Waumbek, a cottage on Bustins Island, Maine, is one of roughly 100, mostly antique, small dwellings that ring the three-quarter-mile length of this summer community.

The deep porch, wrapping around the narrow, one and one-half story gable-end shades over-sized windows from harsh afternoon sun, while low window sills welcome softer daylight. Such generous windows can help a small space feel larger. I’ve written about the appealing pattern of “small house, big windows” in a previous design snapshot. The windows' black sashes add crisp borders, like eye-liner around twinkling eyes.

Waumbek is practically a porch with a house, rather than the other way round. The sizable porch adds invaluable outdoor-living space, furthering Waumbek’s surprising sense of spaciousness, considering its size.

Wide, cross-braced guard rails pick up on the broad strokes of the windows and ample porch, suggesting a more generous space than a busy, smaller-scale, baluster design would. Angled brackets on the porch posts quietly echo the cross rails and frame a more personable space between bays.

No surprise, I favor the gable-end treatment of green, accent shingles defining the tippy top, while a white, trim board, in-line with the second floor window-head trim, transitions to the yellow clapboards of the upper-middle section, above the lower porch roof.

To me, Waumbek is an ideal cottage, one to inspire future designs.

For additional reading about Bustins Island and its history, consider The Story of Bustins, a Maine Summer Island.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Recommended maritime event and presentation

I’m expanding my seasonal recommendation of tempting, regional, adult-education workshops, demonstrations, and presentations to include maritime as well as home, garden, and art opportunities. Take a look at my posts from previous seasons to get a sense of the many quality programs operating in the region. Enroll in a workshop, demonstration, or presentation on a lark, and get your creative juices flowing.

Lowell’s Boat Shop

“Established in 1793 and cited as the birthplace of the fishing dory, Lowell's Boat Shop [located in Amesbury, Mass.] is a non-profit working museum and National Landmark that is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the art and craft of wooden boat building,” according to their website.

Boats and Bagels
Instructor: Graham McKay
Saturday, June 5, 2010, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
$45.00 (10% discount for members) ($25.00 non-refundable deposit required)

“A Morning at Lowell's Boat Shop.  Come Row! Join boatbuilder and maritime historian Graham McKay for a morning at Lowell's Boat Shop.  The morning begins with bagels and coffee. This is followed by a presentation of historic photographs of Point Shore, demonstrating a rich history of schooners and boat shops on the Merrimack River.  Participants will be given an opportunity to row one of our renowned Lowell dories or skiff, with rowing instruction provided for the inexperienced. More competent rowers can join us for a rowing tour of Point Shore.”

(Events and schedules are subject to change so check program websites for updates.)

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.Recommended upcoming New England tours

Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill (Boston, MA) Thursday, May 20, 2010 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Concord Museum 21st Annual Garden Tour (Concord, MA) Friday-Saturday, June 4-5, 2010 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

South Windsor Garden Tour & Plant Sale (South Windsor, CT) Sunday, June 6, 2010 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Farmington/Unionville Friends Kitchen and Garden Tour (Farmington/Unionville, CT) Saturday, June 12, 2010 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Guilford Secret Garden Tour (Guilford, CT) Saturday, June 12, 2010 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Newburyport Annual Garden Tour (Newburyport, MA) Saturday-Sunday, June 12-13, 2010 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Charlestown Gardens by the Sea (Charlestown, RI) Saturday, June 12, 2010

New Castle Village Walk and Garden Tour (New Castle, NH) Sunday, June 13, 2010 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Portsmouth Pocket Garden Tour (Portsmouth, NH) Friday-Saturday, June 18-19, 2010

South End Garden Tour (Boston, MA) Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Newport Summer Secret Garden Tour (Newport, RI) Friday-Sunday, July 9-11, 2010 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Provincetown Art Association and Museum Secret Garden Tour (Provincetown, MA) Sunday, July 11, 2010 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Camden Garden Club House and Garden Tour (Camden, ME) Thursday, July 15, 2010 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Pittsfield Garden Tour (Pittsfield, MA) Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday, July 18, 2010 noon – 4:00 pm

Private Gardens of the Kennebunk’s Tour (Kennebunk, ME) Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Nantucket Annual House & Garden Tour (Nantucket, MA) Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:00 am - 4:30 pm

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days:
Connecticut: Fairfield County June 6, 26; July 18, 2010
Connecticut: Litchfield County June 13, 20, 26; July 25; August 29, 2010
Maine: York County July 24-25, 2010
Massachusetts: Marblehead June 27, 2010
Massachusetts: Martha’s Vineyard June 28, 2010
New Hampshire: Monadnock Region/Greater Manchester June 26-27, 2010
New Hampshire: Hanover June 26, 2010
Vermont: Lake Champlain Valley June 19-20, 2010
Vermont: Upper Valley June 26, 2010

by William Morgan

cover photo via amazon.comSomeone asked me if I like Modern houses the other day. It was a simple enough question, but I found myself delivering a convoluted answer. 

What do we mean by Modern? What does liking it or not liking it mean? Does the answer classify me as a member of one camp and not another?

I offer you Yankee Modern as a partial answer. It features ten houses by the Rhode Island firm of Estes/Twombly Architects. Both principles are fellow RISD alumni, with Estes graduating 20 years before me. 

Their work, by their own description, portrays a "quiet modernism, rooted in New England tradition". It's simple, straightforward, spare, and regionally inspired in design and material.

It's neither Modern (of the mid-century variety) nor traditional.  It is of today and of its place. And, yeah, I like it.

I like the photo-centric book too.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast 

Click on this photo to see it in the KHS photo note cards/prints gallery.Some landscapes enthrall visitors season after season. Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard is among them. I’ve featured gems from the 20-acre cultivated grounds before. Remember the robust outdoor fireplace?
 
During my most recent visit, I rediscovered the leathery, peeling bark of the Stewartia. The eye-catching bark is but one highlight of this stunning specie which offers mid-summer blossoms and colorful leaves come fall. Polly Hill Arboretum boasts twenty Stewartia varieties, clustered in groves and featured as specimens. 

Visit the Arboretum any day between sunrise and sunset to take in the breadth and beauty this Island respite offers. The Visitor Center is open Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day, and informative daily tours are available between those dates. Mark you calendars.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast