Maine Home & Design - September 2024
Art at Home
In this shingle-style cottage overlooking a popular Boothbay waterway, I brought a vintage vibe to the interiors with a timeless fieldstone fireplace, green painted wood floors, and Douglas Fir ceilings stained to appear as though they have been there for generations. Custom-painted mahogany wooden screen doors bring the outdoors in and offer a familiar summertime sound when they close. Period chairs and fabrics support the theme and create a warm and inviting living space. It truly feels as though this cottage has been here for more than 100 years and brought back to life for a family to enjoy.
Location: Southport Island
Architect & Fireplace Designer: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: September 2024, pages 68 and 69
"Finding Family"
Decor Maine, The Landscape Issue
Architect Michelle Phelps designed a breezy kitchen that Huffard House and Greg Zoulamis brought to fruition with quarter sawn white oak cabinetry.
The Barton family story in Boothbay Harbor traces back five generations. One summer, they drove north from Foxborough, Massachusetts, to vacation on the water—and ever since the family has established deeper roots, building a cluster of cottages so that future generations could relish the delights of the seaside community.
So when Lisa, a member of the family’s fifth generation based in California, learned that a house in her family’s neighborhood was going on the market, she was quick to act.
“It's our happy place,’ Lisa says. For years, she spent summers with siblings, cousins, and friends, falling in love with this unique community and its traditions: tennis lessons on clay courts, days cruising in little whalers. “We're really connected to each other. This place is so special that it’s solidified our relationships in a whole different way. Even though we don’t see each other all year—some of us are in California, some are on the East Coast—we all look forward to being there.”
Location: Boothbay Harbor
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Decor Maine, The Landscape Issue
Issue: Number 2, February/March 2024, pages 76 - 85
"Bigger On The Inside"
Maine Home & Design's #3 Most Read Article of 2023
Discover the thought process of crafting spaciousness within a small footprint. This feature tells the story of an exquisite Maine cottage where constraints led to boundless creativity in design and a breathtaking riverside view. Experience the serenity and ingenuity hidden within this architectural gem.
“We were trying to create a quintessential Maine home, an understated small cottage that would incorporate the space needs for three bedrooms and two and a half baths, in a tight footprint, with volume constraints and a lot of site restrictions,” says architect Michelle Phelps. “It took very careful analysis of how to achieve that.” On the small footprint of a generations-old summer cabin there now sits an elegant shingle-style cottage, its classic lines and open spaces uninhibited by the tangle of restrictions and limitations that shaped them.
Location: Edgecomb
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: March 2019
Maine Home & Design - January / February 2023
The Drawing Board
"A Glam Gambrel Infused with Downeast Charm"
Phelps Architects designed this three-story, hillside home overlooking Eggemoggin Reach
This new gambrel shingle-style house, nestled in a cove looking out toward Little Deer Isle over Eggemoggin Reach, is infused with Downeast charm. The large cottage windows, diamond-patterned stained glass, and expansive trifold glass doors are just a few features that bring the outside in while also serving special functions. The gambrel rooflines are enhanced by cedar-shingle flare and diamond patterns.
A three-story tower topped with a copper bell roof and cathedral ceiling provides commanding views. The first floor functions as an expansive conservatory for entertaining, while the second floor, in contrast, provides a bird’s-eye view to the harbor off the primary suite, which includes a private study and sitting roost.
Granite terracing and snapped steps cascade down the slope and set the home into the hillside. The flanking turret-roofed breakfast nook anchors the building with an octagonal alcove overlooking the remaining working boathouse at the harbor’s edge.
Location: Brooksville
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: January / February 2023, page 128
Maine Home & Design - December 2020
Architecture Listing - Residential
"Northern Point Overlook"
Northern Point provides the backdrop for this new, year-round shingle-style cottage with transitional details throughout
Northern Point, which overlooks both inner harbor views and Louds Island, provides the backdrop for this new, year-round shingle-style cottage with transitional details throughout. A bred cottage once stood in this extremely tight site, with extensive ledge, water runoff issues, and site constraints — including neighboring easements and square footage limitations. The fireplace and chimney were salvaged and served as a focal point to erect the new cottage design around. Phelps Architects maximized the incredible views, used the available square footage and volume, and created privacy from the neighboring cottage, all through an energy-efficient design that is reflected in a compact yet dramatic design worthy of its location.
Shingle-style influences can be found in the feature octagonal stair tower with a custom cascading three-story spiral stair, which was built internally once the tower exterior was complete with copper bell roof. The stairs spiral down unsupported, past expansive windows that allow views to the harbor and filtered light into the adjacent living space. Energy-efficient heat pumps, high-velocity air systems, spray insulation, and smart electrical and mechanical systems were implemented to provide comfort, technology, and efficiency year-round. Every inch of the half-acre site was thought through to maximize the lot and building site, to allow for privacy, natural vegetation, hardscaping, an outdoor grilling area, parking, walking paths, a sitting terrace, a perennial pond, and a gazebo and kayak launch area. The building also takes advantage of the site terrain through a walk-out family room that required extensive chiseling of the ledge and waterproofing to incorporate. Balconies, wrap porches, and granite terraces provide opportunities to sit and marvel at the harbor boating activities and wildlife—including a moose that recently swam across the harbor.
Location: Bristol
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design, The Architecture Issue
Issue: December 2020, page 99
Maine Home & Design - June 2020
The Drawing Board
"Shoreside Retreat"
A Shingle Style cottage nestled in amongst the trees looks out onto the busy Townsend Gut of Boothbay Harbor
Details that include a shingle arched covered terrace, stepped gable detailing, and shingle flares along with porthole windows convey the shingle style. A primary feature of the spatial arrangement is an open concept space layout with a cathedral great room boasting spectacular horizon views to Southport Island across the gut in close proximity. The busy waterway remains bustling with sailboats, fishing vessels, and day boaters who pass through as the protected rout connecting the Sheepscot River to the inner Boothbay Harbor. On a windy day the deck will serve as an observation area of a bustling overlook to the passage. The great room boasts a two-story stone fireplace extending upward to a sloped ceiling as well as expansive French door glass with transom windows over. The main entry sequence features a covered porch protecting homeowners as they enter who will immediately experience a view looking through the building beginning with a central glass door with transoms looking out past the entry, through the great room to the water. The building is designed to set within the sloped site with a finished lower level which takes advantage of views, stepping gracefully down the hill side onto a terrace complete with firepit and nearby outdoor shower. Transitional spaces of covered porches, decks, and semi-covered terraces provide opportunities to sit and enjoy the beauty the surrounding site has to offer.
Location: Boothbay Harbor
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: June 2020, page 112
Maine Home & Design - December 2019
The Architecture Issue
"Shingle-Style Cottage on Muscongus Bay"
The owners’ desire was to create a low-profile roofline that doesn't block the views from a guesthouse they previously built on this breathtaking ocean-edge site.
In order to meet this criterion, the architects designed the building to be set into the metamorphic bedrock. Dual low-profile gables are supported by shingle-style posts on flared bases that step gracefully down the site and are grounded by stone veneer to blend into their surroundings.
Lower-level guest bedrooms, a screen room, and the family room look through the open-arched cedar covered terrace to an outdoor fire pit and extensive terracing to enjoy the views and exterior spaces. The homeowners enjoy lobster bakes on the ledge shoreline and spectacular views to Monhegan and Allen Islands. The goal was to create an inviting walk-out lower level and facade with a layering effect that would soften the transition from the harsh ragged ledge to the interior spaces, allowing scenery and light to enter. The arches and porches wrap the corners of the building to allow light and space, and to help blur the lines between indoor and outdoor. A protected, recessed deck area between the dual gables was designed at the first floor to help block severe winds while allowing the owners to enjoy the sun and views. In addition to solving site-related concerns and height restrictions, the goal was to design a building with shingle-style charm updated with modern features. A detailed example includes a cable railing fastened into flared shingled bases, allowing views through the deck railing system.
While the exterior materials selections were contextually driven, the interior spaces and overall building form were designed with an open concept and cathedral ceilings to optimize the sense of space and openness. Additionally, the spaces orient around a two-story stone fireplace in the great room, as well as an open, U-shape central stair leading to the lower family and guest level for an inviting transition. As this is their second home, the owners appreciate the use of low-maintenance materials without compromising on style, through the implementation of stone at the lower level, metal roofing, Zuri decking, and cedar shingle siding, which will allow this cottage to serve as a relaxing get away for many years.
Location: New Harbor
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design, The Architecture Issue
Issue: December 2019
Maine Preservation 2019 Honor Award for Merry Barn, Edgecomb
The Merry Barn and project team has been awarded a Maine Preservation 2019 Honor Award. We have been very pleased to be a part of this project. The barn has been a local treasure for more than a century; and with this latest renovation, it will continue to be a haven for community members of all ages.
#merrybarn #mainepreservation
Location: Edgecomb
Architect: Phelps Architects
Award: Maine Preservation Honor Award
Year: November 2019
Maine Home & Design - November 2019
"At Home at the Edge of the Sea"
On Pemaquid Harbor, a renovated property reflects the spirit of the seacoast, the natural beauty of the land, and one family’s abiding sense of place.
Stories of homes built on the edge of the sea are lessons in evolution and resilience. Nothing on Maine’s rugged coast goes unaltered by the passage of time. Not the tides, not the clouds. Not the trees, not the stones. And certainly neither a house nor a garden. Even in the best of circumstances, though, unexpected change can spark new clarity of purpose and serve as a catalyst for improvement. Such was the case when the owners of this scenic property on the Pemaquid peninsula were confronted with the task of restoring a family retreat damaged by fire. They embraced the extensive renovation project as an opportunity to preserve what mattered most: the beauty and spirit of this compound’s natural surroundings and the sense of comfort,
freedom, and wonder the land inspires.
This is a family property, passed down to the current owners by their parents, who instilled in them a lasting appreciation for coastal Maine’s unpretentious pleasures. “We spent our childhood at a house on the Damariscotta River, where our grandparents settled in 1947,” one of the owners explains. “We have fond memories of playing in the woods, eating lobsters at Shaw’s, and day trips to Monhegan.”
In the early 1980s, the owners’ parents branched out and built a traditional New England–style home of their own on this picturesque stretch of land overlooking Pemaquid Harbor. With an eye to capturing the best views, the couple strategically placed their new home on the former site of the Edgemere, a massive, mansard-roofed Victorian inn that burned down at the turn of the twentieth century. Today, the memory of that landmark structure (which would have made a convincing stand-in for Monhegan’s famous Island Inn, built during the same era) lives on in the name by which this estate continues to be known: Edgemere.
Location: Pemaquid Harbor
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: November 2019
Maine Home & Design - July 2019
"The Damariscotta Region"
Quaint towns and coastal scenery follow an oyster-rich river to the sea
Twelve miles from where the Damariscotta River meets the sea, the town of Damariscotta is the gateway to a. region rich in history and significant to Maine’s marine ecosystem. The word damariscotta is a rough approximation of an Algonquian word meaning “place of many fish,” a reference to the thousands of tiny alewives that annually travel upstream from the river into Great Salt Bay, and then spawn in freshwater Damariscotta Lake. Two hundred years ago, a fish ladder (now the country’s oldest) was built to enable the alewives to bypass the mill structures that separated the bay from the lake. Brined and smoked, the fish have their fans at the Alewives Festival, held every Memorial Day weekend, but far more popular are the region’s oysters, prized across the country for the flavor imparted by the cold, clean water in which they grow. In fact, the historic Whaleback and Glidden shell middens (large mounds) show that oysters have been enjoyed here for 2,200 years. Modern oyster farming began in the 1980s, and according to the Damariscotta River Association 80 percent of Maine’s oysters are grown in the river and its estuaries.
“Sample a variety from different farms,” suggests Michelle Phelps, an area notice and a principle at Phelps Architects, which has offices in Damariscotta and Portland. One of her favorite raw bars is at Schooner Landing, right on the river in Damariscotta, which offers free oysters and live music on summer Fridays. Other local standouts include Damariscotta River Grill, King Eider’s Pub, and Newcastle Publick House—all in town—or, farther down the peninsula, Shaw’s Fish and Lobster Wharf in New Harbor, the Contented Sole in Pemaquid, and Coveside Restaurant in Christmas Cove. “Another unique adventure is taking a sunset cruise with Damariscotta River Cruises to see oyster farms, with cocktails and oysters in hand,” says Phelps.
Location: Damariscotta
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: July 2019
Maine Home & Design - March 2019
"Bigger On The Inside"
It’s a truism among writers that some of the best art is rooted in constraint; the strict rules of a sonnet or a villanelle can scaffold (rather than quash) creative expression. One might look to Jan Jaynes and Joe Knoblock’s newly rebuilt cottage for another example. “We were trying to create a quintessential Maine home, an understated small cottage that would incorporate the space needs for three bedrooms and two and a half baths, in a tight footprint, with volume constraints and a lot of site restrictions,” says architect Michelle Phelps. “It took very careful analysis of how to achieve that.” On the small footprint of a generations-old summer cabin there now sits an elegant shingle-style cottage, its classic lines and open spaces uninhibited by the tangle of restrictions and limitations that shaped them.
The home sits on ten wooded acres next to the Damariscotta River, and the water sometimes offers easier access than the driveway. “We had a UPS guy that wouldn’t come down the road, even in the summertime,” says Jaynes; the road is impassable in winter, but it’s worth it, she explains. “If you have a good driveway into your place, you’ll have a higher-level water view. We have a bumpy, up-and-down, twisty road, but we’re right on the water.” Phelps designed the house to take advantage of that hard-won proximity, with a screen room that seems to float above the river and views of the water from every living space. “The great room with the fireplace—it’s gorgeous,” says builder Benjamin Laukka of Bruce Laukka Inc. in Rockport. “You sit there and you feel like you’re on a boat on the river, that’s how close you are.”
Relaxing by the fireplace must have been a cozy dream for Laukka and his crew as they worked through the winter on the project. “We stockpiled lumber in the fall, as much material as we could think of,” he recalls. Finding that no one would plow the road, the crew took matters into their own hands. “I don’t know if it’s a quarter mile or a little less, but quite a ways to run your snowblower. We stockpiled salt and sand and sanded it by hand, so we could at least get our four-wheel-drive trucks down there. There were times we couldn’t, so we kept a four-wheeler up top with chains and a trailer.” But, like the owners, the crew saw the bright side of the difficult access. “It’s just a beautiful spot,” says Laukka. “There’s a lot of solitude down there.”
Location: Edgecomb
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: March 2019
Maine Home & Design - August 2018
The Drawing Board - Coastal Retreat
This shingle-style residence is hidden among tall spruce trees and placed on a dramatic landscape with sweeping water views of Wheeler Bay. The view from the house is maximized through round turret corners, expansive glazed French doors, tall cottage-style double-hung windows, and a wraparound porch. Red-cedar roofing and cedar siding complement the building style and blend with the natural surroundings.
The site dictated the house be set on concrete piers with breakaway panels for floodplain considerations. The second story is formed into the roofline to bring interest into the interior spaces and keep the overall building height lower than the surrounding trees.
A double-height great room is anchored by a granite fireplace and chimney that complement the classic character of the home. A guest suite and exercise room sit over a multibay garage, leveraging the available space. This area of the home is styled with a cupola for increased natural light in the second-floor cathedral spaces.
Location: Saint George
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: August 2018
2018 Fine Homebuilding Award
Readers' Choice Finalist
Originally the site of the Edgemere Hotel, this property went through several building fires. The necessity to rebuild allowed for the most recent renovation upgrades to better provide for entertaining and family gatherings. The building conditions were also upgraded and winterized to allow for year-round living conditions. The new design also needed to accommodate two families in separate wings of the same house.
The South Wing renovation features a new chef’s kitchen. Simple, elegant white cabinets were crafted by a local Maine cabinetmaker and a stunning gray-granite countertop grounds the space. Traditional wide pine flooring was installed throughout the house, stained to give the impression of aged wood. A small residential elevator was included in the construction, a feature that is becoming more common to allow for long-term easy access to the upper floor.
On the second level, the master-bedroom suite features a vaulted Douglas-fir ceiling that gives the impression of the hull of a boat. The suite’s private balcony allows for views of the property and the bustling community harbor. The custom master bathroom has a heated floor, his and hers vanities, and a walk-in shower. A finishing touch on the second floor is a large sliding barn door that closes off the public space and allows for more privacy while providing a quiet office space. The renovation plan also made use of the attic space as a fun hideaway and play area for the kids, complete with a handmade ship’s ladder that accentuates the nautical feel of the entire home.
Work on the North Wing was limited to winterization and exterior repair—however, there is a future renovation in mind that was included in the thought process during the upgrade. The exterior facade is finished with traditional bleached white-cedar shingles, with white trim and fir accents. An inviting stone courtyard with plantings installed by the owners was thoughtfully created to marry the two wings. A final personal touch is the custom fir screen door with the silhouette of the old Edgemere Hotel.
Location: Pemaquid
Architect: Phelps Architects
Award: Fine Homebuilding Readers' Choice Finalist
Year: 2018
Maine Home & Design - August 2017
The Drawing Board - View Finder
The homeowners desired a main cottage where they could walk out to enjoy the sweeping 180-degree views at their breathtaking oceanside site, without blocking views from an existing guesthouse. In order to meet these criteria, Phelps Architects designed a two-story cottage with dual low-profile gables that are supported by shingle-style posts on flared bases, and that step gracefully down the site to a lower stone terrace that grounds the building.
The lower-level guest bedrooms, screened porch, and family room look through arched, open cedar lattices to an inviting walkout lower level of extensive stone terracing with an outdoor stone fire pit. The walkout space and facade soften the transition from the harsh, ragged ledge of the site to the interior spaces through a layering effect of terrace, cedar lattice, and glass doors and screens, which provide views and allow light to enter. Additionally, arches and porches wrap the corners of the building to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. The open corners let the clients look past the building while also framing their views of the natural surroundings. On both the first and second floor, a recessed area between the dueling gables helps to block severe winds and allows the owners to sit outdoors and enjoy the sun and water in all kinds of weather.
In addition to solving site-related concerns and height restrictions, the architect’s goal was to create shingle style charm, which resonates through the integration of portholes, cottage-hung windows, and shingle flares. While the exterior materials are contextually driven, the interior spaces and overall building form are designed with an open-concept floor plan and cathedral ceilings in order to optimize the sense of space and openness. The main-floor spaces orient around a two-story stone fireplace in the great room, where an open, U-shaped central stair creates an inviting transition to the lower, family and guest level. Because this is a second home, the owners will enjoy the use of low-maintenance materials such as stone terracing, metal roofing, and cedar siding to create a cottage that will serve as a relaxing getaway for many year.
Location: New Harbor, Bristol
Architect : Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: August 2017
Maine Home & Design - April 2016
The Drawing Board - Cottage Charm
Located on picturesque Pemaquid Peninsula, with expansive views of Johns Bay, is a quintessential shingle-style summer cottage with coastal charm.
Located on picturesque Pemaquid Peninsula, with expansive views of Johns Bay, is a quintessential shingle-style summer cottage with coastal charm. The shingle-style character resonates in architectural details such as X-pattern deck railing, porch columns atop shingled piers, and a pothole window and is strengthened by the balance of a wrapping porch, built in roof balconies and sweeping roof treatments. Brackets facilitate the dramatic curve of the roof and provide depth above the garage, shielding the carriage house doors from weather. The owners and guests can enjoy the outdoors from the porch, a screened room, a stone terrace and the series of balconies, including one of the owner's suite with a recessed niche for sitting in private. These elements create a layered effect and sense of dimension, while offering varying levels of protection from wind and sun. The interior spaces are arranged in an open plan and feature many tall double-hung windows known as "cottage hung," which were used in many turn-of-the-century shingle-style homes. With muntins that cover only the top third of the glass, the glazing helps root the home in its historical context while allowing for largely unobstructed water views.
Location: Pemaquid Peninsula
Architect: Phelps Architects
Magazine: Maine Home & Design
Issue: April 2016
Maine Home & Design - April 2015
A couple planning to retire on a waterfront site in the picturesque village of Round Pond, located on the Bristol peninsula, hired Phelps Architects to design their new coastal home with design elements reminiscent of a Maine farmhouse. The owners imagined a garage and studio located in the barn, porches, reading areas, and space for the two accomplished musicians to play their piano and cello with a view. The design began with building forms and proportions based on historic Maine farmsteads in order to capture their spirit of place. Elements of shingle-style residential architecture form a natural bridge between the farmhouse concept and coastal cottages scattered with views of the distant islands. The house was carefully set back from the deep-water shore access to allow existing sloping finish grades to be leveraged and step around the building form, creating a less assuming and grounded transition.