This cottage style residence located on the Southern Maine coast replaces an existing structure that did not meet the needs of our client. In designing the new house our main goal was to maximize the ocean views from all of the focal point spaces. The sloping nature of the property toward the water enabled a walkout basement to be established. Another important factor in designing the layout of the house was dealing with two hotel properties which abut each side. Privacy being the main concern. Creating spatial buffers and careful window strategy considerations helped to mitigate the privacy concerns. Typical Shoreland zoning regulations further restricted what we could do with the design. The advantage of having the walkout basement helped greatly enabling us to locate several required spaces on that level. The spaces include one large bedroom, one ensuite bedroom and a large family room with stone fireplace. The family room has several large windows fronting the view and direct access to a covered stone terrace.
The highlight of the main level is the cathedral great room with a stone fireplace. The cathedral extends to include the kitchen. The focal point of the kitchen is a large 4' X 12' island. These combined spaces form the nucleus of the house. A separate dining space with a vaulted ceiling is contained in an ocean facing bay. This space is also visually connected to the kitchen and has direct access to an exterior open deck which fronts the ocean view. The dining room 3 dimensional element anchors one end of the house while the master suite anchors the opposite end. The open deck is the link that ties both ends together. The master suite also has a vaulted ceiling along with two separate walk-in closets and a spacious bathroom. A service zone containing the mudroom, laundry, and pantry is located between kitchen and garage. A welcoming entry porch greets visitors and upon entering the house a through view enables immediate views of the ocean beyond. Aesthetically the house is clad with white cedar shingles of varying textures. The different textures are used to create focal points and along with other exterior details serve to soften the appearance of the house.
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