Modern Maine Cabin Is a Place of Wonder in an American Wilderness
An exposed granite ledge, spruce trees and a carpet of moss and ferns inspire a couple’s new life in a USA forest
This couple brought a little Miami to Maine, USA, and as they got to know the state while building their forever home, Maine took some of the Miami out of them. After decades of living in USA’s Miami Beach, interior designer Stephen Peck and his husband, John Messer, were ready to get away from their beloved city’s construction and congestion, and they hatched a plan to relocate to a spot up north. “I had camped in Maine as a young kid and had a great time,” says Peck. After many visits they found the perfect spot on a wooded peninsula that juts out into a large pond.
Homeowner Stephen Peck and his dog, Luke, walk down the boardwalk
The boardwalk strategically zigzags to provide the views Peck wanted visitors to experience along the way, including of the pond, the forest and the dramatic granite boulders and ledges. It also navigates a 3.6-metre grade change up to the front door.
“We wanted to capture the experience of walking through the woods,” says Peck. “The experience of slowly letting nature take over and being aware of the surroundings just melts stress away.”
At the end of the boardwalk, the house is revealed. The location is quiet and private. “No one really knows about this pond and there isn’t a public boat ramp,” says Peck. This means there isn’t any noise from motorboats. Only an occasional kayaker or paddle boarder glides quietly by.
Like the boardwalk, the house floats above the land, providing carefully considered views of the pond, the rocks and the forest. The height provides views and helps capture the breezes.
The boardwalk strategically zigzags to provide the views Peck wanted visitors to experience along the way, including of the pond, the forest and the dramatic granite boulders and ledges. It also navigates a 3.6-metre grade change up to the front door.
“We wanted to capture the experience of walking through the woods,” says Peck. “The experience of slowly letting nature take over and being aware of the surroundings just melts stress away.”
At the end of the boardwalk, the house is revealed. The location is quiet and private. “No one really knows about this pond and there isn’t a public boat ramp,” says Peck. This means there isn’t any noise from motorboats. Only an occasional kayaker or paddle boarder glides quietly by.
Like the boardwalk, the house floats above the land, providing carefully considered views of the pond, the rocks and the forest. The height provides views and helps capture the breezes.
In addition to the boardwalk, the couple have a driveway that extends to the house for those times when they have luggage or groceries to bring inside.
Peck is a paediatrician whose second act is interior design. His passion for the discipline led him to attend design school. But though he had strong ideas about the home’s interior, he needed help with the structure.
“I could figure out the feeling I wanted it to have from the inside – the flow from room to room and the views I wanted to capture. I researched the sun and the winds and which exposures I wanted for the sunsets and the great light in the autumn,” he says. But after struggling to figure out the structure, he enlisted the help of principal architect Matt Elliott and project architect Isaac Robbins of Elliot + Elliot Architecture.
Though the couple had originally envisioned a modern house in steel and glass, their experiences in Maine tempered the influence of that quintessential Miami style. The house is covered in a mix of corrugated aluminum, black cladding and large-scale cedar shake shingles. “The 14.5-inch [36.8-centimetre] shingles are giant,” says Peck. “Playing with scale like that makes it more modern, while the material acknowledges the vernacular.”
Peck is a paediatrician whose second act is interior design. His passion for the discipline led him to attend design school. But though he had strong ideas about the home’s interior, he needed help with the structure.
“I could figure out the feeling I wanted it to have from the inside – the flow from room to room and the views I wanted to capture. I researched the sun and the winds and which exposures I wanted for the sunsets and the great light in the autumn,” he says. But after struggling to figure out the structure, he enlisted the help of principal architect Matt Elliott and project architect Isaac Robbins of Elliot + Elliot Architecture.
Though the couple had originally envisioned a modern house in steel and glass, their experiences in Maine tempered the influence of that quintessential Miami style. The house is covered in a mix of corrugated aluminum, black cladding and large-scale cedar shake shingles. “The 14.5-inch [36.8-centimetre] shingles are giant,” says Peck. “Playing with scale like that makes it more modern, while the material acknowledges the vernacular.”
The house is divided into two buildings connected by a screened-in porch. The main house is on the top of this plan and the guest pod is on the bottom. The separate structure gives guests their own space, and it also houses Messer’s home office.
This is the view from the front entrance. A wall of glass in the dining area reveals the pond beyond the rock ledges, boulders and trees. The concrete floor and neutral walls put the focus on the view. The kitchen is to the left and the living room is to the right. The floors throughout the house are polished concrete with radiant heat. “The floors act like a heat sink, warming during the day with the sun and emitting the warmth through the night,” Peck says.
The couple have travelled extensively, and some of their favourite pieces from around the world, such as this rug from Morocco, appear throughout the home. They brought a few iconic pieces from Miami, including the mid-century modern Platner table and Verner Panton chairs pictured here.
The couple have travelled extensively, and some of their favourite pieces from around the world, such as this rug from Morocco, appear throughout the home. They brought a few iconic pieces from Miami, including the mid-century modern Platner table and Verner Panton chairs pictured here.
This is the view of the kitchen from the living room. Peck tucked the panel-front fridge and the main sink along the left side of the kitchen, which keeps this view uncluttered. The open layout suits the way the couple like to entertain – engaging with their guests while preparing food and drinks.
Walnut cabinetry adds warmth to the modern space. And one of the key sources Peck took to Maine from Miami was his favourite tile supplier, Casa Cielo. The various soft-green hues in the handmade Japanese splashback tiles pick up on the moss, spruce needles and ferns outside. A local metalworker crafted the custom range hood. A trio of Poul Henningsen’s PH5 pendants adds an iconic mid-century modern touch.
Walnut cabinetry adds warmth to the modern space. And one of the key sources Peck took to Maine from Miami was his favourite tile supplier, Casa Cielo. The various soft-green hues in the handmade Japanese splashback tiles pick up on the moss, spruce needles and ferns outside. A local metalworker crafted the custom range hood. A trio of Poul Henningsen’s PH5 pendants adds an iconic mid-century modern touch.
The large windows over the sink let in the south-eastern light. “I didn’t want cupboards here,” says Peck. Instead he preserved the view by suspending metal and glass shelves from the ceiling. They provide the couple with a spot to display their collection of Russel Wright pottery and other favourite items.
Peck designed the cabinetry himself and it was made by a local craftsperson. The dark granite benchtops have a leathered finish and the natural stone’s dark colour complements the views out the windows.
Peck designed the cabinetry himself and it was made by a local craftsperson. The dark granite benchtops have a leathered finish and the natural stone’s dark colour complements the views out the windows.
In the living room is a fireplace surround inspired by mid-century modern design, which provides a focal point amid the expansive windows. “Patina is important to me,” says Peck. “Everything in Miami is sleek and refined and we wanted more character here.” The tiles on the fireplace are also from Casa Cielo.
A craftsperson in Freeport, Maine, made the concrete hearth, which extends under the windows where it serves as a bench. “It’s a great perch that serves as extra seating,” says Peck. The lighter colour of the concrete provides a nice contrast to the fireplace tiles.
The metal cocktail table is an Italian piece the couple found in Miami. They picked up the armchairs while visiting Vietnam. Peck had them upholstered in faux fur as a nod to Maine’s hunting culture.
A craftsperson in Freeport, Maine, made the concrete hearth, which extends under the windows where it serves as a bench. “It’s a great perch that serves as extra seating,” says Peck. The lighter colour of the concrete provides a nice contrast to the fireplace tiles.
The metal cocktail table is an Italian piece the couple found in Miami. They picked up the armchairs while visiting Vietnam. Peck had them upholstered in faux fur as a nod to Maine’s hunting culture.
Peck designed the walnut built-in cabinets that wrap the corner of the room. The grey chair is from Ligne Roset.
The master bedroom cantilevers dramatically, creating the experience of hovering over the landscape. Tucked beneath it, Peck’s home office provides a different perspective. His desk is flush with the bottom of the window, so he has the feeling of sitting on the ground.
The couple’s dog, Luke, enjoys watching the chipmunks out a low window in the hallway designed for him. Peck wanted a different experience for humans – the hallway is a compressed and otherwise windowless space. This adds impact to the experience of walking towards the wall of bedroom windows.
Peck clad the walls in large-format ceramic tiles that look like wood – a polished take on the ubiquitous knotty pine typical of Maine cabins.
Peck clad the walls in large-format ceramic tiles that look like wood – a polished take on the ubiquitous knotty pine typical of Maine cabins.
The plaid chair is a throwback to Peck’s childhood camping days. “I’m living in the woods in Maine. I gotta have a little plaid,” he says. The oversize pattern with chartreuse running through it is a chic take on New England camping style.
In the master bathroom, custom walnut cabinets are topped with Brazilian marble vanity tops. “This marble is full of forest greens and charcoal greys,” says Peck, colours that pick up on the natural environment outside the large windows.
The tub and shower placement were inspired by the views and by Japanese design. “I wanted it to feel like showering in the woods. And sinking the tub kept the views open,” says Peck. The bath has the dimensions of a Japanese soaking tub – shorter and deeper than a standard bath. “There is less surface area so the heat doesn’t dissipate,” says Peck. The sunken bath provides a lower viewpoint out the windows.
The tub and shower placement were inspired by the views and by Japanese design. “I wanted it to feel like showering in the woods. And sinking the tub kept the views open,” says Peck. The bath has the dimensions of a Japanese soaking tub – shorter and deeper than a standard bath. “There is less surface area so the heat doesn’t dissipate,” says Peck. The sunken bath provides a lower viewpoint out the windows.
The guest pod contains a guest suite and Messer’s office. In the guest room, personal touches – such as the kantha cloth throw from India and a figurine-turned-lamp that Messer inherited – add personal touches. The four-poster bed is a traditional piece often seen in New England homes.
The guest bathroom contains another homage to knotty pine in the form of encaustic tiles in a wood-grain pattern.
The powder room is a compelling mix of finishes. The salvaged sink is from Old House Parts in Kennebunk, Maine. The wallpaper is a moody sky pattern. Peck chose the sink with a low built-in splashback to protect the wallpaper from water. But it’s the strap the mirror hangs from that has the best story.
“That mirror came with a nautical cord but I replaced it with my grandfather’s belt. I adored my grandfather. The belt is all beaten up and it feels really good in there,” says Peck.
“That mirror came with a nautical cord but I replaced it with my grandfather’s belt. I adored my grandfather. The belt is all beaten up and it feels really good in there,” says Peck.
This site plan shows the location of the house on the end of the peninsula and the road to the right.
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Your turn
Do you love this considered design as much as we do? Tell us your favourite features in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another great design? Don’t miss this Houzz Tour: A 60s Architectural Masterpiece Gets a Gentle Upgrade
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their dog, Luke
Location: Maine, USA
Size: 177 square metres with two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, plus a basement space
Interior designer: Stephen Peck
Architects: Matt Elliot and Isaac Robbins of Elliot + Elliot Architecture
The property the couple found was the opposite of the congestion they knew in Miami Beach. So much so that phase one of the project was building a road to reach the site where they planned to build the house. The project was more than 10 years in the making.
“We originally had planned bunk beds for our young nieces and nephews when we started, but they were all in college by the time we finished,” says Peck with a laugh. The project took twists and turns over the years and the result is a home that sits lightly in the landscape and allows them to enjoy the surroundings from a variety of carefully planned perspectives.
The project also took some zigzags in the form of this boardwalk leading from the parking area to the house. It was inspired by the property and by the many hikes the couple had enjoyed in Maine’s state parklands.
“There are wonderful wooden boardwalks, often built by volunteers, through boggy and other wet areas in the parks,” says Peck. They designed theirs to preserve the soft mosses, ferns and raspberry bushes along the approach to the house.
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