House in Maine 2

House in Maine 2

This gently rambling Shingle Style house, perched on a ridge off the coast in Maine, is utterly simple is its outward guise, following the almost severe weathered vernacular of the island. Its three principal gables align with the three major angles of the bluff, resulting in the gently bending geometry. In plan, the hinges — or moments where the axes shift — create the impression of three anchored boats jostling up against one another as the sea swells. An oiled and waxed oak-paneled entrance hall connects to a double-height stair hall while the living and dining rooms, each with multiple exposures, evoke the sensation of being at sea. In the library, a door disguised with bookshelves opens into a bar. The formal rooms are detailed with moldings, round arch openings and painted paneling while other rooms use tongue-and-groove construction so redolent of summer. The polychromed paneling of the master bedroom was modeled — at the client’s suggestion — after McKim, Mead & White’s library in the William Watts Sherman house in Newport, Rhode Island. Thomas Jayne’s decoration and the absence of such common amenities as recessed lighting, air conditioning and AV systems intensifies the relationship between the house and the ocean.

Partner-in-Charge: Peter Pennoyer

Design Director: Gregory Gilmartin

Associate-in-Charge: James Taylor

Associates: Irina Shumitskaya, Elizabeth Graziolo, Anik Pearson, Nebojsa Savic, Lavinia Pana

Landscape Architect: Reed Hilderbrand Associates, Inc.

Interior Design: Thomas Jayne, Jayne Design Studio

Photography: Jonathan Wallen 


Peter Pennoyer Architects