ONe of SDA’s first residential design commissions, in 1981... 

... was for a local family with strong conservation principles and deep historical ties to Squam Lake. The imprint of the Lake’s history, the aesthetic of the local architecture, and the focus the Client placed on preservation and respect for the natural setting have informed our residential design work ever since.

SDA's residential portfolio contains a rich assortment of projects from a meticulous lakeside camp renovation to an expansive, ski-out second home. Each reflects the unique and varied tastes, needs, and dreams of our inspiring clients. View our residential work below.

Norway point RESIDENCE

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The overall footprint and shape for this Timberpeg® post and beam home are uniquely formed by the site. In order to accommodate the required setbacks and address the Clients' desire to maximize lake views, a bowed elevation was adopted for the main living area and the master bedroom.  This design allows for views of the sunrise as the clients look lake-ward to their left, and the sunset as they look to their right.  Doors that open in the front and rear of the stone-floored garage allow this space to serve as a covered sitting porch and be a large “window” to the lake.  Additional spaces were developed to further blur the line between the interior and exterior of the home, including a sleeping porch, rooftop deck, stone grilling patio, outdoor shower, and screened porches. The lake-side porch features a fieldstone fireplace to maximize use in the spring and fall.

Great care was taken to protect the site’s existing mature Red Pines, Mountain Laurel bushes, rock features, footpaths, and beach.  Exterior colors and materials were carefully selected, allowing the home to blend with its surroundings and preserving views from the lake of the site’s natural cove and shoreline.

American Institute of Architects NH, Excellence in Architecture

American Institute of Architects NH, People’s Choice

heavy-timbered ski area home

modern barn + apartment

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Modern timbered HOME

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INTERVALE POND HOME

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This 2,200 SF Timberpeg® post and beam cottage sits nestled into a gentle slope. The natural shoreline of the bordering pond was protected with a 150-foot setback and selective "eyebrow" tree trimming to obtain a tree-bordered glimpse of the water from the cottage.  The site was chosen in order to minimize impact on the forest from the construction of the foundation, septic field, and power lines.  Healthy mature trees were tagged and protected and power lines were placed underground.

The three-bedroom cottage features a Douglas Fir post and beam frame, spruce interior wall paneling, Douglas Fir flooring, window casings and stair railings, and cherry cabinets.  The exterior is clad in Red Cedar shingles.  A local stonemason constructed fireplace and chimney from stones collected on the property.

The spare design of the cottage and the sparse, clean look of the interior exactly meet the Clients' wish to create a retreat where they can focus on the beauty and wonder that exists outside their home.

American Institute of Architects NH, Excellence in Architecture

American Institute of Architects NH, People’s Choice

Featured in The Getaway Home by Dale Mulfinger

SQUAM LAKE RESIDENCE

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The Clients wished to honor the unspoiled nature of Squam Lake and its shoreline by ensuring their new home had as little impact on the lake and site as possible.  To this end, the Timberpeg® post and beam home was built on the site of an existing dilapidated camp structure, with no additional trees cut for either construction or enhanced lake views.  Views were instead enhanced by orienting the home to take advantage of the natural break in the lakeside vegetation provided by an existing stream.  This streambed was extended to act as natural landscaping, with rounded boulders, granite beams, and native stone replacing what had been a lawn prone to erosion and runoffs into the lake.

A small footbridge constructed of cedar and pine allows the stream to flow freely and provides a place for visitors to pause on their way from car to retreat – a place to transition, a spot from which to admire the lake and absorb that this is a place separate from the everyday.  The slate entry apron and exterior natural stone wainscotting are continued into the interior entry space, aiding in the transition and emphasizing that the beauty found within the home is an echo of that found without.

The interior of the home reflects the Clients' nostalgic idea of family camps found on Squam Lake.  The focus of the home is a central living, dining, and family space designed to accommodate the type of family gatherings hosted by the Clients – full of music, food, and talk.  

FAMILY Farmhouse Renovation

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The Client’s family has treasured this farmhouse ever since her father purchased it in the 1950s, with every space containing photographs and vintage items. By 2015, however, the dark, rambling warren of tiny rooms no longer accommodated the growing family. The farmhouse was not winterized and the steep stairs did not meet code. The Client wished to renovate the home in a way that honored the old house and created space for the family to make memories for generations to come.

A portion of the existing farmhouse featured out-of-plumb floors of various heights and was supported by a failing foundation and the bare ground. It was decided that the most economical thing to do would be to remove this portion, and replace it with a new, efficient space on a similar footprint. In order to accomplish this without diminishing the look of the old farmhouse, the new space was designed to be of a similar scale with the same warm farmhouse atmosphere, and exterior details that matched and complimented those of the original building.

The main level features an open-concept kitchen and dining area with painted wood ceiling and a wall clad in reclaimed barn board. Wide glass doors span the distance from the dining room to the enlarged screen porch, providing spectacular views. An open, U-shaped oak stair with a skylight and dormer brings light into the main level.

The second level features new, larger bedrooms and bathrooms. In order to keep the scale similar to the original house, the knee walls are 4’-6” with a 10/12 pitch roof. The dormers are of the same, hipped style as the originals, but larger, allowing for added light and lake views.

The 5,336 SF home is fully insulated and both the new portion and the renovation are highly energy efficient. It features traditional and contemporary finish details, including: An exterior shingle motif matching the original; wide, painted bead board wainscoting; a painted ceiling patterned to mimic the original; and cherry and painted wood floors. In addition, shelving in the library/game room was built using boards salvaged during demolition; and the portion of a wall on which the family marked heights was salvaged and included. The placement of the original home’s vintage items was part of the design process, including an antique barber chair, Coke machine, and wooden boat propeller.

Honorable Mention, Architectural Design, New Hampshire Home magazine

TIMBERED LAKE LODGE

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This 3,800 SF, heavy-timbered home is built on a small parcel of land on Lake Winnipesaukee that was purchased by the client’s great-grandfather in 1903. The clients wanted a home designed for entertaining that evoked lake lodges of the past, with extended living space gained through open, easy access to the water. In addition, they desired a large garage to hold the client’s car collection and a plan to refurbish the existing boathouse.

To achieve the desired lodge esthetic, SDA designed a Timberpeg® post and beam home of stone, cedar, and Douglas Fir that features knee braces, gables with large timber cross beams, deep roof overhangs, a large fieldstone fireplace, mullioned windows and glass doors, and a diamond-shaped stained glass window in the Great Room. Architect Ward D’Elia extended the living space with a bright, walk-out lower level that opens to the adjoining lawn and lake, and serves as a wonderful spot for entertaining with a bar, game room, and home theater.

 The lodge-style, 6-car garage was sited amongst existing trees and designed in such a way that – with the refurbished boathouse and home – the property becomes a sort of compound in which the buildings are enhanced by their proximity to each other. A landscape design that includes linking stonewalls, lawns, native plantings, and protected mature trees assists in creating a cohesive look for the property.

 Interior finishes include pine paneled walls, 200-year-old re-claimed barn board flooring, painted pine cabinets, stone wainscoting, and exposed beams throughout. The garage has pine walls and ceiling, Douglas Fir beams, stone wainscoting, polished concrete flooring, and in-floor heating.

LAKES REGION HOME

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This Craftsman style, Timberpeg® post and beam home is tucked into the raised, south-facing corner of a meadow on what was once a small farm, with sheltering trees on three sides and sweeping mountain views.

A great effort was made to cut as few trees as possible during the course of the project, as the privacy they provide allow the Clients to forgo window treatments and enjoy panoramic splendor through large, floor-to-ceiling window walls, glass doors, and a window-lined eating nook. The home opens to the out-of-doors with a screened porch at the west, a wide slate patio spanning its south side, and an outdoor shower.

Carpentry details include custom cherry kitchen cabinets, a hand-hewn fireplace mantle, an exterior banded with 1x10 cedar clapboards mitered for a slight flare, and decorative details at the stair and exterior rafters. The home features granite steps and a terrace wall built from the original farmhouse foundation stones.

Honorable Mention, Architectural Design, New Hampshire Home magazine

ALPINE HOME

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The site for this 6,000, SF Timberpeg® post and beam home is steep with a difficult approach.  The design allows for the home to “sit into” the hillside with a large bow of porch and windows maximizing the view.  An access stair and covered bridge were designed where the loft level meets the ski trail to allow the Clients direct access from their home to the adjacent ski trails. 

The home’s curved screen porch entry is a unique feature that grew out of creating a simple connector between the house and garage.  SDA saw the possibilities inherent in the space and worked to maximize its use and importance until the uniquely curved and view-rich space became a focal point of the home.

The home is clad in red cedar shingles with a Douglas Fir timber frame and fieldstone fireplace and chimney. Floors are of concrete in the entry porch and pine throughout the rest of the home.  The kitchen features custom-made cabinets and granite counters.  Bathrooms feature hand-made tile and cherry sapling wainscoting.  A birch sapling and bark paneled bar is built into the base of the lower level stairs.  SDA worked with the Client to design the home’s various built ins and unique furniture pieces, including a sliding bookshelf that serves as the laundry room door.

GOVERNOR'S ISLAND RESIDENCE

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The most stirring compliment that the Clients have received on this home came from their caretaker who has lived in the area and cared for homes on the island all his life.   He simply said that he liked it because it reminded him of the homes that used to be found all around the lake when he was much younger.  As it happens, that is exactly what the Clients wanted to create when they first approached the project. 

The home is located on a point at the southernmost tip of Governor’s Island, a place steeped in summer New England tradition.  The design borrows from that tradition and creates something of worth, a real contribution to the architecture that rims this New Hampshire lake.  Through its classic design elements, use of materials, and siting on the property, the home calls to mind the grand old New England summer homes that were once commonplace on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Featured in Accent Home & Gardens magazine

Family Camp renovation

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This classic New England camp has been in the Client’s family since it was built in 1910.  Cherished memories of summers spent on the lake made them reluctant, at first, to even think of renovation work.  Working with SDA, they resolved to keep the essence and atmosphere of this place they loved by maintaining the original construction and architectural details while accomplishing general repairs and opening the house up to the lake.  It was also important to the Client that the general character of the site be maintained.  The result is a renovated, repaired, and slightly expanded camp that the Clients are delighted to find, evokes all of the memories and feelings it always has.

The camp remains un-winterized, with exposed stud walls and wood heat.  A mix of original and refinished pine bead board paneling and Douglas Fir flooring are found throughout.  The new stair is less steep, but still features birch limb railings.  Windows were added and enlarged, but in every instance, new ones were built to match the existing casements. The Clients matched new furniture to camp originals and saved pieces whenever possible.

A stone entry was added to the screened porch as were skylights designed to let more light into the living room.  A fieldstone patio was added which is accessible from both the downstairs bedroom and the living room through new French doors.

Through selective branch trimming, original lake views were regained; however, the camp is just as the Clients remember it – barely visible from the quiet lake making almost no impact on the lovely shoreline.

American Institute of Architects NH, Excellence in Architecture

RIVERSIDE HOME

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The Clients wanted this Timberpeg® post and beam home to reflect – in materials and shapes – the environment in which it was located. In addition, they wished to design and build a truly small, intimate home.  With inspiration from a beloved children’s book, the Client presented SDA with a rough sketch of a cottage with steeply-peaked dormers and roof.  From that sketch, this riverside home took shape.  In every design decision along the way, both SDA and the Client strove to make sure that this little house by the river remained just that, a house that belonged in its setting.

The home features Douglas Fir posts and beams, pine paneling, salvaged barn board flooring, spruce, cherry and pine cabinetry, and a chimney and fireplace constructed by a local stone mason using fieldstones, recycled brick, and granite.  The Client incorporated found and recycled objects in the home, including a salvaged sliding barn door.

Featured in NH Home and Cabin Life magazines

SOUTH MOUNTAIN HOME

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This Timberpeg® post and beam home sits into an extremely steep, half-acre lot that shares a property line with Loon Mountain Ski Resort and allows for ski-in/ski-out access to the mountain’s 61 trails.  This unique location and challenging terrain informed the home’s siting, footprint, program, design, interior design, finishes, and custom-made furniture.

The site’s 12% grade posed a design challenge, with a large elevation gain between the planned garage-level access and the ski-out third floor. In answer, SDA designed a wide circular stair enclosed in a turret-like feature that provides access from the garage to a view room/entry at the main level and beyond that, to a round, oak-paneled office on the third level. This design solution, coupled with a craftsman-like execution of the stair itself, became a focal point for the home. Moreover, the design team embraced the fact that visitors were treated to a “climb” through the home that mimicked the site terrain and provided panoramic views.

The home features Douglas Fir posts and beams, a round turret office with curved doors and bay windows, a two-story granite chimney, ski slope access via a footbridge on the third floor, and custom-made furniture and finishes infused with a ski aesthetic including bar stools with ski pole basket bases, an iron boot rack with ski tip holders, and a large great room chandelier sourced from a western company known for their ski lodge lighting.

Interior Design by Randy Trainor of C. Randolph Trainor Interiors. 

Featured in NH Home magazine

American Institute of Architects NH, Excellence in Design

Meadow Home

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This Timberpeg® post and beam home is sited along the tree line on the edge of a reclaimed meadow, taking full advantage of stunning views of the Connecticut River Valley to the west, and maximizing sun exposure.  The pergola and trellises provide a connection to the gardens, stone paths, and walls.

The home is clad in stained cedar shingles with a fieldstone base. These finishes are integrated with fieldstone rock walls and patios constructed by a local stonemason.  The home features Douglas Fir posts and beams, simple cherry and Douglas Fir built-ins and cabinets, pine-paneled ceilings and walls, and Douglas Fir flooring. 

Valley Home

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SDA worked with the Clients to design this 5,500 SF, Timberpeg® home which features post and beam construction, a light-filled, whitewashed interior, and smooth river rock fireplace and chimney.  The Clients’ collections of furniture, old photos, and other unique items were worked into the interior design, with stair railings featuring canoe paddles and an antique orchard ladder incorporated into the guest bathroom design. Other unique finishes include a commissioned stained glass window in the loft area and over-sized trellis at the exterior garage wall.

The interior of the house is a combination of painted pine cabinets, painted post and beam framing, and natural Douglas Fir kitchen cabinets and stair railings. The grounds include perennial and vegetable gardens, patio space, and a riverside gazebo. 

Craftsman Home

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The Client planned to spend long stretches of time in this vacation home with their grown children and numerous grandchildren. They knew that the only way to truly enjoy all of this togetherness was to include spaces in the design where each family could have some measure of privacy. 

SDA worked with the Clients to create this 9,000 SF Craftsman-style home in which the families share a common great room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, game room, exercise room, and large screened, open, and seasonal porches. In order to accommodate all of the families, the home features four master bedroom suites. Upper level suites feature adjacent sleeping porches.

SDA worked with the Department of Environmental Services to site the home without disturbing the bordering wetlands.  The home is set back 300 feet from the lake with a series of stone paths, boardwalks, and forest trails spanning the distance from the house to the dock and beach. 

The interior of the home is designed to resemble a cabin with rough, horizontal, Norwegian Pine planking in the dining room, Red Oak and grass mat floors throughout, heavy timber beams, and a large fieldstone fireplace.  The home is clad in Red Cedar shingles with an exterior wainscoting of locally-hewn granite. 

North Country Home

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SDA worked with the Client to capitalize on the dramatic setting for this 6,300 SF, Timberpeg® post and beam home by creating interior and exterior spaces from which to experience sweeping mountain views. These include a wall of energy-efficient windows on the south side, expansive decks off the great room, a large patio area outside the family room on the lower level, and a hot tub framed by windows on three sides.

The home features a two-story native stone fireplace, balcony reading nook, large, humidified, all glass wine cabinet in the dining room, an environmentally controlled wine storage room, and an elegant porte cochère entry. 

The home is clad in red cedar shingles with a Douglas fir timber frame and native stone fireplace and chimney. The floors are custom-stained cherry.  The kitchen features custom-made cabinets and granite counters. Hand-made tile and Brizzo fixtures are found in the bathrooms.