Larissa Mulkern Joe St. Pierre

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Natural elements of wood, stone and water anchor the design of Scott and Paula MacPhee’s family lakefront vacation home in Meredith. Yet sophisticated tones like cabernet, caramel and golds, rich fabrics and custom details blend elegance into this rustic environment on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. The effect is both relaxing and sophisticated.

Is this heaven?

One thing for sure—this isn’t your granddaddy’s fishing camp.

“I wanted the house to have an artsy, woodsy feel,” says Paula MacPhee. “My home in Windham is decorated in a cooler color palette—with lots of white. I wanted this home to be warm and earthy.”

The design theme of the lakefront home kitchen is rustic yet sophisticated, with cabinets finished in a creamy white and custom-forged handles in shapes of twigs, acorns and pine cones. Windows and more windows let in the light and the fabulous Lake Winnipesaukee views. The entertainment unit has a flat-screen television inside mounted on an articulating arm.

Deciding on the design
Located on a two-acre waterfront lot at the end of Cattle Landing, the eight-thousand-square-foot home boasts a jaw-dropping west to east view of Lake Winnipesaukee—New Hampshire’s largest lake—with views of the Gunstock ski and recreation area more than five miles away. Indoors, however, Mother Nature has some competition as the layout, materials, fabrics, colors and designs awaken the senses, thanks to the successful collaboration of Paula’s inspired tastes and the expertise of Sue Bartlett Design in Bow, New Hampshire. The home features an open floor plan with a 53-foot stone fireplace in the great room, an attached guest suite, a first floor master bedroom, oodles of bathrooms, separate bedrooms for the couple’s four children—and extra rooms to spare for guests and for games. The house plans were adapted to guarantee lake views from all the bedrooms in the house.

“The view is my favorite thing about the house,” says Scott MacPhee. “Looking out the window, you can see the lake from every bedroom.”

The couple and their four children have enjoyed spending time on “The Big Lake,” as its sometimes called, for many years and used to own a home in nearby Moultonborough.

“I’ve been coming up to the lake for forty years plus. You develop an attachment to it. It’s one of those things where Paula and I knew that’s where we’d like to retire,” says Scott, who served as a New Hampshire State Trooper for four years before transitioning into sales, and ultimately founding his own investment banking and real estate firm. “One thing led to another,” says Scott about his career. And that journey led them here, to Meredith.

The MacPhees’ house was inspired by a lakefront home on Moultonborough Neck designed by architect Dann Norris Batting of Chester, New Hampshire, whom the MacPhees decided to work with. When designing for this location, Dann says it was important to be sensitive to regional design standards. “New England homes are known for pitched roofs and natural materials like cedar,” he says.  The MacPhee’s home is sided in cedar shingles and architectural asphalt shingles, which are traditional, durable and attractive, cover the roof.

 “I’m rooted in a more traditional design,” Dann says. “I like the sense of enclosure you get with putting mutton bars on the windows[panes]  instead of the more contemporary lakefront homes I’ve seen that use huge pieces of glass.

 “These windows have a little more character,” he adds.

Unique features of the MacPhee home include its “volume and space,” says Dann. “I would characterize the house as having an open plan, but the spaces are defined by architectural elements like beams and posts.” The home’s design includes more modern-day features such as a huge three-season deck. Dann notes that larger decks with outdoor kitchens is a trend of the last decade, whereas the grand mansions of the past were designed with terraces.

Details of the décor
As for interior design, Paula says she had a lot of input into the process and Sue was great to work with, always open to ideas about color and designs, and willing to take shopping trips. “She really guided me. She was very easy to work with,” says Paula. “If I didn’t like something or if I needed advice, she was there.” One example of collaborative design was the choice of a crewel fabric. Paula wanted to use it for a chair; Sue suggested using the fabric as a window treatment. She did just that, and it looks great. Paula was also a little nervous at first about cabernet red walls in the kitchen. “I would not have been as daring,” she says, adding it lends an upscale look to the kitchen and matches the pillows and trims.

During the house tour, Sue talks a little about the balancing act between rustic and elegant design elements.

“What we tried to accomplish was not to be totally rustic—we have bead board, but the painted finishes bring it up a notch. It’s a little more refined without giving the feel of a log cabin,” says Sue.

And then there’s the size of the space, not to mention that 53-foot fireplace built with stone right from the property.

“The sheer volume of the space gives the house more elegance, without being pretentious,” she adds. “I think the colors and casual textures keep it warm and comfortable.”

The home reflects the MacPhees’ hospitality, from the private nautical guest suite to plenty of room for the kids’ friends. Every inch of the space suggests comfort, convenience and a laid-back style. It’s as if they have thought of everything when it comes to building the perfect retreat.

“They’re really generous,” says Sue. “It’s nice the way they want to treat other people.”


Larissa Mulkern is a writer based in East Wakefield, New Hampshire. She can be reached at  lmulkern@salmonpress.com

Joseph St. Pierre (js-photography.com) provides creative photography and digital solutions for editorial and corporate clients throughout the U.S.