Unable to find the old waterside farmhouse of their dreams, the owners did find a choice 17 acre wooded peninsula jutting into Benjamin River off Eggemoggin Reach. The couple, a former tugboat captain and writer, and his painter wife, asked the architect to help them create their dream in a clearing with southerly views of the harbor, the Reach and Deer Isle.

Here they have achieved a timeless house, with a simple uncluttered interior, of traditional materials and solidity.  The shingled structure, with its asymmetrical massing, local granite base, granite chimney and columns appears to grow solidly out of the natural landscaping that comes up to the door.

Inside, natural materials and modern clean lines create a bright airiness, satisfying the owners’ artistic sensibilities and providing a home for her paintings and other art work they wanted to incorporate, such as the stained glass window in the living room.

Originally the clients planned on a separate guest house, but decided instead on a more practical and accessible guest wing.  A hefty pocket door closes off the first floor guest quarters and anticipates the possibility of wanting a first floor master bedroom in the future.

“This house is very personal,” the architect says.  “They didn’t do anything for show.  They wanted to build a house to complement their lives.”  That goal is especially evident on the second floor, where sunlight follows the staircase as it curves up to a comfortable media room. Beyond are the family’s two bedrooms—just enough and nothing more. The master bedroom opens onto a porch that is big enough to accommodate sleeping under the stars (it is one of three that add choice outdoor living spaces). Their daughter’s bedroom, ringed with windows and views of pine and sky, feels more like a tree house.