For Love of Light & Line

When a stony ledge with a steep downward slope became the designated site for a single-family residence in Campton, the rock was not circumvented or extracted but embraced as a vital element to the project’s success.

The home’s unique front door is from Pivot Door Company in Colorado Springs.

New custom builds are always an exciting venture for homeowners and their chosen design teams, as possibilities and potential are limitless. A serious environmental variable like this meant landing on critical solutions for the property from the outset.

“We ended up actually using a ledge as the footings for the house and building right on top of the rock,” says Cristopher Salomon, architect at Samyn-D’Elia Architects in Holderness.

Panoramic scenic views of the surrounding White Mountains were the driving force for the precise placement of the two-story home featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 4,000 square feet of living space.

Mixed wood and stone varieties bring together a sophisticated variation of materials in the primary seating area.

The clients, two business professionals, shared reference binders brimming with collected images and desired style concepts with the team at Samyn-D’Elia. “They came to us with a lot of inspirational images from the midcentury period. John Lautner was one architect in particular whom they admired,” says principal architect Clay Hayles.

The floorplan was arranged around the home’s great room, primary bedroom, kitchen and access to outdoor spaces. Tucked upstairs is the home office along with two bedrooms designated for visitors.

Interior rooms conjoining straight lines mixed with warm wood tones, stone and concrete, and textured materials bring the dwelling to life through rich use of natural detail. Walnut planks embellish the surface of the fireplace with defining contrast. Overhead, a slotted ceiling of glowing Douglas fir soars over the great room. This wood species is continued on the doors throughout the home as well as in the kitchen, which is warmly enveloped in custom-crafted cabinets, built-in storage and an island by architectural woodworkers D.S. Huntington Company of Peterborough.

The custom-crafted kitchen was designed to conceal everyday appliances and storage.

The Samyn-D’Elia team worked with D.S. Huntington to achieve the clients’ wish for a sleek and minimalist kitchen where everything recedes behind a scrim of stained wood, so the space feels composed. “One wall has a door to the pantry that blends right into the cabinetry,” says Salomon.

At the core of the home, the design and architecture teams carried the biophilic feel of the Douglas fir woodworking into the nearby great room, where watching television or socializing over drinks feels both effortless and elegant.

The homeowners were heavily involved in getting the details just right, down to the specialized music station and a one-of-a-kind custom cocktail bar with sliding storage inspired by an iconic American brand. “They saw this type of cabinet on a 1950s Airstream and enjoyed the way the doors slid open. They wanted to have that same experience when they got their cocktail glasses out,” says Hayles.

Underfoot, polished concrete floors provide a subtly reflective canvas that roots elements of the main living spaces. The material selection was as much about functionality as aesthetics. Indeed, for the couple, it was essential to have flooring that could stand up to year-round grime from muddy boots, says Salomon. “They wanted it to look sophisticated but also be hardwearing at the same time.”

A floating staircase and Douglas fir ceiling are two key design elements that help bring interest plus decorative cohesion to the main gathering space.

One standout accent is the home’s minimalist floating staircase produced by Viewrail of Goshen, Indiana. Hayles says that the positioning of the steps is special, as it interrupts and adds interesting visual contrast to what otherwise would be a long hallway to the mudroom.

From the front of the property, the modern house features muted black siding and a standing seam metal roof. Slim pillars of wood and stone provide decorative accents to the facade, hinting at the design scheme indoors.

The clerestory windows on the upper portion of the facade deliver natural light deeper into the living spaces while preserving privacy, reinforcing the home’s clean architectural lines and creating a sense of openness inside without sacrificing wall space or views, explains Joe Orsino, business development manager and architectural consultant at Pella Windows & Doors of New England.

The Samyn-D’Elia team designed a complex curtain wall on the back elevation, consisting of Pella Reserve Series Contemporary wood windows and doors with aluminum-clad coating made to withstand the changing seasons. High-performance glazing balances energy efficiency, solar gain and occupant comfort while supporting the design. Given the home’s position in the White Mountains, wind and snow loads were also factored into the design.

Next to the primary bedroom, a petite breezeway featuring large sliding glass doors feels both spacious and considered. “It is a great example of how thoughtful architectural design can elevate the experience of moving through a home while strengthening the relationship between the interior and exterior environments.”

PROJECT TEAM

Architect & Interiors:
Samyn-D’Elia Architects
603-968-7133
sdarchitects.com

Architectural Woodworking:
D.S. Huntington Co.
603-784-5136
dshuntingtoncompany.com

Windows:
Pella Windows & Doors of New England
603-440-5136
pellanewengland.com

Pool:
Soake Pools
603-749-0665
soakepools.com