Houzz Tour: Scandinavian Style in a New Hampshire Woodland
See how married architects have given their contemporary home a light environmental footprint
Lauren Dunec Hoang
February 21, 2018
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
When two married architects purchased a parcel of wooded land near Eagle Pond in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, they intended to design and build a home closely connected to nature. Their finished design is elegant in its simplicity and light on the environment. “The home is either filled with light and nature, or darkness and warmth from fire and timber,” says Jessica Cook, co-architect and homeowner. Come, step inside their year-round home and tell us, would you believe that this stunning structure cost less than $200,000 to build?
Photos by Jared McKenna Photography unless otherwise noted
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Two architects, Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough, and their 2-year-old daughter, Elsie.
Location: Wilmot, New Hampshire
Size: 1,600 square feet (149 square meters); three bedrooms, two baths
Architects: Co-designed by architects Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough; built by Cook’s firm, Eagle Pond Studio
Cost to build: $176,000 (includes materials and some labor; the homeowners did some of the labor and management themselves)
When Cook and Scott McCullough bought the property in 2010, it was a wooded lot with no other structures. A small brook ran through the forest of hemlocks, beeches and maples, eventually feeding into Eagle Pond down the road. The couple chose a small knoll as the site of the house, maximizing views to the valley and of Ragged Mountain to the east in Danbury, New Hampshire.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Two architects, Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough, and their 2-year-old daughter, Elsie.
Location: Wilmot, New Hampshire
Size: 1,600 square feet (149 square meters); three bedrooms, two baths
Architects: Co-designed by architects Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough; built by Cook’s firm, Eagle Pond Studio
Cost to build: $176,000 (includes materials and some labor; the homeowners did some of the labor and management themselves)
When Cook and Scott McCullough bought the property in 2010, it was a wooded lot with no other structures. A small brook ran through the forest of hemlocks, beeches and maples, eventually feeding into Eagle Pond down the road. The couple chose a small knoll as the site of the house, maximizing views to the valley and of Ragged Mountain to the east in Danbury, New Hampshire.
The site plan shows the layout of the house, deck, woodshed and plans for an orchard on the southern slope.
Environmental focus. Designing a sustainable building was a top priority for the couple. “It’s an energy-intensive process [to build a new home], so we tried to minimize that impact during construction and be set up for minimal impact into the future,” Cook says.
During construction, Cook and her team at Eagle Pond Studio used as many local building materials as possible, including hemlock timber milled from the trees on site to frame the house. Other environmentally friendly decisions included mounting solar panels on the south-facing side of the roof and installing a heat-recovery ventilation system and a heat pump hot water system. The exterior walls of the home and windows are tightly sealed and well-insulated to reduce heat loss. As a whole, the building is nearly net-neutral in energy use.
Positioning the house on a knoll, rather than closer to Eagle Pond, was also an environmental decision made to help protect the fragile natural ecosystem. “We would rather hop on our bikes and visit the pond than live right on it, as development burdens the water body with runoff from private sewer systems, driveways, roofs and landscaping,” Cook says.
Environmental focus. Designing a sustainable building was a top priority for the couple. “It’s an energy-intensive process [to build a new home], so we tried to minimize that impact during construction and be set up for minimal impact into the future,” Cook says.
During construction, Cook and her team at Eagle Pond Studio used as many local building materials as possible, including hemlock timber milled from the trees on site to frame the house. Other environmentally friendly decisions included mounting solar panels on the south-facing side of the roof and installing a heat-recovery ventilation system and a heat pump hot water system. The exterior walls of the home and windows are tightly sealed and well-insulated to reduce heat loss. As a whole, the building is nearly net-neutral in energy use.
Positioning the house on a knoll, rather than closer to Eagle Pond, was also an environmental decision made to help protect the fragile natural ecosystem. “We would rather hop on our bikes and visit the pond than live right on it, as development burdens the water body with runoff from private sewer systems, driveways, roofs and landscaping,” Cook says.
Design philosophy. While the architecture draws on some of the same design language as contemporary Scandinavian styles — clean lines and light wood interiors — the design philosophy was driven by the materials of the site and a passion for environmentally friendly modern design. Cook and McCullough aimed to keep the design as simple and modest as possible to highlight the natural beauty of the local white pine and hemlock used for the interior, giving the new home a sense of place. As the home is surrounded on all sides by forest, the homeowners chose to forgo window treatments.
They didn’t shy away from leaving steel reinforcements or heating systems exposed. “Our philosophy is that a new building should not attempt to mimic a past architectural style, which happens all too often in our region,” Cook says. “The history of architecture should show progression, not regression back to familiar images.”
They didn’t shy away from leaving steel reinforcements or heating systems exposed. “Our philosophy is that a new building should not attempt to mimic a past architectural style, which happens all too often in our region,” Cook says. “The history of architecture should show progression, not regression back to familiar images.”
Living room. The open floor layout and high ceiling of the living room (the peak is about 25 feet tall) help make the living space feel more expansive. They chose the concrete slab floor both for the look and function. The concrete passively collects heat from the south-facing windows and radiates it back into the home at night. It’s also wired with radiant heat tubing, which helps warm the floor on cloudy days.
Sofa: K11 with whitened oak frame, Cassina; striped rug: wool flat-weave Marden, Joss & Main; see more gray sectional sofas
Sofa: K11 with whitened oak frame, Cassina; striped rug: wool flat-weave Marden, Joss & Main; see more gray sectional sofas
Slats of white pine wood half-conceal the stairs, line the dropped interior ceilings and serve as the upstairs railing, establishing a strong theme to the home’s interior and drawing the eye upward.
A Magnum wood-burning Sopka cook stove provides the main source of heat for the home and is where the family does most of their winter cooking, both in the oven and on top with cast iron pans. “Scott’s favorite thing to make is pizza because the oven can get up to 500 degrees very quickly with the right type of wood,” Cook says. The efficient European stove uses zero fossil fuels and runs entirely on wood harvested on site.
A Magnum wood-burning Sopka cook stove provides the main source of heat for the home and is where the family does most of their winter cooking, both in the oven and on top with cast iron pans. “Scott’s favorite thing to make is pizza because the oven can get up to 500 degrees very quickly with the right type of wood,” Cook says. The efficient European stove uses zero fossil fuels and runs entirely on wood harvested on site.
A Dutch door opens to the covered woodshed — making bringing in logs to feed the wood-burning stove manageable no matter the weather.
Cook and McCullough harvest all logs sustainably from their property. When we caught up with Cook regarding the property, she and her husband had just finished topping up the wood supply for the rest of the winter from some dead trees they cut down.
Cook and McCullough harvest all logs sustainably from their property. When we caught up with Cook regarding the property, she and her husband had just finished topping up the wood supply for the rest of the winter from some dead trees they cut down.
Kitchen. The open kitchen, equipped with modern amenities, looks out onto the deck and leafy treetops of the surrounding woods. A butcher-block-topped center island provides plenty of counter space for making family meals. The slatted wood theme established in the living room continues to the kitchen, with white pine slats running across the ceiling.
Triple-paned windows: Loewen
Triple-paned windows: Loewen
Photo from Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough
Mudroom and office. The entryway room serves many functions. On one side of the dividing wall, it’s a mudroom with cabinets to hold winter coats and shoes. On the other, it’s a home office more often used as a kid play space. Cook anticipates Elsie will use it as a homework spot as she grows up. The shallow cubby at the end of the cabinet has a built-in water and food station for Otto, the family cat.
Mudroom and office. The entryway room serves many functions. On one side of the dividing wall, it’s a mudroom with cabinets to hold winter coats and shoes. On the other, it’s a home office more often used as a kid play space. Cook anticipates Elsie will use it as a homework spot as she grows up. The shallow cubby at the end of the cabinet has a built-in water and food station for Otto, the family cat.
Master bedroom. The master bedroom sits upstairs above the kitchen, with a large window overlooking the deck and out to a view of the valley. Cook and McCullough kept furnishings and decorations sparse, making those that remain — like a refurbished vintage soaking tub — stand out by contrast.
Tub: Salvaged 1936 Kohler, refurbished by homeowners; hardware: Jado; see similar claw-foot tubs
Tub: Salvaged 1936 Kohler, refurbished by homeowners; hardware: Jado; see similar claw-foot tubs
Photo from Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough
Master bath. For the bathroom and closet, attached to the master bedroom, Cook and McCullough had to be very creative with space to allow for a good-sized shower, sink, toilet and closet with room for two. Built-in medicine cabinets hold all of the toiletries they need, and the closet is cantilevered into the open area of the living room (you can see it in the picture of the living room, looking toward the kitchen) to save on floor space.
Master bath. For the bathroom and closet, attached to the master bedroom, Cook and McCullough had to be very creative with space to allow for a good-sized shower, sink, toilet and closet with room for two. Built-in medicine cabinets hold all of the toiletries they need, and the closet is cantilevered into the open area of the living room (you can see it in the picture of the living room, looking toward the kitchen) to save on floor space.
Photo from Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough
Second bedroom. Elsie’s room is tucked into a bright upstairs corner room that looks out onto the garden and woods. Illustrations of local wildlife hang on the walls, and a fuzzy sheepskin and a triangle-patterned rug provide soft spaces for play.
Second bedroom. Elsie’s room is tucked into a bright upstairs corner room that looks out onto the garden and woods. Illustrations of local wildlife hang on the walls, and a fuzzy sheepskin and a triangle-patterned rug provide soft spaces for play.
Photo from Jessica Cook and Scott McCullough
Guest bedroom. The third bedroom sits snugly under the front gable and provides a cozy place to sleep for overnight guests. The custom bed has a pull-out under-bed drawer for linen storage.
Keeping costs down. To build a new three-bedroom family home under $200,000 takes some smart planning and savvy cost cutting. Cook says the overall-simple design of a rectangular footprint and basic roof line was the first step in keeping costs down. Using fixed panes of glass rather than more expensive operable windows in some places also helped save the budget, as did sourcing much of the wood for framing on site or locally.
To be able to be part of the building process while working full time, both Cook and McCullough carved out time to get involved during evenings and weekends. They also phased the project — tackling first the main house, then the deck, then the woodshed — to help with budgeting and time management.
Guest bedroom. The third bedroom sits snugly under the front gable and provides a cozy place to sleep for overnight guests. The custom bed has a pull-out under-bed drawer for linen storage.
Keeping costs down. To build a new three-bedroom family home under $200,000 takes some smart planning and savvy cost cutting. Cook says the overall-simple design of a rectangular footprint and basic roof line was the first step in keeping costs down. Using fixed panes of glass rather than more expensive operable windows in some places also helped save the budget, as did sourcing much of the wood for framing on site or locally.
To be able to be part of the building process while working full time, both Cook and McCullough carved out time to get involved during evenings and weekends. They also phased the project — tackling first the main house, then the deck, then the woodshed — to help with budgeting and time management.
Kitchen garden and orchard. The family grows a variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and edible flowers in the six 4-by-8-foot raised beds. They rotate and change the plant varieties each year, but some favorites include heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, spinach, Swiss chard, zucchini, summer squash, pickling cucumbers, beets, broccoli, peppers, garlic, basil, parsley, dill, calendula, nasturtium and strawberries.
Further down the cleared slope to the right, they’ve planted 30 blueberry plants and have plans to add several apple and pear trees this spring. “The landscape is still a work in progress,” Cook says, “but as architects, we like to have a project.”
Red chairs: Designed and built by E.L. Phelps, a carpenter and craftsman who also happens to be Cook’s uncle
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Further down the cleared slope to the right, they’ve planted 30 blueberry plants and have plans to add several apple and pear trees this spring. “The landscape is still a work in progress,” Cook says, “but as architects, we like to have a project.”
Red chairs: Designed and built by E.L. Phelps, a carpenter and craftsman who also happens to be Cook’s uncle
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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