly Karen and David’s private domain is their shared office in the upstairs cupola. Scott made the shape of the cupola a clover-leaf design, creating 270 degree views to the property. The Della Pentas actually chose the room’s furniture — two beautiful chaise lounges by Thomas Moser — and Scott designed a platform to fit. Thomas Moser also built a custom table for their computers. All wires are hidden as everything is run down the table legs, and ports recess down into the table.
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Guests also have plenty of room to feel comfortable either in the two-bedroom guesthouse or in the main house’s guest wing. The wing also has a living room, a patio on the back and deck on the side. The guest bathrooms even have cozy robes. “For me it’s important whoever stays with us has their own space,” says Karen. The Della Pentas joke that they give guests a one-week limit. Otherwise, they may never want to leave. Guests lucky enough to stay at Villa Como may find themselves spending a lot of time in the basement level. Downstairs they’d discover a 10-seat movie theater with Scottish-style pub, an 1,800-bottle wine cellar, a trophy and game room, a workout room with sauna, and a golf-simulator room. David spends many hours here on rainy days, completing the same course as his favorite golf course in California. A wall mural depicts that same California golf course, where two golf carts cut in half hold clubs. The space replicates the home’s outdoor features, including its stone patio and white arbor, and has tables and chairs where you can watch sports on the room’s big screen. Nearby, David’s fishing room is another one of his favorite spaces. With an outdoor stone grotto staircase leading directly to a path to the dock, the room was intended as a place where David could clean up fish without getting the house dirty, and has counters on which he can tie flies and get rods ready. A fishing rod rack hanging from the ceiling is easily reached from the stairs leading into the room. But with its custom cabinetry, tiles, and recessed lights, the room also serves as gentlemen’s club where David and friends can relax with a drink and tell some fish stories as well. A tour of the grounds is equally tempting with a tennis court, three-hole golf course, and bocce court. A boathouse stores kayaks to take down to the river, where David’s boat is docked, ready for fishing expeditions down the Cocheco River to the Piscataqua River and the ocean beyond. Who would ever want to leave? Surrounding the property are woods and a field strewn with wildflowers. By the front entrance, a beautiful weeping Japanese maple sits beside a manmade river with a living eco-system. In the water below, fish sculptures by Walter Liff sway with the current. Next to the guest house is a complete English garden made lush by the summer rain, and on the hillside by the bocce court are pens filled with vegetable gardens, tended by Karen and David. In all, the property has 40 varieties of trees, 150 different types of shrubs, and 1,200 perennials, not including vines and groundcover, according to landscape designer Gary Hinz. Even at night, the grounds are a wonder to behold with lighting by David Breary of Hill Road Lighting Design, who also worked with the Della Pentas on all of the custom lighting within the home. “There’s so much we can do with lighting in terms directing where someone’s eye goes,” he explains. Instead of just lighting the whole property the lighting works to contain the spaces and illuminate trees and landscaping, for example, pouring beautifully through the leaves and hanging branches of the Japanese maple. Behind the scenes, the house is also a technical wonder. Geothermal ground source heat pumps heat and cool the house while solar tubes provide pool and domestic hot-water heating. The Della Pentas can set the temperature in each room, and in the summer the cupola windows automatically open to naturally cool the house. The wine cellar is also kept cool naturally by its concrete vault topped by a stone veneer. A camera on the cupola deck monitors ice build-up, and when the Della Pentas are away they can push a button to turn on the deck’s radiant floor heating system, instantly melting the ice. All is powered through the guesthouse, which Scott designed as both a prototype for the main house and a station to house all electric and mechanical systems. In keeping with the dream home plan, Karen and David enjoy every second they spend at Villa Como — whether that means throwing a party, playing 18 holes of golf, gathering vegetables from their garden, or reading on a quiet afternoon in the master bedroom by the limestone fireplace. “It’s a big house, but it doesn’t live large. It lives intimately,” says Karen. In the a foyer dividing the guest wing from the main part of the house, Karen and David commissioned a beautiful Terrazzo tile floor with a compass and artwork positioned to show what lies in all directions from Villa Como: a lobster represents Maine to the north, a boat recalls the ocean to the east, a city skyline shows Boston to the south, and a deer depicts wilderness to the west. And carved on the floor, an Italian phrase points to what lies within Villa Como: Goda la vita al relativo piu pieno — live life to the fullest. FOR SOURCES GO TO PAGE 126
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This beautiful Terrazzo tile floor features a compass along with artwork depicting what lies north, south, east, and west of Villa Como.
www.averyinsurance.net 7 Islington St., Unit 102, Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 766-3733 21 S. Main St., Wolfeboro, NH 03894 (800) 759-7579
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Oceanside Classic Cozy and warm describes the feel of this elegant New England kitchen. Honed granite counter tops and painted wood cabinets give this kitchen a feeling of intimacy which is further enhanced by the raised fireplace adjacent to the prep island in the middle of the kitchen. The fireplace is visible from all corners of the kitchen as well as from the connected breakfast nook. Large picture windows provide views across the historic Wentworth Country Club to Witches Creek and the marsh beyond. The valanced cove lighting in the ceiling reflects a soft ambient light off the beadboard ceiling, imparting a warm glow to the room. As it happens in many TMS’s homes, the kitchen reflects its status as the “heart of the home”. Rather than being isolated from adjoining rooms, the kitchen opens up to views and interaction with the other main living spaces of the home.
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Design Details KITCHEN DESIGNER Sue Booth Vintage Kitchens 24 South Street Concord, NH CABINETMAKER Quality Custom Cabinetry
Comfortable Elegance This comfortably elegant kitchen makes its home in a vintage 1930's brick house that is reminiscent of an old world country Manor House. The Quality Custom Cabinetry features an artistic painted finish, as well as a couple of special details that were crafted in our own shop. Chamfered corners, glass ends and a pair of elegant reeded brackets lend a touch of finesse to the hutch, which is finished in a lighter tone than the main kitchen. The cooktop is tucked into a tiled alcove. The sink was fabricated in traditional style using the same granite as the counters. VINTAGE KITCHENS | CONCORD N.H. | 603 224-2854 | 800 832-6251 WWW.VINTAGEKITCHENS.COM
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French Country This kitchen remodel was done in conjunction with a major addition to suit the needs of this family of six. As this Amherst house dates back to 1775, the homeowners wanted to maintain a sense of antiquity in the renovation. A Southern Chestnut wood floor and creamy French Vanilla cabinets give the kitchen a warm glow, accented by the green Viking stove. Crown molding, spindle fluting, and antique glass doors are elegant finishing touches. Ample storage, comfortable seating, and top-flight appliances–including a 48” Viking refrigerator, Belle Foret basin sink, and wine cabinet–add a practical element.
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Graceful Grandeur Creating a warm and welcome gathering space was the vision for Bob and Beverly Brissette of Stratham, New Hampshire. By partnering with Portfolio Luxury Kitchens and Kevin Roy Builders, they were successful in collaborating with the designers and fine craftsmen to bring their vision to life. Their home includes fine classic cabinetry, a cherry wood ceiling, copper sink, Design Details cherry flooring with mosaic inlay and other BUILDER/REMODELER elaborate elements that match both their Kevin Roy Builders personalities and style. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come in, relax and 64 Portsmouth Ave enjoyâ&#x20AC;? is the feeling received upon entering Stratham, NH 03885 this wonderfully lavish space. 603-772-3486 www.kevinroybuilders.com
PORTFOLIO LUXURY KITCHENS | STRATHAM, N.H. 603 772-6042 | WWW.PORTFOLIOLUXURYKITCHENS.COM
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Fall Reflections Apropos of the breathtaking painting over the stove titled “Reflections,” this beautiful kitchen now reflects the personality of this historical East Kingston home as well as its owners, the young, vibrant Burns family. The kitchen showcases nature’s artwork and that of the talented team of Diane O’Halloran Design and Robert Barlow Builders who revealed its hidden Design Details potential. Subtly undulating tile by G & N Flooring and granite by Renaissance CONTRACTOR / FINISH CARPENTRY Robert Barlow Builders, Stone created flowing counterspace and Kensington NH | 603-772-3968 a stepdown dining area tripled the WOOD FLOORS / TILE original 11.6 x 12 space. Friends and G & N Flooring by Design family will happily share meals and Stratham, NH | 603-772-0396 stories here for years to come! www.gnfloorbydesign.com COUNTER TOPS / INSTALLATION Renaissance Stone Services Inc. North Hampton, NH | 603-964-4003 www.rstone.com
DIANE O'HALLORAN DESIGN LLC | EAST KINGSTON N.H. | 603 642-7415 | CELL 603 702-0858 BY TARAPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Historic Tradition GM Roth was tasked to take the architecturally contemporary kitchen of a historic Nashua home and restore it to its traditional roots. They expanded the walk-in pantry to provide additional storage space, converted the cabinets from laminate to vintage door style with white insert, replaced the wood stove with a gas fireplace, placed custom tile around the hearth and installed an entertainment center above the mantel to make the room appear larger. Crown molding, decorative backsplash and antiquely finished light fixtures, faucets and knobs put the finishing touches on the look. The final result was a charming, open-concept kitchen and sunroom.
GM ROTH | NASHUA, N.H. | 603 880-3761 | WWW.GMROTH.COM
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Old World Charm Clever, modern conveniences are hidden gems in this stunning Old World-style kitchen, allowing the homeowner, an avid cook, to entertain with efficiency and style. Designed by Lifestyles Kitchens with Design Details unique touches, the kitchen is as hard working as it is beautiful. A massive granite-topped CONTRACTOR Richard Jalbert Construction prep island is a powerhouse, with inventive 10 Langdon Avenue vegetable baskets that pull out for easy access, Exeter, N.H. 03833 while a raised dishwasher makes loading and 603 772-9370 emptying simple. Wood-Mode cabinets and KITCHEN DESIGNER paneled appliances in a cherry finish are Linda Clough-Cloutier distressed to add to the antique charm. This Lifestyles Kitchens kitchen exemplifies the best of the past and 603 964-1771 the present.
LIFESTYLES KITCHENS | 603 964-1771 WWW.LIFESTYLESKITCHENS.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHERYLE ST. ONGE
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Shaker Style Cristina Galli’s kitchen, located in Portsmouth’s South End, was part of a total home renovation project in 2008. The comfortable, painted shaker style kitchen is perfect for the historic location and atmosphere of this home. It looks out over beautiful views of the waterfront – and a giant fish replica is perched on the front of the range hood as one of the points of interest in this kitchen. The inset cabinetry painted in soft cream and colonial green colors, combined with the aged softness of honed black granite, creates a casual, welcoming atmosphere that is carried throughout this elegant home.
Design Details KITCHEN DESIGNER Pam Weston Smith Area Kitchen Centre 603 436-9193
AREA KITCHEN CENTRE | PORTSMOUTH, N.H. | 603 436-9193 | AREAKITCHENCENTRE.COM
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Simplicity with Style Shaker style was the influence with Carole and Bob Berry's new kitchen in Dover, NH. They had been collecting shaker furniture for over 20 years. Anita Colby “certified master kitchen and bath designer” of The Cabinetworks used her expertise in creating a space that turned this 15-year-old 2-story home from ordinary to extraordinary. “I remember when Anita came to our home for the first time, she left by saying ‘I have an idea’.” That vision made the Berry's dream of an incredible kitchen come to life. “Plain & Fancy” natural cherry cabinets surround the white antique distressed cherry island. The leather finish granite compliments the low-sheen of the cabinetry, pulling together a warm, inviting and beautifully livable space. THE CABINETWORKS | STRATHAM, N.H. 603 772-2128 | WWW.THECABINETWORKS.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG WEST www.accentmagazine.com September/October/November 2009
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Sophistication Casual sophistication was the style these Bedford, NH homeowners had in mind for their new kitchen. Their kitchen designer, Charlotte Nelson of Dream Kitchens, helped them create this balance by combining white inset cabinetry and polished black granite countertops with a tumbled stone backsplash. A weathered apple ladder hangs above the center island and prevents this kitchen from becoming too serious. Mini lights were woven through the rungs of the ladder to provide lighting for the sink. On the back of the island, glass-front cabinets were raised above countertop height and lit within so that this kitchen shows its more sophisticated side to the very formal dining room beyond the new French doors. DREAM KITCHENS | NASHUA, NH | 603-891-2916 | WWW.ADREAMKITCHEN.COM
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Villa Como The homeowner wished for a kitchen of the absolute highest quality, and they have it with this completely custom cooking center. Designed and hand-crafted by Jewett Farms & Company, the kitchen is radiant in seamless, grain-matched cherry. Artistic details and convenient gadgets enhance the kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty. Hand-painted mosaic tile backsplash and stained glass panels add color and flair. A custom hard maple and walnut island countertop features Design Details a built- in knife block. The message center KITCHEN DESIGNER corrals cookbooks and offers a place for Matthew Lord checking emails. The curved bar allows Jewett Farms & Company guests to interact with the hosts, and the 65 Bog Road painted and glazed butlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pantry adds a York Maine | 207 363-2996 touch of formal and functional elegance.
JEWETT FARMS & COMPANY NEWBURYPORT, MASS. | YORK, MAINE WWW.JEWETTFARMS.COM
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Cook in a Kitchen that gets your juices flowing.
Turn to Whitney & Company for a renovation that reflects your style. Large or small, our designs are built to suit your budget. We utilize the best craftsmen and the latest materials for excellence and durability. Find out why our custom designs have been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Accent Home & Garden, Dream Kitchens and others. Why pay more for your remodeling? Call us for the quality construction you deserve at a price you can afford. Whitney & Company, LLC 7 Emery Lane Stratham, NH 03885 603.772.1999
Custom Home Builders Land Developers Remodelers and Inventors www.whitneyandcompany.com
SOURCES DIRECTORY Showered in Style
http://www.laurapreshong.com | Architectural
Maine 207-351-1166 www.fiorentinogroup.com |
Pages 27–29: Local stores: Stateline Supply,
Woodturning & Millwork, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801
Petersen Engineering, Inc. Portsmouth, N.H.
Seabrook, N.H. 603 474-3421 | Standard of New
603 436-3805 | Angela Adams, Portland, Maine
603 436-4233 www.petersenengineering.com | CM
England, Portsmouth, N.H. 603 431-3958
207-774-3523 www.angelaadams.com | Sea Bags,
Ragusa Builders, Brentwood, N.H. 603 775-7171
www.standardne.com | Boston Design Center,
Portland, Maine 888 210-4244 https://seabags.com |
www.cmragusa.com | Cebula Design, Inc.
Boston, Mass. 617 338-5427 www.bostondesign.com
Sarah Minor, Button Factory Studios Portsmouth,
Newburyport, Mass. 978 462-6984
Manufacturers: Jacuzzi 800 288-4002
N.H. 603-431-4846
www.cebuladesign.com | Grounds for Living, East
www.jacuzzi.com | Stone Forest, Santa Fe, N.M.
www.buttonfactorystudios.com/minor.htm
Kingston, N.H. | HBLA, Inc. Portsmouth, N.H.
888 682 2987 www.stoneforest.com | Designer Rods
Island Designs, Scarborough, Maine 207-510-1884
603 431-4000 www.hblainc.com | Hayden Hillsgrove
www.designerrods.com | Waterfall, New York, N.Y.
http://islanddesigns.net | Kit Cornell Pottery, Exeter,
Stone Masonry, Moultonboro, N.H. 603 772-6061 |
888 521-3141 www.waterfallbath.com | Grohe
N.H. 603-772-6323 www.kitcornellpottery.com
Civilworks, Inc. Dover, N.H. 603 749-0443 | Jewett
www.grohe.com | Alsons, Hillsdale, M.I.
Also through Exeter & Portsmouth Farmers' Markets
Farms, York, Maine 207 363-2996
800 421-0001 www.alsons.com
(www.seacoastgrowers.org)
www.jewettfarms.com | Hill Road Lighting Design,
No Small Feat
Begin with the Bones
Wells, Maine 207 676-4052 www.hillroadlighting.com
Pages 30–36: Heidi Gerquest Designs, Freeport,
Pages 55–61: Indigo Gardens, Raymond, N.H.
| JSN Associates, Inc. Portsmouth, N.H.
Maine 207 865-4816 | Polly Peters Antiques,
603 770-6280 indigogardens@comcast.net
603 431-2811 | Peter Happney, Portsmouth, N.H.
Portland, Maine 207 774-6981 | Sunrise Builders,
From Two Dimensions to Three
603 436-4859 | Steeling Nature Gallery, New Castle,
Portland, Maine 207 799-4477
Pages 72–76: Jay W. Armstrong Design
N.H. 603 431-7408 www.steelingnature.com | Portico
Talent
617 510-9037 www.jwadesign.net | Brickhouse
Fine Tile & Design, Greenland, N.H. 603 964-3383
Pages 40–43: Allan Breed, The Breed School,
Construction 978 375-3264 | DeGrapo Builders
www.porticofinetile.com | Susan H. Pratt-Smith,
Rollinsford, N.H. 603 749-6231 | Danielle Annis,
978 423-6411 www.degrapo.com | Cassidy Bros.
Northwood, N.H. 603 942-7654 | Rixon Architectural
Portsmouth, N.H. 603 422-9606
Forge, Inc. 978 948-7303 www.cassidybros.com
Photography, Concord, N.H. 603 228-2362
www.elegantlyequine.com | Paul Wainwright
A View For All Seasons
www.rixonphotography.com
Photography, Atkinson, N.H. 603 362-6589
Pages 78–85: Vittum Contracting, Inc. Tamworth,
www.paulwainwrightphotography.com
N.H. 603 455-8292 www.vittumcontracting.com | J.
Correction: In Escape to a Summer House
Homeward Found
Covington Interior Design, LLC Portsmouth, N.H.
[July/August 2009] Rob Freedman of Salmon Falls
Pages 49–52: Glen Macinnis Studio, Auburn, N.H.
603 431-4040 www.jcovington.com
Architecture was incorrectly identified as being with
603 645-4494 www.macinnispottery.com | Laura
Villa Como
the firm of Douston Construction.
Preshong Jewelry, Boston, Mass. 617 236-7660
Pages 88–99: Fiorentino Group Architects, York,
ACCENT ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY BY PAGE NUMBER 3W Design Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106, 107 Alternative Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 American Ecothermal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Andover Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Appliance Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Area Kitchens/Ricci Lumber . . . . . . .116, 117 Ashwood Development Companies . . .127 Atlantic Design Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 9 B&G Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Backyard Birds/Bell Farm Antiques . . . .124 Battle Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Bibbrock Landscaping LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Boston Architectural College . . . . . . . . . .100 Cabinetworks, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118, 119 California Closets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Carey & Giampa Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Charles C. Hugo Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Chestnut & Cape Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Chinburg Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Churchill's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Closet Connection, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Curtain Shop, Inc, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Dan Gipson Garden Escape . . . . . . . . . . . .53 DeStefano Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Diane O'Halloran Design . . . . . . . . .110, 111 Dovetailed Kitchens . . . .Inside Front Cover Dream Kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120, 121 Eno's Design Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Exeter Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Fine Lines Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 126
Fiona's Porch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Flanders Enterprises LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Flower Kiosk, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Fred Varney Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 G&N Flooring by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 G.M. Roth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 113 Great Room Company, The . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Green Fashion Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Green Grass Lawn Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Grounds for Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Harbor Lights/Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric . . . . . . . .Back Cover Hayden Hillsgrove Stone Masonry, Inc. . .53 Health Markets/Joshua Bartlett . . . . . . . .124 Highland Hardwoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Hill Road Lighting Design . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 3 Home Builders & Remodelers Association of NH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Homestead Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Hurlbutt Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Huston & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 J. Clifton Avery Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Jacqueline Nooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Jay Schadler Studio & Gallery . . . . . . . . . . .6 Jewett Farms Studios . . . . . . . . . . . .122, 123 Kevin Roy Builders/ Portfolio Kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . .108, 109 Landry & Arcari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Larry's Custom Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Lifestyle Kitchen & Bath . . . . . . . . . .114, 115
September/October/November 2009 www.accentmagazine.com
Lowery's Patio Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Maine Coast Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 McIntosh & Tuttle Cabinetmakers . . . . . . .70 Nature's Outpost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Northern Lights Landscape Contractor . . .5 Ocean Properties/ Wentworth By The Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Patricia Fortunato, ASID, LLC . . . . . . . .38, 44 Peter Lawton, CKD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Pierre Deux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Piscataqua Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Plantscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Platinum Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Pools By Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Portico Fine Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Renaissance Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110, 111 Ridgeview Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Robert Barlow Builders . . . . . . . . . . .110, 111 Sandra Curtis Design, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Seasons at Calmore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Standard of New England . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Steinberg Custom Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Summer House Furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The Green Monkey/Brazo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 TMS Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 37, 102, 103 Ultimate Bath, The . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Upright Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Whitney & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Woodburn & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Elegant, Affordable, Home
Let Ashwood Development Companies Bring You Home
11 Flagstone Drive, Hudson, NH 03051
888-Ashwood â&#x20AC;˘ 888-274-9663
www.ashwoodcompanies.com
circa | historic homes
SARAH ORNE JEWETT HOUSE (1774) With apologies to Dan Brown, I’ll wager my English Lit. degree that Sarah Orne Jewett is the best writer the Seacoast region has produced in two centuries. Her 1896 novel Country of the Pointed Firs is a gentle literary masterpiece that paints rural Maine and its early 19thcentury residents with style and compassion. The daughter of a local country doctor, Jewett attended Berwick Academy, but “wilted” in the classroom. She preferred horseback riding or traveling the world — and writing. Like Whittier’s Victorian home in Amesbury or Emerson’s in Concord, the Jewett House conjures the author. You can feel her presence among the Arts and Crafts décor. Half the visitors, according to site manager, Peggy Wishart, come just to see the stately 1774 Georgian that the author inherited in the heart of downtown South Berwick. The rest, she says, have discovered Jewett in a library book club or college class and arrive as pilgrims to a shrine.
WRITTEN BY J. DENNIS ROBINSON
128
September/October/November 2009 www.accentmagazine.com
Although Jewett has lately become the darling of academics, her writing shines through the densest thesis. Sarah Jewett was born 150 years ago in September 1849. She died one century ago in 1909, never fully recovered from a carriage accident. We tend to see her as a frozen fixture of the past, a wealthy spinster living in a preRevolutionary house. Yet her nostalgic vision is surprisingly fresh. I just downloaded her stories to my electronic reader. Sarah would not approve, but I think she’s hot stuff.
TO VISIT: The Sarah Orne Jewett House in downtown South Berwick, Maine, is open Friday through Sunday until October 15. Tours run on the hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is just $5. For more information call 207 384-2454 or visit the Historic New England website at www.historicnewengland.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND
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