Aristokraft has the style, selection and value you need to bring your vision to life. We know you need a kitchen that’s hardworking, but you want a room that’s a beautiful expression of your style. Whether updating an existing room or creating a new space, we’ll deliver quality products that stand the test of time. What you need. When you need it.
Aristokraft has the style, selection and value you need to bring your vision to life. We know you need a kitchen that’s hardworking, but you want a room that’s a beautiful expression of your style. Whether updating an existing room or creating a new space, we’ll deliver quality products that stand the test of time. What you need. When you need it.
Aristokraft has the style, selection and value you need to bring your vision to life. We know you need a kitchen that’s hardworking, but you want a room that’s a beautiful expression of your style. Whether updating an existing room or creating a new space, we’ll deliver quality products that stand the test of time. What you need. When you need it.
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VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Become a CASA
For children who have experienced abuse or neglect, the voice of one caring adult can make all the difference. CASA volunteers are ordinary people who step forward to advocate in New Hampshire’s court system for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
To learn more about volunteering and get your questions answered by CASA staff and current advocates , scan to register for a virtual information session .
Rob Karosis Photography
Mary Ann Esposito is the host of the public television series “Ciao Italia,” now in its 30th season, and the author of 14 cookbooks, including her most recent, “Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook!” She lives in New Hampshire. Visit her website at ciaoitalia.com.
Trent Bell is a photographer with a master’s degree in architecture, which he practiced for three years before deciding he wanted to pursue a career in photography. See more at trentbell.com.
Morgan Karanasios is New Hampshire Home’s photographer. While she was a student in Dijon, France, she took photographs throughout Europe and continues to develop her passion for photography.
Crystal Ward Kent is a longtime journalist and Seacoast writer. Her Kent Creative agency has been providing creative services in writing, design and marketing for more than 20 years.
Jennifer Sperry has over 20 years of experience in publishing. She has worked as both an editor and writer at a variety of luxury magazines. Her specialty is writing about architecturally significant homes, their owners and the designers who create them.
Robin Sweetser writes on gardening for the Sunday Concord Monitor and is a contributor to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, among other publications. A former Seacoast resident, she now lives and gardens in Hillsborough.
Carolyn Vibbert is a Portsmouth illustrator whose work also appears on packaging for food and wine brands such as Barbara’s, Stone Cellars and Williams Sonoma.
Dan Szczesny is a journalist, author and speaker who has written several books of travel memoir, poetry and essays. His newest book is “NH Rocks That Rock: An Adventure Guide to Twenty-Five Famous Boulders of the Granite State.” Learn more at danszczesny.wordpress.com.
John W. Hession is New Hampshire Home’s photo editor as well as a photographer and filmmaker specializing in architecture, design, food and advertising. He is currently working on a series of films for the New Hampshire Dance Collaborative. See his work at advanceddigitalphotography.com.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 V OL. 17 | NUMBER 5 nhhomemagazine.com
New Hampshire Home is published six times a year by Yankee Publishing, Inc.; 250 Commercial Street, Suite 4014, Manchester, NH 03101; (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the publisher’s written permission is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, Yankee Publishing, Inc.: New Hampshire Home disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors.
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Contact your local kitchen and bath dealer or stop by our showroom
I’VE SEEN SCORES OF KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS over the years as I search for houses to feature in magazines like this one. These two rooms intrigue me more than any of the others. I love to see how designers and builders interpret their clients’ needs and wants to give them both beauty and functionality in a single space, which isn’t always an easy dance to choreograph.
And the choices! Strolling through a tile or hardware showroom (which today are more like museums than retail outlets) is sure to make your head spin — in a good way. This issue features a range of kitchen and bathroom styles and the professionals who work diligently with their clients to deliver rooms that are both easy on the eye and support their way of living. If you’ve been thinking about making a change in your kitchen or bathroom, we hope these spaces will inspire you to jumpstart the process.
“My job is to say, let’s get excited about your house,” says designer Kacey Graham of Boehm Graham Interior Design. For one family in Bedford, her infectious enthusiasm prompted a total reinvention of their first-floor living areas, all of which radiate out from the kitchen. (Graham did the upstairs rooms, too.) The result is a cohesive design where each room riffs on a set of unifying colors and materials so that the spaces all relate to one another without losing their own distinct personalities (page 66).
Over on Lake Sunapee, a decidedly Scandinavian aesthetic underpins the clean lines of a modern house designed with hygge-like comfort in mind (page 76). For example, by setting the kitchen island at a standard table height instead of bar height, a more inviting social space was created. “It was designed to draw people around it,” says the architect, Marcus Gleysteen. What better incentive to gather with family and friends?
Reaching out to the community is a large part of Jan Dean’s role as first lady of the University of New Hampshire, where her husband, Jim Dean, is president. Among her varied responsibilities, Jan is called upon to host and entertain at home and on campus. At her get-togethers, guests are often treated to meals rooted in different regions of the U.S. where she has lived, from Pennsylvania and North Carolina to New England, and she shares some of these recipes with us, starting on page 28.
We’re on the verge of autumn, when cooler air will nudge us indoors. Now is the time to celebrate your home and, perhaps, reward it with a makeover.
Janice Randall Rohlf Editor
Whether your home is on a lake, in the mountains or in the center of a beautiful New Hampshire town, you want your rooms to reflect your lifestyle and personal taste. Our stores will inspire you, spark ideas and provide solutions. Learn why the construction of quality furniture makes a difference and enjoy design expertise from a staff whose only goal is to make you love your home. Whether you are looking for one perfect piece or furnishing an entire home, we invite you to discover all that Winchendon Furniture has to offer.
Kitchen & Bath
Cook up a feast with the new BlueStar Dual Fuel Range, selected Best New Kitchen Appliance at the 2023 IBS Show, offering an electric oven with eight cooking modes and touchscreen controls. Brennan & Mackay Appliance in Milford · (603) 673-1177 brennanandmackayappliances.com
Add character to your bathroom with an antique mirror that reflects a bygone era. Ethan Allen in Bedford · ethanallen.com
Handcrafted right here in New Hampshire, this kitchen island features a clean silhouette and has room for all your storage needs.
Circle Furniture in Portsmouth (603) 441-2011 circlefurniture.com
info@yankeebarnhomes.com |
Produce a calm ambience in your bathroom with unique lighting fixtures, such as this industrial-inspired vanity light. The Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric in Newington & Claremont · rockinghamlightingcenter.com
Opt for finishes that bring a sense of character to your bathroom, like this slate blue, cast-iron soaker tub. Ferguson · ferguson.com
Elevate your table with these handmade pottery serving dishes. Liz Lagarde of Maple Leaf Pottery mapleleafpottery.com
Satisfy your sweet tooth whenever you please with this soft-serve ice cream maker from Cuisinart. Things Are Cooking in Concord (603) 225-8377 thingsarecooking.com
BY
PHOTO
ALYSSA JOY & CO.
Jan Dean Makes a Historic House a Home
JAN AND JIM DEAN breezed into Durham, New Hampshire, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the start of the 2018 academic year. Jim assumed his duties as president of the University of New Hampshire, and Jan hers as first lady. They took up housekeeping at the UNH president’s residence on Main Street, affectionately known as the PresRes. In the five years since then, the Deans have embraced all things New Hampshire and made it their mission not only to get to know the UNH
community and Durham but also to discover all that the Granite State has to offer.
Jan arrived at her new home with boundless curiosity, and it did not take long for her to discover the best places in the Seacoast for breakfast, find antiques or enjoy a lobster roll. Even those of us who have lived here for years quickly relied on Jan and her wealth of information about the state. Whenever one of us needed information, the others said, “Just ask Jan.”
BY MARY ANN ESPOSITO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION
While her husband’s duties as president are all encompassing, Jan, an avid gardener, went straight to the UNH grounds department for help beautifying the gardens around the house. She joined the Oyster River Womenade, a volunteer organization that helps neighbors in need with financial assistance. Additionally, as first lady of UNH, she’s called upon to do a fair amount of hosting and entertaining at home and on campus.
I recently caught up with Jan to ask her some questions about life at UNH. >>
Jackie’s Lobster Casserole SERVES 4
Soon after our arrival in New Hampshire, we were entertained by some delightful hosts, and this lobster casserole was the highlight of the evening. I learned that lobster casserole (or pie) is one of the most cherished seafood dishes in New England. Jackie Eastwood’s version is succulent lobster meat combined with a rich, savory filling and baked under a buttery crust of cracker crumbs. Our North Carolina family insists this dish be on the menu when they visit us.
2 cups lobster broth (preferably homemade)
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced and sautéed. Do ahead and set aside.
2 leeks, sliced and sautéed. Do ahead and set aside.
1. Brown the garlic in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add broth and tomato paste and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
2. Add the heavy cream, lobster meat, mushrooms and leeks. Cook until warmed through.
3. Spoon the mixture into four individual serving dishes.
4. Melt ¼ cup butter and mix into crackers and parsley.
5. Spoon cracker mixture on top of each dish. (Can be made up to this point and refrigerated.)
6. Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes.
HOME COOKING
Mary Ann Esposito [MAE]: You are a Pittsburgh native and raised a family in North Carolina, then moved around in the academic world. How did you adjust to these new surroundings?
Jan Dean [JD]: When I arrived in midJuly 2018, the campus was quiet, with most students gone for the summer. A gentle, cool breeze was in the air — so different from the steamy North Carolina heat I had just left behind. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the campus, the stately New England architecture on Main Street and the quiet village-like feel of the town. A warm welcome ensued in the following weeks as I settled into the PresRes, which is located in the heart of campus.
MAE: How did you see your role as First Lady of UNH?
JD: I wanted to support Jim in his role as president and be the face of the university among our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community locals as well. Visibility, active campus and community involvement, and respect for the university’s history and traditions were my goals. The role of first lady is sort of ill defined here at UNH, and so I was given an open playbook to work with. My goal was to open the presidential residence — the university’s home — to all.
MAE: Tell us about your special projects.
JD: In addition to hosting an array of dinners and receptions, I’m a charter member of the UNH Student Basic Needs Initiative Committee, which is designed to address emergency funding and food scarcity issues. I also serve as president of the Oyster River Womenade, a local nonprofit with a very similar mission, helping neighbors in need. Additionally,
I’m compiling a history of this historic residence as well as the first families who’ve called it home since 1905. I’m trying to tell their stories, interesting anecdotes about their lives against the backdrop of their days, and chronicle the many adaptations that have been made to the house and grounds over the past 118 years.
MAE: What do you like most about living in the Seacoast?
JD: New Hampshire is a gorgeous state, and living in such close proximity to the coast is a real plus. It often means less snow in the forecast! I’ve made a point to take advantage of the fantastic local farm products that are readily available throughout the year and great seafood as well. Life on a college campus is never dull — theater, music, sports and interesting lectures abound.
MAE: Your roots are in Pittsburgh, but you came to UNH from North Carolina. Can you share some favorite recipes?
JD: From Pittsburgh, I took with me memories of family traditions and holiday gatherings, and Thumbprint Cookies and Strawberry Pretzel Pie are great examples; simple and so satisfying — a taste of home for sure. Shrimp and Grits is an iconic, homey Southern staple and you might find it served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It’s well loved in North Carolina and throughout the South, really.
Now, as a New England cook, I’m having fun collecting new recipes from wonderful cooks who have graciously shared them with me, like this quick and easy 1970s Cheese Puffs appetizer. Jackie Eastwood, a good friend and member of the UNH Board of Trustees, shared her Lobster Casserole, which is now a musthave when family comes to visit. NHH
Recipes continue on page 32 >>
Photograph by Heidi Cooper Photography
Shrimp and Grits
SERVES 4
Shrimp and Grits is that iconic, classic dish beloved by Southerners and rooted in cultural food traditions dating back more than 100 years. Famous New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne visited Chapel Hill in the late 1980s, sampled this humble creation at a local establishment and published the recipe in his column. In no time, there was a revived interest in the dish.
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow corn grits (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cracked pepper
3 slices bacon
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup flour
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
½ cup sliced green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Tabasco sauce to taste Parsley for garnish
GRITS
Bring milk, chicken broth and salt to a boil in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in the grits. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add cheddar and Parmesan cheese, butter, pepper and additional salt if desired.
SHRIMP
1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove from pan and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings in skillet. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper, dredge in flour.
3. Sauté the mushrooms in the hot drippings in the skillet for 5 minutes or until tender; add green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and garlic and sauté 2 minutes, or until shrimp are light brown. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce to taste and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from the skillet.
4. Divide the grits into four large bowls; divide shrimp into four servings and place on top of grits, garnish with crumbled bacon and minced parsley.
Strawberry Pretzel Pie
SERVES 6 TO 8
Pittsburgh is a city with long-held food traditions. A treasured one is this Strawberry Pretzel Pie, featuring a salty pretzel crust to balance the sweet cheesecake filling and fresh strawberry topping. You’ll find it at any holiday gathering in the “Burgh.”
CRUST
3 cups small pretzels
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
CHEESECAKE LAYER
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
STRAWBERRY LAYER
4 cups fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place all pie crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and cool completely.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, zest and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture just until combined, then spread into the prepared crust.
5 Chill for 2 hours.
6. Arrange the whole strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture, filling in the top and return the pie to the refrigerator.
7. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, strawberry gelatin powder and cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let mixture bubble for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool slightly. With a pastry brush, evenly coat the strawberries with the glaze.
8. Chill the pie for several hours before cutting into wedges. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top, if desired.
Pictures Worth a Thousand Words
Artist Adele V. Sanborn’s mixed media art with text reflects the way she sees the world — complex and ever-changing.
IN NATURE, organic materials mix and mingle. Dead leaves sit among fresh green ones. A smudge of dirt mars a bright yellow leaf. Bugs crawl in the dirt. Somehow, from disarray harmony is created.
Encaustic painter/mixed-media artist Adele V. Sanborn combines words and images that when put together
create a balance. It’s difficult for Sanborn to say when a piece feels right; for her, it’s more of a journey.
“Combining images with words creates the challenge, which I find exciting and invigorating,” she says.
The Boscawen resident is owner of Cornerstone Design at Twiggs Gallery, a nonprofit that seeks to expand the appre-
BY EMILY REILY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION
ciation of fine art, offers classes and helps artists produce and display their works. The technique she often uses, encaustic painting, is one where colors are mixed with hot or cold wax, then painted on a surface. Adding materials like resin or oil can change the wax’s consistency.
Sanborn’s credentials extend far beyond her gallery. A member of the League of NH Craftsmen, she is a photographer and poet and also has about 45 years of experience as a calligrapher, practicing Italic, Old English and Uncial fonts. She is one of just two juried calligraphers in the state.
Recently, Sanborn talked with New Hampshire Home about her art and inspirations.
New Hampshire Home [NHH]: Tell us a little about your work and what you do.
Adele Sanborn [AS]: I’ve always been interested in words and how people say things. My challenge is to find words and images that work together. I might find an image of mine that I love, love, love. And then I try to find words that go with it. I do a lot with fine art materials like cold wax, acrylic paints, pastels — I use them as backgrounds for my photographs and my calligraphy.
NHH: What’s the difference between cold wax and hot wax? [AS]: Hot wax, which is encaustic, is Damar resin and beeswax melted together. That is what you paint onto the surface that you’re going to work on. You can also add colors from wax that you melt. The cool part about hot wax is you can embed things in it and then scrape off
A fan of Mary Oliver, Sanborn often incorporates lines from the poet in her art.
or add marks onto it, which makes a 3-D presentation. Cold wax is a paste. You add oil paint to it, and then you paint with that. It dries much faster than oil paint, but after five or six days, you can manipulate it, so you can do layer after layer after layer.
NHH: How did your piece “Birches” come together?
[AS]: I love to manipulate images.
“Birches” includes a photograph of a birch grove that’s on the way up to Mount Kearsarge in Warner. I take my original image and digitally manipulate it for different variations in color, size and transparency. Once I am happy with all the images, I print each one out on individual sheets of acetate. When layered one on top of the other, the final image appears. And I flip some of the layers of acetate that have the image. Not all the
acetate sheets are the same size — some are smaller, some bigger. All these steps give the piece real depth. It looks like you actually could be walking through this particular birch grove. Next, I layer transparent sheets of acetate with transparent sheets of acrylic. Lastly, I put tape around the edge and seal it up.
NHH: Why did you choose a Robert Frost passage for that?
Adele Sanborn at work in her studio at Cornerstone Design at Twiggs Gallery, in Boscawen.
For this work, titled “The Woods,” Sanborn removed the tea from a steeped tea bag, flattened it out and painted a watercolor image on it, applying five layers of paint to capture the image. The calligraphy in a freeform hand adds whimsy to the piece.
[AS]: I thought these were the perfect words to go with that piece. Sometimes I start with the words and look for an image or create an image, and sometimes it’s the image that dictates the words I choose. I thought that using this passage as the background picked up on the fall leaves that the birches are sitting in. I liked the texture of the bottom layers of paint, which I was able to manipulate using a credit card. The background on the panel probably has five layers of acrylics, and I remove and manipulate the paint so the bottom levels begin to appear. I added watercolors to the calligraphy because I thought the white paper was too stark. I added a little edging to it, too.
NHH: How do you choose what poetry to use?
[AS]: I read poetry all the time — I’m always looking for words or passages that really mean something to me. I’m in love with [poet] Mary Oliver. So I’ll find something of hers. And then I’ll go through my images and see if I can find something that will work with it. There’s a wonderful, wonderful poem by Wendell Berry called “The Peace of Wild Things.” I love Amanda Gorman, who spoke at President Biden’s inauguration.
NHH: Your art seems very labor intensive.
[AS]: Sometimes I’ll be working on a piece and I’ll get really bogged down by it — I just don’t think I can solve it. So I walk away from it. It might be weeks before I go back to it. But if I work on two pieces at a time and think I’ve screwed up one, I can just go work on the other. It takes the pressure off. And 99 percent of the time, it’s really fun. I’ve got work that might stay in my flat file for nine months, 12 months, a year and a half … then, I’ll pull it out.
NHH: Can you tell us about “Yes … Life Is Fragile”?
[AS]: That’s encaustic, hot wax. I started off with a watercolor sheet mounted
These encaustic pieces feature lines from two of Sanborn’s favorite poets, Robert Frost and Amanda Gorman, that she combines with her painting and digitally manipulated photography.
Sanborn is one of just two juried calligraphers in New Hampshire.
on a panel. I made the edges blackish. The trees and birds are from photographs of mine that I transferred onto the wax. I literally took the image and put it in upside down. And then I took a spoon and rubbed it off. It’s a cool technique that really works best with graphic images. I did the calligraphy on my handmade Unryu paper.
NHH: What is Unryu paper?
[AS]: Unryu is a plant. You beat the living daylights out of it, and then you’re able to grind it down into a paste and make sheets of paper out of it. It’s a difficult surface. It’s very porous. I have to paint the paper with gelatin so that the gelatin seals the paper before I can write on it. It’s got a very fuzzy edge to it because I tear it. And then I mount it between acrylic to keep it safe.
NHH: What’s it like to work with different materials in a single piece? Are some materials affected by others? [AS]: The transparent sheets of acetate I use are the same things used to write on for overhead projectors. The sheets print, really, really well. In “Birches,” you can really see that I flipped the sheet of acetate with the image of the birch on it, because if you look in the middle it’s the same image but flipped. I might flip the whole image and lay it over the image below, creating a new visual. Then, of course, the calligraphy is done by hand. There are probably four layers of images on acrylic with a full photograph underneath it.
Some of the backgrounds are just plain old acrylic. Some of them are cold wax, and some of them are hot wax. It just depends on what I have in my brain at the time. And sometimes I start with a background, something that I love. I’m working on a series right now in cold wax that reminds me of Japanese painting. So I’m working with haikus too. NHH
RESOURCES
Adele Sanborn at Cornerstone Design at Twiggs Gallery • cornerstonedesignnh.com League of NH Craftsmen • nhcrafts.org
Design with Distinction
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Generational Gardens
On close to 200 acres in southwestern New Hampshire, a daughter adds beautiful new gardens while caring for and enhancing many her mother had created.
IN THE MONADNOCK REGION you don’t have to venture too far off the beaten track to discover old farms with beautiful vistas and well-kept gardens. Tucked into the side of Temple Mountain, Beechwood Farm offers a view of distant hills to the south. The area was once heavily wooded. “It was a fullfledged beech forest until the Hurricane of ’38 flattened it,” says homeowner Julie Middleton.
Today there are still plenty of beech trees along with other hardwoods
around the edges of the 170-acre tract to act as a reminder of where the farm got its name, and they are ablaze with color in autumn. Middleton’s parents, Richard and Gertrude Odell, ran a poultry and dairy farm there for 50 years, with the last 100 cows being sold off in the 1980s. Even after her husband passed away, Gertrude stayed at the farm she loved, caring for the gardens she planted. A registered nurse, she volunteered as a health educator until she was 90 years old, and she lived to be 103. Middleton and her husband, Barry West,
BY ROBIN SWEETSER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDAL J. BUSH
are now the stewards of this cherished family property. They have renovated the original antique Cape farmhouse, built several additions onto it, and added many new gardens while caring for and enhancing the existing ones that Middleton’s mother created.
Gertrude’s Gardens
Guests at Beechwood are welcomed by a corner garden that Gertrude Odell planted near the driveway. In the shade of an old maple tree, it is anchored by several
Above: Energetic Brittany spaniel Miss MoneyPenny takes a short break from chasing chipmunks to pose with homeowners Julie Middleton and Barry West in front of the crescent garden. Top left: The kitchen garden, with its weathered bronze armillary ladie’s sphere, was shaded by a huge maple in Gertrude’s day, but now it is bathed in full sun. Top right: Gertrude’s corner garden, next to the driveway, contains many of her original plantings, including foxglove, lady’s mantle, salvia, lamb’s ears and lots of roses.
posure to add many eye-catching plants to the boxwood-edged garden, such as hybrid digiplexis, rusty red dahlias, heuchera with dark purple and silver leaves, red hot pokers (Kniphofia) and native Bowman’s root.
Toward fall, asters, tithonia, helenium, crocosmia and cone flowers bring even more color to the garden. Butterflies and pollinators are drawn to the season-long supply of nectar and pollen. To kick off the succession of blooms in spring, Middleton added 2,000 tulip bulbs. “The game plan was to use bright and bold colors in the gardens on this side of the house and softer colors in the garden at the front of the house,” she explains.
New Plantings
For ideas on how to connect the new building additions to the landscape, they called on garden designer Gordon Hayward. “My central advice was to develop a design that would enable her to live in a house in a garden. That is, the view lines from the sitting area adjacent to the back of the house would visually and physically act as a focal point to draw family and guests out into the garden. Once there, the focus of attention — supported by paths from that sitting area — would draw people into nearby gardens while leading their eye to distant views. My goal is always to settle the house into the nearby and distant landscape in as natural a way as possible,” says Hayward. “Once the sitting area and adjacent pathways were established, Julie took it from there.”
large native rhododendrons skirted with hostas, ferns, astilbe, hollies and heuchera. Lamb’s ears, alliums, foxglove, salvia, pink roses, lady’s mantle and many self-sown flowers fill the sunnier edges. Magnificent urns from France and a statue of Venus add a classical touch to this informal country garden.
On the opposite side of the house is Gertrude’s kitchen garden, so-called not because it produces vegetables, but
because it is best seen from the kitchen windows. Only a handful of the original plants — mostly peonies — remain, but some of Gertrude’s favorites have been replanted, including alliums, lady’s mantle, golden yarrow, speedwell, catmint and bronze fennel. “A huge old maple at the east end of this garden came down one night and that changed everything,” says Middleton. She took advantage of the newly opened, sunny southern ex-
“He gave the garden its bones,” says Middleton of Hayward. Since then, she and her crew — Allison Kerwin and Nancy Ellis — have worked to flesh out the design with their favorite plants.
Crescent Garden
A raised patio paved with Goshen stone runs the length of the new additions, giving plenty of room for seating areas. A wisteria-covered pergola and a locust tree shade part of it from direct sun in the summer. Just off the patio was an established circular garden anchored by
The stone patio, designed by Gordon Hayward, provides seating and a transition from the new addition to the gardens. A wisteria-covered pergola helps shade it.
Heron sculpture “Sir Henri” by Tony Civatella seems prepared to take flight over the pond.
GARDEN R x
an antique cast iron fountain and existing crabapple tree. “We blew out the circle on one side, turning it into a crescent shape,” says Middleton.
A boxwood border along the southern edge provides a backdrop for purple irises, yellow “Bartzella” Itoh peony, blue campanula, California poppies, daisies and epimedium. The dark maroon foliage of “Husker’s Red” penstemon sets off its white blossoms and pairs nicely with the dark red yarrow and red-leaved cannas nearby. White astilbe planted as an understory lights up the shade cast by the flowering crabapple, and a lavender clematis winds its way up the trunk, dressing the tree with a touch of color in summer.
The fountain adds a reflective surface and the soothing sound of splashing water. Middleton and West have a meal, morning coffee or an afternoon glass of wine on the patio, enjoying the everchanging views and delighting in the antics of their watchful Brittany spaniel Miss MoneyPenny as she patrols the grounds, keeping invaders from entering her domain. Sight lines from the patio draw the eye to the ponds, gazebo garden
Though Middleton and West haven’t seen purple martins visiting this birdhouse, West named it Martin Mansions in hopes that, as their range increases, the birds will someday call it home. The post makes a fine support for purple clematis.
Red hot pokers add a pop of summer color to the kitchen garden. Middleton loves bright, bold colors, and this garden carries them well.
and hills beyond, as Hayward intended.
The Right Bank
A new garden along the banking at the right side of the house began as a way to disguise the generator and has spread to include a new stone retaining wall and many shrubs and small trees. Four Japanese maples along with goldenleaved “Tiger Eyes” sumac, tricolor beech and physocarpus “Amber Jubiliee” add colorful foliage to the scene in the spring, summer and fall. “The katsura loves this location,” says Middleton, “and the larch adds a different texture and green color.” Two Japanese lanterns and a stone
fountain surrounded by primroses lend an Oriental flair. “This garden is not so much about flowers as it is about texture and foliage,” says Kerwin, pointing out the multicolored heucheras, hostas and hakonechloa grass flowing down the banking.
Water Features
Water figures prominently in most of the gardens, ranging from two large ponds to small gurgling fountains. “I love the sound of running water,” says Middleton. “It is soothing and creates an illusion of coolness.” But in some situations, plants have replaced water. In the gazebo
garden overlooking the lower pond, an antique cast iron fountain is planted with blue-gray helichrysum that hangs over the edge, simulating dripping water. “It is quite magical,” says Middleton.
Nancy Ellis’s son Greg, a carpenter who worked on the home additions, is also the stonemason responsible for the new rock walls. A man of many talents, he dug the new upper pond that West has equipped with two fountains aerating the water. “Barry loves water features,” says Kerwin, who has worked at Beechwood for 10 years. “He is our electrical and aquatic engineer,” Middleton says of her husband. “He makes the wires and pipes
Clockwise from top left: West loves creating water features, and fountains can be found in both the upper and lower ponds. Purple double clematis climbs up the locust tree next to the patio, adding another layer of color. A welcoming array of pots at the entryway brim with color and texture, while the classic spilling-bowl fountain adds the sound of splashing water. An antique cast iron fountain is a focal point in the crescent garden.
wires and pipes disappear.” In honor of Greg’s work, the new plantings around the pond, which include ornamental grasses, shrubs with interesting foliage and perennials are called Greg’s Garden. “We planted things with big colors and big foliage that can be seen from the house,” says Kerwin. “They glow in the late-afternoon sun.”
Boats and Birds
There may be no vegetables in the kitchen garden, but next to the pond West is growing his favorite tomatoes in containers in an old, red boat Middleton’s brother built as a teen in his shop class. They have dubbed it the Boatique Garden.
Bird houses and feeders dot the landscape, drawing in the birds. They are also attracted to the diverse plantings that provide food and shelter. Orioles, cardi-
nals, robins, finches, hummingbirds, herons and bluebirds are frequent visitors. Sensitive to the needs of their feathered friends, the homeowners delay haying the back field so chicks of ground-nesting birds have a chance to safely fledge.
Containers
Visitors are greeted at the front door by all kinds of containers holding a range of foliage, fragrance and flowers, including coleus, heliotrope, kangaroo paw, impatiens, honeybush, eucalyptus, lantana and calibrachoa. “Tall plants with striking foliage like bananas and castor bean go at the back,” says Kerwin, who changes up the pots each year. “Red cannas are a constant, and Rex begonias — the light is perfect for them.” A plantlover, she says that she’ll try anything. “I love that Julie doesn’t shy away from big, bold colors,” she says.
The gardens at Beechwood farm are fun and flower-filled, imbued with the owners’ sense of style and good humor, all watched over by the evervigilant Miss MoneyPenny. “Gertrude would be delighted by what we’ve done here, over the moon!” says West. “My mother was so busy making a living on the farm that she didn’t have time for extras, but she always had dreams. I think I have fulfilled them!” adds Middleton. NHH
A boat built long ago by Middleton’s late brother is far from seaworthy, but it makes a fine vessel for West’s tomato plants.
KITCHEN & BATH SHOWCASE
Where creativity and efficiency come together
No matter how big the house, the kitchen is where the family gathers, whether to cook meals, eat dinner or entertain. With so much time spent in this space, more families want kitchens that mesh with their lifestyles and capture their imaginations.
There is a distinctive trend toward streamlined kitchens, with appliances cleverly concealed behind paneling, under counters or inside cabinets. Islands are still popular and pulling their weight as both prep and eating stations as well as important
storage areas. The kitchen is also getting some bling, as today’s designers bring in crystal, antiqued brass, brushed nickel, quartzite and an array of other fascinating textures.
Not to be outdone, today’s bathrooms continue to become personal retreats—relaxing sanctuaries where one can refresh and recharge while showering or bathing. Soaking tubs are new favorites, as are showers that offer a sensory experience.
Read on to discover some of this year’s hottest kitchens and coolest bathrooms.
BY CRYSTAL WARD KENT
COOL, CLEAN AND ELEGANT
Gerry Roth, president of G.M. Roth Design Remodeling in Nashua, is used to accommodating his clients’ tastes. When it came to his own home, however, he admits he forgot to consult his most important audience: his wife, Sandy. “We built the house in 1998 when our kids were young,” he says. “I was on a roll to get it done, and never really talked with Sandy about how she envisioned the kitchen. She never complained, but I found out years later that it was not to her tastes. I was determined to make it up to her, so when we decided to remodel, she was involved in every detail. This kitchen is totally different, and we both love it.”
The first goal was to create more space, so a wall between the kitchen and the dining room was taken out, enabling them to design a larger kitchen and also creating an open, airy feeling in both rooms. Minus the wall, the kitchen is now flooded with natural light streaming in from the dining room and foyer windows. “It feels so bright and airy that you want to spend time here,” says Gerry. “With better flow between the two rooms, we actually use the dining room more, which has been nice.”
Sandy loves symmetry and was not a fan of the previous island, which had been placed at an angle. Now, a magnificent 10-foot island, done in creamy white, is the hub of the kitchen. A main food prep area, it seats four and houses an under-counter microwave and lots of storage space. When family members arrive, they gravitate to this gathering spot.
The kitchen cabinetry aligns perfectly with the island, and is the same gleaming white. Sandy wanted to avoid clutter, so small
BY
appliances are hidden behind flip-up door cabinets in the kitchen and pocket-door cabinetry in the beverage center. Clever paneling disguises the refrigerator and dishwasher, so the overall impression is one of a clean work space.
Sandy further streamlined the kitchen by opting for an easy-toclean induction cooktop, a built-in oven and a steam oven. When the wall was removed, the kitchen lost its pantry, so Gerry converted a small office, adjacent to the kitchen, into a walk-in pantry/bar.
The new space has 12 feet of pantry cabinetry, a beverage center with sink, two under-counter beverage refrigerators and a large upright freezer. In a nod to Sandy’s late father, the pantry door is etched with “East Side Café,” the name of his popular Nashua restaurant.
The previous kitchen was darkened by a lot of cherry wood; this time, Sandy wanted everything white, with a touch of bling. Brushed-brass crystal pendant lights and brass drawer and cabinet pulls are glittering accents. Texture is introduced by an arabesque-patterned white marble and mother-of-pearl backsplash as well as by the taupe and white cushions on the island’s chairs. The pantry provides a dramatic counterpoint with black- and mushroom-hued cabinets, a teardrop glass backsplash, and a drum-shade ceiling light in a similar pattern.
“Everything about the new kitchen and layout is wonderful,” says Gerry. “The family — all 20-plus of us — can easily gather in the new space, and it works like a dream. I can safely say my most important client, Sandy, is now happy. This more than makes up for those years in the old kitchen!”
COUNTERTOPS: Granite Plus • granitepluscounters.com
APPLIANCES: Baron’s Major Brands • baronsmajorbrands.com
TILE FLOORING: Artistic Tile • theperfecttile.com
SOAKING IN THE VIEW
Imagine enjoying a leisurely bath while gazing at the ever-changing panorama of the White Mountains and Newfound Lake. This is the lovely reality that Jay Tucker of Old Hampshire Designs in New London created for his client as part of a striking new build.
“The client knew from the beginning that this view had to be part of her dream bathroom,” says Jay. “To accommodate that, we made sure that the window arrangement looked and felt right, and that, with the tub in place, no part of the wall or window transoms blocked the view. We used unadorned windows. The natural wood framework is in harmony with the bathroom’s simple design and lets the view take center stage. The tub is a Victoria & Albert Trivento freestanding design.”
While the tub is clearly the focal point, the rest of the bathroom is both elegant and efficient. There is a private toilet room and a shower area, and carefully planned,
built-in shelving provides plenty of storage for crisp white towels and other essentials.
A 9-foot vanity is done in chestnut-stained white oak to match the quarter-sawn flooring. It is topped with a brush-finished Carbo Quartz top. A custom wood-framed mirror and striking, oiled- bronze, geometric-style lights sit above the vanity.
Just beyond the shelving is the specially designed plank-tile shower, done by Shaker Hill Granite, who also created the vanity top. Each wall tile is made to echo the wood-paneled floor. River rock pebbles on the floor of the shower and a custom fir baseboard bring natural elements indoors.
Cream-colored walls are the perfect complement to the wood, and the simplicity of the room lets the view be the star.
“The room is understated, but every detail works perfectly together,” says Jay. “It really captures the essence of the natural world just outside.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION
RESOURCES
BATH DESIGN: Old Hampshire Designs, Inc. oldhampshiredesigns.com
Imagine a water leak being a blessing in disguise! In this Sunapee home, a burst pipe wreaked havoc in the kitchen, which led the homeowner to embark on a long-desired renovation. “The original kitchen was good-sized but not in keeping with the homeowner’s personal style,” says Amanda Raymond, principal designer of Studio Sage in New London. “They wanted a kitchen that functioned better and felt like them.”
The existing kitchen had a large and much-used island, which the client wanted to keep, so Amanda used it as the starting point of her redesign. New state-of-the-art appliances immediately improved efficiency, and a streamlined layout now allows family members to move easily about the space. Amanda concealed the large refrigerator and beverage fridge drawers behind custom cabinetry panels, and positioned them closer to the family seating area for easy access. The refrigerator is also adjacent to the mudroom, making it easy to unload groceries. Other touches, such as silverware dividers, spice storage and a tall pantry ensure that everything has its place.
Receiving a makeover, the island sports a new coat of dark blue paint, which con-
trasts nicely with the overall white theme of walls and cabinets and is echoed in other cobalt accents. The enlarged skylight over the sink further brightens the space. A former media cabinet was converted to a dry bar, making entertaining easy.
Amanda chose Cambria quartz countertops for their low maintenance and durablility. Their soft gray streaks warm the room, as do the brass drawer pulls and globe pendant lights with brass hardware. Sleek hardwood chairs coordinate with the flooring.
The kitchen’s showstopper element is the prismatic, three-dimensional hexagon tiles that highlight the range wall. Done in tones of white and gray, they carry light through the room while providing a striking visual.
“The kitchen is now the heart of the home,” says Amanda. “It suits the family’s lifestyle, allows them to entertain and, because it flows into the living room, has helped pull the whole house together. They went from a very outdated space to a modern marvel, all thanks to a plumbing mishap!
“The room is understated, but every detail works perfectly together,” she continues. “It really captures the essence of the natural world just outside.”
RESOURCES
KITCHEN DESIGN: Studio Sage • studiosageinteriors.com
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Northcape Design • northcapedesign.com
CABINETRY: Crown Point Cabinetry • crown-point.com
APPLIANCES: Baron’s Major Brands • baronsmajorbrands.com
FLOOR COVERINGS: Little River Oriental Rugs • nhrugs.com
BATHROOM BONANZA
This Londonderry family called on designer Kathleen Costello of Granite State Cabinetry in Bedford to renovate their kitchen and dining room in 2021, doubling its size. Delighted by the outcome, they embarked more recently on not one, but two bathroom makeovers as well as a laundry room/bath refresh. Whitney Nelson, also of Granite State Cabinetry, tackled the design challenges of creating a dream master bath for the parents, and a bathroom space that would meet the needs of their four daughters, ages 11 to 21.
Whitney also updated the look of the downstairs combination laundry room/bath and improved the room’s overall efficiency.
“The adults yearned for a master bath that was their own personal escape space,” Whitney explains. “They wanted a soaking tub, a rain shower, double sinks and just a beautiful, private area to unwind in. The challenge was that the existing bathroom was very small. In order to fulfill their wishes, we took out a second hallway bathroom and closet, and added this space to the existing master. The space was still a bit long and narrow, but we were able to make it work.”
Whitney and her team created a “wet room” at one end of the bath. Here, behind glass doors, are the soaking tub and a rain shower “with every type of shower experience,” such as pulse, massage, mist and a drenching spray. The tub also has a shower fixture. Outside of the wet room is the vanity with dual sinks.
To save space, built-in stained maple cabinets line the walls and contain towels and toiletries.
Gray walls — “Crushed Ice” by Sherwin Williams” — make the space seem larger and brighter, and are a clean counterpoint to the dark cabinetry. In the rain shower, the back wall features white tiles in a chevron pattern, which adds texture and interest, while the side walls are a rich, warm greige — a gray/beige tone — that captures the essence of standing in the rain. The inset shampoo niche is tiled in a brown, gray and white mosaic. Honeyed bronze fixtures, from the lights to the mirror and the drawer pulls, warm the space.
Of the creamy white floor with streaks of gold and brown, Whitney says, “It’s porcelain tile that looks like Calacatta marble. The streaks pick up the hues of the fixtures and cabinets.”
The completed room satisfies the clients’ every need. “This bath is just the escape they
wanted,” says the designer. “It’s their own private spa retreat.”
Just for Girls
With the parents all set with their spa-like new bath, it was time for Whitney to tackle creating a bathroom to meet the needs of four young women. Like their parents, the girls had a wish list, which included a soaking tub, shower and two sinks. With careful planning, Whitney was able to fulfill all their wishes. The tub was positioned at one end of the room, with adjacent built-in shelving for linens. The shower was placed at the other end, and two vanities with sinks line the walls in between.
The color palette was designed to resonate with both the younger and older girls — pretty, but not too fanciful, and with a hint of sophistication. Whitney again used lots of white and brought in pale blue and gray accents. Playful stripes highlight the shower stall, and blue-dotted tiles form a backdrop for the soaking tub. The vanities are done in pale blue with cool white tops, while the porcelain tile floor is a white and gray blend. The girls’ mother selected the scalloped mirrors and crystal light fixtures to add a bit of glam. Whitney echoed the scallop motif in the shampoo niche tiles.
“This is a bathroom that will grow with the girls,” she says. “Everyone has space to get ready, and they love that the room feels like them.”
Laundry Room Refresh
“The original layout had a lot of wasted space, making the room not as efficient as it could be,” says Whitney. “We were able to create storage space above the washer and dryer, and also add a counter over those units, which comes in handy when prepping laundry or folding clothes. We also brought in a larger vanity, which boosts storage.”
While the appliances are navy blue, the space is luminous thanks to pearlescent wall tiles, a white vanity and floor tiles whose white–gray swirls echo Calacatta marble.
The room opens into the pool area, making it very convenient for getting a headstart on laundry after pool parties and allowing guests to use the amenities without traipsing through the home.
The family loves the new spaces and Kaizer, their German shephard, clearly approves as well.
RESOURCES
BATHROOM DESIGN AND CABINETS: Granite State Cabinetry gscabinetry.com
COUNTERTOPS: Key Stone Carvings • keystonecarvings.net
Certified kitchen designer Janice Page of PKsurroundings in Exeter has guided many clients to achieving the home of their dreams, so she was happy to finally address her own kitchen.
Four years ago, Janice and her husband purchased their 1920sera house, which had undergone several additions over the years. They loved it, but the kitchen was an awkward space with too many entry points and almost no contiguous wall space. “There were no windows, a huge chimney and it was very challenging to work in,” explains Janice. “We love to cook and entertain, and wanted a kitchen that satisfied our needs.”
Meeting the challenge would bring all of Janice’s experience and creativity to bear. Ultimately, she and her husband opted for the feel of an Old World bistro, creating cozy work stations and seating areas, and embracing the existing brick by partnering it with rich, dark hues, quartzite and wood surfaces, gleaming polished nickel and antiqued brass. The transformation is stunning, and gives the couple a touch of Europe in the heart of their home.
“We had to do major demolition work to see how we could best configure the space,” says Janice. “We cut into a wall to determine how wide the chimney was, and realized we couldn’t alter these entry points. Once we were down to basics, we planned the kitchen to have several main zones.
“The first zone is for cooking, with a range, prep counters and sink,” she notes. “We took out a small bathroom to give this area
the space it needed. I wanted a sink right by the range, so you don’t have to step far to empty a pot of boiling water or wash items prior to cooking.
“Tying in with this area is the baking section. This is tucked under a nearby staircase and includes a second oven, microwave and coffee station. Next is the smoothie station, and here we have a set of Sub-Zero under-counter drawers, a sink, pull-out trash and storage for a large blender. The nearby pantry opens up to reveal storage for dry goods and counter space for prepping.”
A large island houses the main sink, dishwasher and more storage, with seating on the other side. Janice was clever at concealing other kitchen aids, such as a stepstool hidden in the toe kick, a backsplash panel that opens for cooking oils, and a television hidden in a wall cabinet.
The kitchen’s dark and dramatic look is brightened by a thoughtful mix of textures, from the banded-metal range hood, hammered-metal fusion cabinet doors and gold nailheads on black cabinets, to the metallic tile and antiqued-brass fixtures. Brick-like tile, which mirrors the chimney, was used in the cooking area for added impact. Leathered quartzite in shades of gray and brown gives an aged patina to the kitchen counters, island and backsplash. Completing the look is a stunning hickory floor, hand-laid in a herringbone pattern with a high-gloss finish.
Janice and her husband love the revitalized space. “It makes the house feel complete,” she says. “Now we can live like we want to live.”
RESOURCES
KITCHEN DESIGN AND INTERIOR DESIGN: PKsurroundings
Fine Kitchens & Interiors • pksurroundings.com
CONTRACTOR: Peter Goodrich • (603) 817-0590
COUNTERTOPS: Harvey’s Custom Stone • (603) 801-9865
TILE: Portico Fine Tile & Design • porticofinetile.com
INTO THE LIGHT
Let the sunshine in! This was how designer Alyssa Zink’s client felt when it came to her kitchen — a room in the 1990s-era Bedford house she’d lived in for more than a decade. Bogged down by lots of dark cherry wood, the room also had strange angles, including an awkwardly positioned island that made it hard to navigate the space. Furthermore, a wall between the kitchen and the dining room prevented the family from making full use of the latter room.
“A major goal was to remove that wall,” says Alyssa, of Studio Z Home in Bedford. “This would create more flow between kitchen and dining room, allowing the dining area to reach its potential. It would also let morning light flood into the kitchen, which immediately changed the atmosphere. With the wall gone, we could then address the overall kitchen layout and design a space that worked.”
Removing the wall required the insertion of a steel beam; once that was done, the transformation began. Appliances were upgraded, and Alyssa streamlined the kitchen by installing built-ins. The refrigerator’s paneled front blends with the cabinets, and the 48-inch range fits neatly into the kitchen’s cooking zone.
Alyssa based the room’s color palette on hues already found in the home, resulting in a kitchen that boasts pale, warm grays and slate blue, with textured
metals and clear glass adding interest. The adjacent mudroom’s existing slate blue cabinets inspired the color for the kitchen island and the primary prep area, which includes an apron-style main sink, dishwasher and abundant storage. The back of the island has seating — chairs of weathered wood with leather strapping — and is tiled in eight-inch, square mosaic blocks that create a striking pattern.
A row of LED lights outlining the island’s edge are left on in the evening to act as a nightlight. Leathered quartzite countertops pull in the room’s blue and white hues.
Shimmering clear-glass globes hanging from matte black chains above the island pick up the black of the drawer pulls, faucet and other kitchen hardware. The range — dark zinc with stainless steel strapping—also provides dramatic contrast. Echoing the glass globes, glass insets accent the upper cabinets, which showcase attractive pieces of dishware.
At the far end of the kitchen, a breakfast nook was created in the bow window. With morning light pouring in, it is the perfect spot to start the day.
“My client gained so much space and flow that they now use the dining room regularly and enjoy being in the kitchen,” says Alyssa. “Taking down the wall didn’t just open up the room, it opened up a whole new lifestyle.” NHH
Interior designer Kacey Graham pulled the kitchen’s grays, blues and gold tones into the surrounding rooms to create a pleasingto-the-eye cohesiveness underpinned by custom-stained oak floors throughout.
A BRAND-NEW KITCHEN AND REVITALIZED ROOMS SURROUNDING IT GIVE A BEDFORD FAMILY THE HOME OF THEIR DREAMS.
BY JANICE RANDALL ROHLF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION & MORGAN KARANASIOS
WE’VE HEARD IT SO MANY TIMES that it has become a cliché: The kitchen is the heart of the home. To put a fresh spin on the adage, consider how an interior designer might interpret the words. “Rooms that join the kitchen should celebrate the kitchen as best they can,” says Kacey Graham of Boehm Graham Interior Design.
“You shouldn’t need a passport to go from room to room,” she continues, emphasizing the importance of unifying the aesthetics of all spaces adjacent to, and radiating around, the kitchen. This is the approach she took with a home in Bedford that was begging for a shot of adrenalin. “It was longing for someone to recharge it and give it some life,” she says. “The family is young and has a lot of great energy. The (existing) house was just not a representation of who all of them are as individuals and as a family unit.”
Graham’s clients were well aware that their kitchen was outdated and that it was time to reinvent the dark and functionally subpar space. But as much as they longed for an overhaul, the thought of embarking on such a complex
project was daunting. “We wouldn’t have done it ourselves,” says the husband. “We just didn’t have the time or energy.”
When he and his wife met Graham through a mutual friend, they knew they had found the right person for the job. It was a model collaboration from the get-go.
After spending considerable time with her clients, who have two adolescent sons, to learn their tastes and desires, Graham launched into what would become an 18-month process that completely transformed the home without requiring any major structural upheavals. First, Graham teamed up with designer Whitney Nelson of Granite State Cabinetry to give the family a to-die-for kitchen. The two women also collaborated on the master bath, the sons’ bath and the laundry room.
The husband’s vision, Graham recalls with a laugh, was “to go big or go home.” Thus, a luxurious 48-inch Thermador range sets the stage for an array of equally stunning elements and design decisions, starting with the 10-and-a-half-foot island topped with honed Danby marble from Vermont. In Graham’s estimation, the room needed a “power piece in the middle of a sea of white.” She had the island painted in
Herringbone-patterned tiles lend texture to the all-white space, which is also made interesting by fishtail mullions in the cabinet doors.
“Summer Storm,” which is also the color of the range hood. The gray hue provides relief from the pure-white lacquered cabinetry by Cabico, which includes the panels on the refrigerator and dishwasher.
“In the kichen, we needed to do two things with intention,” asserts Graham. “We needed to paint the island gray, so we anchored the middle part of the room, and I absolutely believe we had to do a natural stone for the island. The honed Danby marble (similar to Carrara Gold marble, but less expensive) lends more character than quartz.
It’s one of a kind, and that’s what my clients wanted — they wanted unique.”
Picking up on the veining in the marble, gold-tone fixtures adorn all the cabinetry, while the same metallic finish appears in the lantern-like chandeliers and in the legs of four upholstered chairs at the island. Other decorative touches that add flair include the fishtail mullions in the glass cabinet doors flanking the range hood.
The homeowners had previously discussed with a contractor the idea of changing the screened-in porch to become
The family room is a comfy place to watch TV or have fireside chats in close proximity to the kitchen. Even pampered pet Mayfield, a Staffordshire terrier, has a custom-made feeding station and a furniture-like enclosure for sleeping.
part of the kitchen. Agreeing that the largely unused space would be a game-changing complement to the kitchen, Ken Dionne of KRD Builders was hired and went ahead with removing the porch’s slider doors and completely opening up the room to the kitchen. Flooded with sunshine and allowing views of the beautiful backyard pool and landscaping, the renovated porch space is now a resplendent eat-in area where Graham integrated a custom-built, semi-circle upholstered banquette that can be used as a whole unit or separated into two, with a chair placed in between. A built-in
espresso machine, strategically located on a wall transitioning from the kitchen to the eat-in area, provides each family member with the beverage of their choice.
The family room had always been open to the kitchen, but, points out Graham, “the room needed better-defined balance than before.” She changed the orientation of furnishings, replacing a huge sectional set into the angled wall corner with two comfy, custom velvet sofas that face each other to facilitate conversation, and run perpendicular from a central fireplace flanked by built-ins that received a new coat of white paint and accent lighting. A large TV above the mantel, framed in gold to match the chandelier, is complemented by smaller TVs on either side that pop out of the built-in bookcases. Another surprise is a custom dog crate, stained the same blue as in the mudroom, with bars that match all the other gold detailing in the home. It’s the princely abode of Mayfield, a Staffordshire terrier who joined the family just a month after Graham wrapped up her renovation. “Thankfully, the dog went to obedience camp,” she says.
Opposite the family room, a doorway leads from the kitchen into a large, rectangular space informally divided into dining and living areas that are more elevated in style than the breakfast and family rooms, yet consistent with the overall polished vibe of the first floor. “I definitely didn’t want this room to have any white,” says Graham. “I wanted to bring in darker tones and have it be different from what we had done in the kitchen.” First, she had a pair of columns separating the rooms removed, and then painted the existing molding and chair rail gray. A coffered ceiling, painted in “Kendall Charcoal” by Benjamin Moore, was added and grass cloth installed inside its squares. A showstopping Ralph Lauren chandelier and a series of Neo-classical prints complete the dining room area.
This dusky ambience carries over into the living portion of the room, where a leather sofa paired with chairs upholstered in gray velvet with a navy-blue pinstripe inspired Graham to describe the look as “a man’s suit meeting his leather shoes.” Color-blocked drapery panels, she says,
A custom banquette designed by Graham ups the ante for comfort and ingenuity in the porch-turned-eating-nook.
This page: Living and dining spaces, above and right, occupy a long rectangular space with a distinctive coffered ceiling lined with grass cloth.
Opposite top: Against new panel detail in the foyer, a charcoal shagreen box on a stand and a porcupine mirror add pizzazz.
Opposite bottom: A sink carved into a marble slab and brass strapping create a knockout powder room.
“introduce and then close out what our color palette is.” Graham remembers the husband saying to her that he wanted the rooms to feel “really handsome.” In this tailored space, she observes, “There is nothing floral or overly feminine, but it still feels comforting and cozy.”
With this more formal space situated adjacent to the foyer, Graham says she had to be mindful of what would be visible from the front door. Which is also why a total refresh of the main entryway was critical. “The (former) space had an outdated, wall-to-wall-type beige runner, the stair posts were ho-hum, and the walls were just plain, with art that seemed forced,” describes the designer. “We wanted to have the foyer be more interesting architecturally.” To that end, she changed the floor stain (here and throughout the first floor) from natural to a rich, deep brown, and painted new stair posts in high-gloss black from Fine Paints of Europe. “I find their quality and depth of color and sheen level to be second to none,” she says. Additionally, panel detail gives the foyer’s white walls “some pizzazz and quality.”
Although it’s behind a closed door, the first-floor powder room is a seamless extension of the sophisticated style that’s Graham’s calling card. In lieu of a vanity, there is a floating marble slab (the same marble as the family room’s fireplace surround) with a sink carved into it and plenty of countertop space. Brass strapping and a pair of brass fixtures above the sink add zing to the room painted the same gray as the kitchen island. “A powder room is small, so I like to add a bit of a wow factor,” says Graham.
The husband’s office, separated from the foyer by French doors, is a microcosm of the design sensibility
Graham displays elsewhere throughout the home’s first floor: blue-painted woodwork, grass cloth-covered walls, a brass desk lamp and an enlarged, custom-framed sepiatoned family photograph. In addition to the design influences in this room, practical measures appropriate to a work space were taken as well. For instance, glass had to be removed from the artwork due to the glare it cast during Zoom calls. It’s one of many gestures that attest to the level of thoughtfulness that went into renovating this home.
Leading up to a project, “I ask questions until I have enough information so that my client feels like they sit in my brain,” says Graham. “My job is to say, ‘Let’s get excited about your house.’ The value is our partnership.” NHH
RESOURCES
Boehm Graham Interior Design • boehmgrahamdesign.com
Granite State Cabinetry • gscabinetry.com
KRD Builders • krdbuilders.com
Situated on a southern point at the entrance to Sunapee Harbor, this lakehouse features stepped walls, which allow for corner windows. This layout enables wider views and welcomes in natural light from multiple directions.
Sunapee Sanctuary
This modern take on a lake house delivers intriguing spaces and immersive views.
BY JENNIFER SPERRY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRENT BELL
Opposite: For siding and trim, the owners chose Boral TruExterior (made with fly-ash, a byproduct of coal combustion). The grayish-blue finish blends with the surrounding landscape and keeps the home's massing quiet.
Having spent most of his youth in Europe, and specifically his childhood summers on a Swedish archipelago, Marcus Gleysteen felt an immediate connection to the atmosphere surrounding Lake Sunapee. “The geographies of New Hampshire’s big lake districts and Sweden’s isles are almost identical,” notes the Boston-based architect. “They share a similar architectural vernacular and climate, and even tree species.”
Tapping into his fondness for and understanding of summering in a northern clime, Gleysteen successfully executed two modern houses on Sunapee that turned (and continue turning) heads. He owes the firm’s third
Sunapee lakehouse, featured here, to the clients’ 16-year-old daughter, who noticed one of the existing projects while kayaking. She brought the house to the attention of her parents, who in turn approached the half-Swedish, half-American architect about transforming their own slice of shore.
The clients, native New Englanders, whose two children are now college aged, had been visiting the lake for nearly 20 years. Their oneacre lot, situated on a southern point of land at the entrance to Sunapee Harbor, posed a unique set of challenges. It was narrow, with a discernible grade change between the elevated road in front and harbor to the rear. The lake’s high water level coupled with potential runoff from the hill meant a basement wasn’t feasible.
Above: Granite hardscaping and a prevalence of Douglas fir both nod to the look and feel of a traditional New Hampshire lakehouse.
Contending with various setbacks, Gleysteen and firm principals Chandon Georgian and Robyn Gentile developed a linear layout oriented on the point like the base of a triangle. Its central volume reaches out farthest toward the lake (and point), while partnering sections shift backward from this projection in vertical and horizontal directions, reacting to the shoreline while maintaining privacy and views.
Orientation was one of the project’s greatest challenges: the home’s lake views are primarily due north, opposite the coveted southern exposure. Encouraging light into the home from the facade proved tricky, considering the road’s proximity.
“We were very careful to organize the glazing in such a way that the occupants never felt exposed to neighbors,” explains Gleysteen. “We placed windows strategically in areas that
Left: Loewen windows frame lake views in the living room, where a commanding stone fireplace provides a purposeful layer of separation from the adjoining dining room.
Above: Douglas fir paneling adds warmth to the voluminous entry vestibule. A strip of granite off the front door brings the outdoors inside.
Below: Integrated shades provide privacy as needed in the primary bedroom.
The bedroom's simple material allotment and furnishings keep the landscape center stage.
Right: Cool, crisp Blue De Savoie marble contrasts with the natural warmth of the fir on the paneling and vanity in the primary bathroom.
don’t require a high level of privacy, like hallways and the kitchen. Over time, the plantings will help screen the windows as well.”
In programming the house, the architects designed its 5,900 square feet to feel comfortable in relation to how many people are in residence. When the clients are home alone, they occupy the central volume, with kitchen, dining area and living room below and primary suite above. When the kids arrive, they expand into their respective bedrooms in a western wing, which culminates in a rec room. For guests, there is a set of top-to-bottom suites in an eastern wing.
Built by North Branch Construction, based out of Concord, Massachusetts, the completed
house boasts five bedrooms and five and a half baths. “What keeps this house from feeling overly large is the lack of any formal living spaces,” relays Gleysteen. “Every room is used daily; there’s no Great Gatsby-type living here on the lake.”
For the main living spaces, a “layered” floor plan delivers a feeling of openness as well as clear sightlines, while still giving each destination a sense of autonomy. “These clients hail from a well-lived-in house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wanted spaces that are more clearly defined,” says Gleysteen. “We find that it’s an emerging trend to see more structure and layering in the primary living spaces."
Off the main entry, Gleysteen tucked a surprise library underneath the stairs leading to the primary suite. Corner windows bring sunlight into this modern interpretation of a cozy reading nook.
“During the pandemic, people retreated to the refuge of their homes. After experiencing all the family functions like homework and cooking and TV happening at once, homeowners are now desiring rooms that are more self-contained,” elaborates the architect.
The progression from arrival at the street to the entry, through the house and out to the lake was very carefully considered by the architectural team, according to architect and firm principal Robyn Gentile. A weather-shielding canopy over the descending entry stairs maximizes guest comfort while defending against ice accumulation in the off-season.
Once inside, a voluminous entry vestibule prefaces the central volume, which culminates in the living room, where two walls of extensive
glazing form a mesmerizing glass corner. A tray ceiling overhead reflects the geometry of the furniture layout beneath. Crafted from local Barre granite, the gas fireplace, installed by Stone Mountain Masonry’s Joe Rolfe, is a “beautiful feature that serves to physically anchor the house to the site with its monumental presence,” describes Gleysteen.
In between the fireplace seating area and the front door lies an unexpected “Harry Potter” library tucked beneath the stair leading to the primary suite. “The stairs form a canopy. Here, you are on the edge of the living room and can see what’s going on there but do not necessarily have to be a part of it,” notes Gleysteen. This unexpected bookworm’s destination is charming, with floating fir shelves and light
flowing in through two corner windows.
A second main living volume contains the kitchen and dining area. Since both clients enjoy cooking, the design team placed the range in the island, so that the active chef can continue appreciating the natural setting. “It’s always a debate, but I encourage anyone with a really nice view to face it while cooking,” contends Gleysteen. “The sink is another option, but when you’re washing dishes, you’re looking at what you’re doing and loading the dishwasher, not enjoying the scenery.”
Setting the island at a standard table height of 36 inches, instead of the more common bar height of 42 inches, established it as an inviting social space. “It was designed to draw people around it,” notes the architect. Practical Tahiti
One of the timeless goals of a lakehouse, regardless of style, is providing spaces for entertaining and gathering. The open-concept kitchen and dining room volume satisfies this goal without impeding sightlines.
quartzite graces the perimeter countertops and backsplashes while a thick, decadent slab of Aliveri marble gives the island extra significance. Overhead, the stainless-steel vent hood was custom crafted by The Iron Garden in Sunapee.
Opposite: The finished home boasts 5,900 square feet of living space, with volumes that shift in orientation along with the shoreline.
A bonus boat house provides easy access to Lake
The cabinetry — by Plain & Fancy and sourced from LaValley Building Supply in Newport, New Hampshire — features vertical grain Douglas fir. Painting the upper cabinets in Farrow & Ball’s “Lamp Room Gray” makes them recede into the background, leaving the warm wood tones on the lower cabinets and island to draw the eye.
In fact, Douglas fir, one of Gleysteen’s favorite woods, is used throughout the house on walls and ceilings. The wood’s warm tone nods to Scandinavia’s extraordinary culture of woodworking but also evokes the feel of a traditional New England lakehouse.
“What characterizes this house is the very dynamic compositional setup between what’s
brown and what’s not,” explains Gleysteen of the thoughtful application of woodwork. “We used three components — glass, wood and drywall — to organize spaces and control how big or small they feel.” On the lake side, huge panels of glass create an effective interface between the home’s interior and the glory of the outdoors.
As a firm, Marcus Gleysteen Architects continually pushes clients to use local craftsmen and materials as well as sustainable materials and systems. Some of this home’s sustainable features include the Boral TruExterior siding made from fly-ash, which is a byproduct of coal combustion. All the exterior stone, including the stoops, steps and patio, is local field stone. Without a basement, the main level handles all the storage and mechanical needs and rests on a concrete slab with hydronic radiant heating.
Naturally, Gleysteen’s Swedish roots influence his work in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Says the veteran architect: “Our goal for this
Above left and right: Off the gravel drive, a side entrance leads into a mudroom with built-in cubbies. The children's rooms and rec room occupy this western wing.
Sunapee.
house, while dealing with climate change and changing available materials, was to reinterpret traditional northern architecture through the lens of modern architecture. But the mediating force is Scandinavian modern design.”
In his own words, the Scandinavian modern approach goes beyond its hallmarks of craftsmanship and inventiveness. More so, it’s about how a house is used and enjoyed. “It’s a very humanist, lifestyle-oriented form of architecture based on creating delight and prioritizing comfort. It’s all about providing simple pleasures,” he says. NHH
RESOURCES
MGa Architects • mgaarchitects.com
North Branch Construction • northbranch.net
Landforms Ltd. • landformsltd.com
Audio Visual Design Group (formerly Maverick Integration) avdg.com
Exciting Windows • excitingwindows.net
La Valley Building Supply • lavalleys.com
Stone Mountain Masonry • stonemtnmasonry.com
The Iron Garden • (603) 763-8964
Faces of
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Hill Construction
Secondwind Water Systems, Inc.
db Landscaping LLC
Old Hampshire Designs, Inc.
Meet some of the talented professionals who design, build and equip New Hampshire homes. Learn more about their areas of expertise, their business’s history and what makes their services distinctive.
Crown Point Cabinetry
Backdrop Interior Design
Cicely Beston Interior Designs PKsurroundings
Michael Petrovick Architects, PLLC Sink & Spout
Liberty
(603) 641-5767 secondwindwater.com
For more than 30 years, Secondwind Water Systems Inc. has been the region’s go-to full-service water treatment company. They invest significant time and energy into researching water contaminants found in New Hampshire wells in order to apply the very best treatment applications. The team has advanced training and certifications from the Water Quality Association and an extraordinarily high commitment to education, integrity and customer service. There’s a reason why they consistently receive 5-Star Reviews and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. They do the work until your water is the best it can be—safe, clean, clear and odor free. Secondwind Water Systems has residential and commercial solutions for drinking water, recycling water and more, with exceptional experience in treating PFAS, arsenic, radon, bacteria and more.
Front row: Rachel Myre, Adam Barton, Julia Powell, Cait Merriam, Stan Marro
Back row: Nick Aquaviva, Chris Hatch, Archer Judd, Grant Worcester
462 River Road • Claremont, NH 03743
(800) 999-4994
crown-point.com • crownselect.com
Crown Point Cabinetry is a nationally recognized second-generation New Hampshire custom cabinetmaker. We are known for providing the finest quality custom cabinetry for your entire home. Our directonly sales model allows you to visit our spectacular showroom and tour our state-of-the-art facility where all of our cabinetry is crafted. We have over a dozen talented designers on staff to work with you, your building professional, architect or interior designer.
For clients with more limited budgets, we offer Crown Select. Handcrafted to the same fit and finish by the very same Crown Point artisans, Crown Select has one distinct advantage: price! By limiting the endless spectrum of choices and customization found in Crown Point, Crown Select gives you the quality and style you want at a more cost-effective price point. Make an appointment to come to our cabinet shop, or visit our websites today.
We founded Backdrop Interior Design to offer a different kind of design experience—one that prioritizes real-life functionality and emphasizes the unique lives spent in the spaces we create. Our work is less about one specific aesthetic and more about building joyful, memorable spaces through originality, customization and quality. We work closely with clients in an adaptable and intentional process to create spaces that embody their personal definition of home.
Led by designer Lauren Milligan, our team specializes in full-service design for new construction projects and extensive renovations throughout New Hampshire.
Whether you are building a new home or remodeling an existing space, we offer personalized, practical guidance from initial concepts to final installation. Our services include CAD drawings, 3D renderings, custom cabinetry drawings, material selections, fixture specifications, construction and project management,collaboration with contractors and other trades, sourcing, warehousing, furnishing and final styling.
NH Home Design Awards 2023 Winner: Up and Coming Talent (Under 40), 2020-2023 Best of the Lakes Region Interior Design, 2019 Parade of Homes Best Interior Design
Whether your property boasts leafy woodlands, sweeping vistas or a beautiful waterfront, Mother Nature’s landscapes are guaranteed to impress, and db Landscaping LLC can enhance that natural wow factor for your residential or business property.
In addition to designing the outdoor living space of your dreams, db Landscaping LLC takes care of the details, including permitting and adhering to regulations. Led by landscape architect Daniel Bruzga, our team has 15 years of experience navigating the process from design and environmental permitting, to construction and long-term care.
Our team works with you to select natural, local materials appropriate to your property’s surroundings. We happily provide services wherever our clients live and play in New Hampshire, the greater Boston area, Cape Cod, the Caribbean and beyond.
Faces
Cicely Beston Interior Designs is an award-winning, full-service interior design firm based in New London, New Hampshire, but also services clients across the country. Cicely has over 20 years of experience in the interior design, architectural and construction fields.
Providing her clients with a full spectrum of services, from complete construction management and project oversight to simple paint color consultations, Cicely tailors her work to her clients’ needs. She is known for her wide range of design styles, never narrowing her inspiration, but rather reflecting her clients’ styles and desires to create unique and personalized homes.
Known for her impeccable attention to detail and thorough communication and follow-up, Cicely has created trusted and long-lasting partnerships with her clients, suppliers, contractors and craftsmen.
A CBID interior is a thoughtful, beautiful space that supports and accentuates her clients’ lifestyles—spaces to live in fully and to create memories.
Come visit our 2,000-square-foot showroom and gallery, featuring over 200 lines of furniture, flooring, lighting and accessories, curated antiques and fine art, located in the heart of New London.
PHOTOGRAPHY
of NEW HAMPSHIRE
Faces
20 Water Street, Suite #2
Exeter, NH
(603) 817-6347
pksurroundings.com
At PKsurroundings based in Exeter, New Hampshire, we use a team approach that combines our interior design and renovation-liaison skills to provide turnkey projects. We focus on custom kitchens and bathrooms and are happy to design other spaces as well. From conceptualization to installation, we work closely with you to create innovative and personalized designs that fit your needs and individual style. With our interior design and renovation-liaison services complementing our ability to provide unique, custom and quality products, it is our goal to exceed your expectations. Company founders and owners, Janice Page, CKD, and Debbie Karpiak, have over 25 years of experience in the kitchen and bath industry. Working with clients, architects, builders and decorators, we strive to deliver excellent customer service and attention to detail. We succeed in building lasting relationships with our clients, and we find it rewarding to see them take pleasure in their new spaces.
Old Hampshire Designs, Inc is an award-winning design-build company located in New London. We’ve earned our reputation by building quality homes in the Dartmouth/ Lake Sunapee region since 1984. We are committed to distinctive craftsmanship and excellent customer service. Featured here are the young men who are ensuring that these commitments carry forward into the next generation of custom home builders.
We want you to not only love your new home, but also have an enjoyable experience throughout the entire design and construction process. During the design phase, we work with you to create your customized plans. We then acquire the permits and construct the home. This collaboration results in a seamless transition from initial concept to completion.
We also enjoy working with plans that were developed by your own architect or designer. We are available for renovation consultations and commercial construction. Our skills and expertise result in projects that successfully stay within the budget and time frame you choose. We look forward to hearing from you.
As creative alchemists, Michael Petrovick Architects has mastered melding historical vernacular with modern living. With offices in Keene, New Hampshire, and Amesbury, Massachusetts, Mike Petrovick and his team are re-imagining the historic framework of the industrial and agricultural northeast to meet people’s needs (and wants) today. The firm’s residential work is inspired by the New England architecture represented in the area’s meetinghouses, churches and town hall projects, some of which the firm has also worked on. Whitcomb Hall (ca. 1916) in West Swanzey, closed since 1988, is just one of their recent projects infused with community, new purpose and commonality. In the firm’s residential work, each project takes on new life thanks to the sharp listening skills and keen eye of Petrovick’s team. The love of historic buildings and the desire to help people stay rooted in the places they cherish most drive the firm in its work, but, shares Petrovick, what drives a project’s success is the firm’s motto, “Listen First. Design Second.”
PHOTOGRAPH
THE FACES OF Bath and Kitchen Expertise
Sink & Spout
Concord • Exeter • Lebanon Manchester • Nashua • Rochester New in 2023: Portsmouth sinkandspout.com
This year, The Ultimate Bath Store—a trusted resource for New Hampshire homeowners and designers for more than 35 years—reinvented itself as Sink & Spout. There are so many reasons to love Sink & Spout, a growing collection of bath, kitchen and lighting products from the world’s finest brands. Imagine a place where you can experience New England’s largest Kohler inventory, plus thousands of designs from House of Rohl, Bain Ultra, Kallista, Bertch and other carefully curated companies that meld style, innovation and artisanal craftsmanship.
With new and familiar faces at Sink & Spout, each friendly, knowledgeable showroom associate is known for their ability to listen to your goals and help make your vision a reality. Working displays allow you to experience the water pressure and spray patterns of various bath and kitchen faucets as well as showerheads. And new financing options from Citizens Pay allow you to buy now and pay over time.
Whether you’re looking for bathroom and kitchen fixtures, storage solutions, workstations, lighting options and so much more, you’ll find inspiring possibilities at Sink & Spout. You’re welcome to stop by and dream, or schedule a time to discuss your project in detail. From replacing a toilet or faucet to outfitting a whole new home, Sink & Spout will be your go-to resource. Headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire, with six retail showrooms in the Granite State and 10 more across New England, Sink & Spout is everything you expect and a whole lot more.
HAMPSHIRE
Events AROUND THE STATE
Savor the final days of summer and the first cool days of fall by touring artists’ studios and gorgeous homes in the Lakes Region, browsing a home show, enjoying dance and sculpture in a garden at a historic estate, and much more.
SEPTEMBER 8-9
34th Annual Pocket Gardens of Portsmouth Tour
Featuring late-summer annuals and vegetables, this tour is a lovely mix of nine professional and amateur designed and maintained gardens on Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gardens are located in Portsmouth’s Lafayette Park neighborhood (Middle, Aldrich streets, and Spinney Road). Also included are the Loughlin Preserve, and the return of garden educators including John Forti, author of “The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World” and Susan Pike, nature writer for the Portsmouth Herald. You will find ample parking at this year’s tour headquarters at 355 Spinney Road, Portsmouth.
Along with the gardens, connect with the Portsmouth 400 celebration as you walk land once home to the forestry of the Abenaki, the agriculture of the 18th century, annual June celebrations of African Americans, the Subsistence Garden Program of the Great Depression, and the growth of a neighborhood and its gardens.
Ticket sales online at portsmouthnhtickets.com and these local retailers: Churchill’s Garden Center in Exeter, Eldredge Lumber of York, Maine, Gardener’s Supply at Rolling Green in Greenland, RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth and Wentworth Greenhouse in Rollinsford.
SEPTEMBER 9
Auburn Day and Duck Race
Enjoy a fun-filled day for the whole family with a celebration for the town of Auburn, featuring the annual duck race that awards cash prizes for the 10 fastest ducks, including $1,000 for first place. The day includes food, local artisans, train rides, music, visits by local authors and much more. Proceeds benefit the Auburn Historical Association and other local nonprofits.
Auburn Village • auburnhistorical.org
SEPTEMBER 9–10
River Valley Artisans Art & Wine Tour
Poocham Winery and Summit Winery have joined with the River Valley Artisans for a fabulous weekend of art, wine, food and fun in the Connecticut River Valley. Enjoy a wine tasting, and stroll among the displays where the artists show their work and offer for sale oil paintings, watercolors, leatherwork, art photography, fine jewelry, fiber art, wooden ware and other handmade items. Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at both wineries. Admission is $10 for non-members and $5 for members.
The Belknap Mill Quilters Guild once again hosts the annual Harvest of Quilt Show and Mysterious Quilt Journey. This year, the event takes place at three venues in downtown Laconia, all of which are within walking distance. Take a mysterious journey by following the displays of quilts and wall art in store windows, leading the way from venue to venue. Held daily, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission is $10, free for children age 12 and under. Downtown Laconia, bmqg.org
SEPTEMBER 23–25
55th Annual New Hampshire Home Show
Hosted by the New Hampshire Home Builders Association, attendees can meet builders, remodelers, decorators, landscapers and many types of home solutions providers. The showcase also features the latest in home-related products and services, from air quality and mortgages to hot tubs and custom closets. Friday, 1–8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. A weekend pass is $15. Daily admission is $10 for adults, and $7 for seniors age 62 and over.
DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Manchester, 700 Elm St., Manchester, nhstatehomeshow.com New Hampshire Home is a proud sponsor of this event.
SEPTEMBER 25
An Afternoon of Sculpture and Dance
This is a unique way to experience this summer’s outdoor sculpture exhibit “Stillness and Motion” at the John Hay Estate at The Fells. Dancers from the professional dance company Ballet Misha of Manchester perform an exploratory collaboration between sculpture and dance. During a selfguided tour of the grounds, visitors see dancers performing improvisational dance inspired by the sculptures. Dancers interact with the sculptures, exploring the dynamics of stillness and motion. Several of the sculptors and gallery artists are present to discuss their work. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the garden, on the veranda or in the pavilion. 1–3 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $4 for children age 6-17, and $25 for families.
Kicking things off this year is a special opening event and exhibit. On September 30, preview the artists and plan your itinerary at an outdoor celebration at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture in Peterborough. The exhibit continues until October 28, so you can see the artists’ work both before and after the tour. All art is available for sale, and new art will be added throughout the month. The free, self-guided tour — which takes place October 7–9 — offers the chance to visit the studios of painters, printmakers, potters, jewelers, sculptors, fiber artists, photographers, woodworkers, glass shapers and others. This is a great chance to visit studios in Dublin, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Peterborough and Sharon. Saturdays through Mondays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Monadnock Center for History and Culture • 19 Grove St., Peterborough • Plus various venues throughout the region • monadnockart.org
OCTOBER 3
Hay Day Fall Festival
Enjoy old-fashioned games, art projects for kids, craft demonstrations, music by Kathy Lowe and other live presentations. This year’s festival includes an Oktoberfest-themed lunch and musical performances. Browse the farmers market for fall produce and locally made products, and then explore the nature trails. Families can also build fairy houses in the Fairy Village, or take a tour of the main house and gardens. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $4 for children age 6-17, and $25 for families. The Fells • 456 Route 103A, Newbury (603) 763-4789 • thefells.org
OCTOBER 7–8
Lakes Region Parade of Homes Tour
This local home show and design tour has been an annual tradition hosted by the Lakes Region Builders & Remodelers Association since 2007. The self-guided tour features stunning, professionally designed new and renovated homes in Lakes Region communities. Attendees can also meet the talented builders while learning about the newest trends, products and techniques. Tickets are $20.
lakesregionparadeofhomes.com
THROUGH OCTOBER 20
Frank Lloyd Wright House Public Tour
This two-hour tour includes both the Kalil House, a Frank Lloyd Write Usonian Automatic, and the Zimmerman House, a Usonian home from the 1950s. Thursdays through Sundays, 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 6 p.m. Reservations are required. Tours begin and end at the Currier Museum of Art. Admission is $35 for adults, $15 for children age 7–17 and $20 for students.
Currier Museum of Art • 150 Ash St., Manchester • (603) 669-6144 • currier.org
OCTOBER 7–8
Center for the Arts Open Studios Weekend
View artwork and visit with the artists at Whipple Hall, and then tour private studios in the Lake Sunapee Region using the provided free map. Whipple Hall • 429 Main St., New London centerfortheartsnh.org
OCTOBER 6–8
Fairy and Hobbit House Festival
On this last opportunity to tour the grounds at Bedrock Gardens before it closes for the season on October 8, families can enjoy lunch and then meander along the trails to admire the designer fairy houses, or you can build your own and enter the contest. The first-place winner will receive a membership.
Bedrock Gardens • 19 High Road, Lee • (603) 659-2993 bedrockgardens.org
OCTOBER 8
7th Annual Mount Sunapee Duck Drop
Northcape Design Build is proud to be back for the 7th annual Duck Drop at Mount Sunapee Resort on October 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with awards at 3 p.m.
See you on the lift as we toss ducks, win prizes and raise money for wonderful charities. All proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire.
Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury • (603) 763-2477 nhduckdrop.com
ONGOING
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17
Castle in the Clouds Garden Tours
Join gardener Gretchen Large in touring both Lucknow’s historic and modern garden landscapes, and leave with some general gardening tips and tricks for you to use at home. Large shares her passion for gardening, as displayed in the beautiful and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces around the castle. Fridays through September 16, 9:30 a.m. Admission is $10, and pre-registration is required. Castle in the Clouds • 455 Old Mountain Rd., Moultonborough • (603) 476-5900 castleintheclouds.org
THROUGH OCTOBER 31
2023 Historic House Season
Strawbery Banke Museum offers visitors the chance to explore over 300 years of history in the charming Puddle Dock neighborhood of Portsmouth. Tour historic houses, meet costumed role players, watch traditional craft demonstrations and explore heirloom gardens. Admission is $19.50–$48.
New Hampshire Home is always on the lookout for events that may interest our readers. If you have one to submit for consideration, send details to janicerohlfnhh@gmail.com. Please note that calendar production occurs two months before each issue is published.
Where History Lives
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 9, 2023
Vintage & Vine
A wine festival in historic style
September 23-24, 2023
Portsmouth Fairy House Tours
October 26-29, 2023
Ghosts on the Banke
A family-friendly trick-or-treat event
November 4, 2023
Dawnland StoryFest Workshop
Create a beaded medallion or earrings
November 24, 2023
Outdoor Ice-Skating Begins
The tentative opening date for Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond
December 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 2023
Candlelight Stroll
A holiday event of traditions of times past
1. Search for a professional within any of these categories:
2. View detailed company profile, including projects and videos.
3. Link directly to social media, website, locations.
our newly designed online resource directory featuring NH Home’s recommended professionals: Check it out today at directory.nhhomemagazine.com
And remember to follow us @nhhomemag
KITCHENS
Accent on Kitchens
Your home should reflect who you are and what you love. The Accent team is creative and committed — combining experience and innovation with a friendly, low-key approach. The results are rooms that become the heart of your home: beautifully designed spaces that will be an expression of your lifestyle for years to come.
112 Lafayette Rd., North Hampton (603) 964-1771 • accentonkitchens.com
OUTDOOR LIVING
Soake Pools
Create a spa-like experience in your own backyard. We manufacture four-season, luxury plunge pools designed to be warm in winter, cool in summer and small enough to fit almost any backyard space. Soake Pools are made in New Hampshire, and delivered tiled and ready for your finishing touches. Small pools, big benefits. Order now to install this season!
Pembroke • (603) 749-0665 • soakepools.com
db Landscaping LLC
We are a full-service landscape architectural design/build company based in Sunapee, New Hampshire, and serving New England. Our team of landscape architects, engineers, horticulturists, stonemasons and other specialists is committed to realize your visions for your outdoor living spaces. We deliver unique, functional and environmentally sensitive design solutions.
Sunapee • (603) 763-6423 • dblandscaping.com
ARCHITECTS
Bonin Architects & Associates
Bonin Architects & Associates — located in New London and Meredith, New Hampshire — serves clients in New England with a focus on lake, mountain and coastal homes. We bring architecture and landscape together in a collaborative approach to every project; our values of honesty integrity, commitment and respect are the difference between building a home and building a dream.
New London and Meredith • (603) 526-6200 boninarchitects.com • info@boninarchitects.com LANDSCAPING
Showcase Your Best Projects in Their Best Light
Now is a great time for designers to schedule photography of their favorite residential projects for the 2024 New Hampshire Home Design Awards.
Whether you’ve designed or built a spectacular kitchen, a beautiful bath, a unique outdoor space or a fabulous home, we want to see your most impressive work from the past year.
The Design Awards gala and presentation returns to The Factory on Willow for the inspired home design event of the year, in 2024!
For up-to-date event details and a complete list of award categories, judging criteria and the submission process, visit nhhomemagazine.com/design-awards
SPONSORED BY:
Photograph by Jon Caron
Heartbeat of Our Home
MY DAUGHTER has manufactured a terrarium out of a plastic Tupperware container. She’s lined the bottom with fish tank stones, found a couple bigger rocks from outside, and then used construction paper to cut out, not just a lily pad, but also a tiny frog to use the lily pad.
“Look, Daddy!” she says triumphantly.
I compliment her work but am distracted by the enormous mess on our kitchen island — water, stones and dirt everywhere, empty plates, markers, wrappers, you name it. This tabletop has seen it all. I’ve cleaned it a thousand times.
But it occurs to me, as I watch her create, that this space (not her bedroom or our living room or the downstairs office) is the heartbeat of our home.
I recall a conversation I had with a friend at this very kitchen island in the prepandemic days. He has a daughter about Little Bean’s age and the girls were sitting across from us coloring, and it occurred to me that this kitchen island would be, effectively, the end.
“How do you mean?” he asked.
“This is it,” I said. “The center of everything to come. Food, yes. But also homework. Art. Easy and difficult conversations. Cooking. I mean, we’re not getting another house, hopefully, and she and the kids are going to grow up here. This is it.”
He saw this as a bit depressing, but I don’t see it like that at all. I feel liberated by this space, the center of our own personal universe.
And already, if a marble countertop could talk, the things it would say. This was the place where we first sat and ate lunch, moving boxes still unpacked, moving truck still in the driveway. We sat here and talked about our new home.
This is where we filled out applications for grade school, where she does her homework and where we pay bills. This is where food is laid out for parties, where the birthday song is sung, and plans for vacations and trips are made.
This is an art center, where my daughter and her friends create their creations out of crayons, then scissors, then paint.
This is a bakery where Litle Bean learned how to make bread with her mother.
This is a classroom, where she learned to read and add.
This is a mailroom and office, where backpacks, envelopes, magazines and everything else comes to rest until a big weekly purging.
And finally, during the pandemic, this was our refuge, our place of safety, where we spent so many hours learning about sharks, and trees, and letters, and numbers, while the world outside the window seemed to fall apart.
There’s a direct line here, from my kitchen to my aunt’s or to my grandmother’s — a line that connects chicken noodle soup, or an evening of card games, or doing my elementary school homework while the adults were all nearby. The kitchen is where my grandmother let me reach into her change purse for a handful of pennies. The kitchen is where my first dog, Patches, slept. The kitchen is where I learned that my mother had passed away and where my wife-to-be first met my father.
The kitchen is where my father and I spoke of poetry, and where we spoke of the retirement community where he would move. My childhood kitchen also had a terrarium.
And now, we have our own center, our own place of warmth and heart.
So you see, when you ask yourself what happens in the kitchen, the answer is not cooking, doing dishes or even eating. The answer is everything. Everything happens in the kitchen.
Back in ours, Little Bean and I move the terrarium to the kitchen windowsill, where the afternoon sun casts a fluorescent glow on the water. I hand her some paper towels, and she mops up the water and pebbles. I follow up with a full wipe down of the island for the millionth time and put all the dirty dishes in the sink.
But the siren call of the kitchen is always sounding.
“Daddy,” she says. “I’m hungry. Can we eat lunch now?”
Once again, the kitchen serves us time and togetherness. Once again, we respond in safety and comfort. In a tiny space on a small street in a northern town, we settle into our favorite space to partake in the everyday, and it means everything. NHH
