New Hampshire Lake House Reimagines Classic Shingle Style Design

Varied rooflines and massing, tapered columns at the main entrance, and the extensive use of stone are hallmarks of the Shingle style that inspired architect Jason Bailey.

The enclosed span that connects the garage to the house references New Hampshire’s historic covered bridges. Stone steps lead to the underpass and flagstone pathway that winds its way to the lakefront.

A fieldstone fireplace and tidy pine beams and door frames define the living room, which opens to a deck and views of the lake; to the left, sliding glass doors lead to the screened porch.

Pine beams and trim bring order to the interior of the connecting bridge.

The kitchen was deliberately detailed to look as if it evolved over time, says Cristina Johnson of her interior design. Built-in cupboards set between oak columns resemble vintage hutches. The mix of painted and stained wood finishes makes the space feel intimate, while the fluting on the island’s base is a nod to traditional styles.

A favorite feature of the primary bedroom is the generous window seat; beyond the curtains on the left is a cozy private deck facing the lake.

The bathroom in the first-floor primary suite includes a soaking tub set in an alcove lined with black-and-white marble.

The bunk room, one of five bedroom suites on the second floor, is meant for kids, but the beds are deep enough to comfortably accommodate adults.

The owners wanted a walk-out basement, which Bailey says was challenging to deliver on the level site. He used fieldstone veneer to blend the foundation into the surroundings.

The porch’s casual dining area has a tree-house feel; the mid rail of the floor-to-ceiling screens meets support and safety requirements so that no balustrade is needed.

On chilly summer nights, the family gathers around the massive fieldstone fireplace on the screened porch. The lintel, hearth, and trim around the log-storage bins are all cut from New England granite.

TMS Architects Designs in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region

For the last century and a half, the Shingle-style cottage has been an iconic symbol of the summer migration from city and suburb to New England’s lake and ocean shores. Large but not looming, these ample vacation homes were designed to accommodate families and a parade of guests without overwhelming the idyllic landscape that lured its occupants to decamp to cooler climes year after year.

This is the architectural legacy that inspired Jason Bailey, principal architect at TMS Architects Interiors, a firm noted for its work in historic preservation and reinterpretation, when he designed a six-bedroom retreat in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. 

The owner of the wooded shoreside site had spent childhood summers at the lake. In fact, his family has ties to this picturesque pocket of the Granite State dating back to 1910. Now with his three children approaching young adulthood, he and his wife saw an opportunity to build a vacation home with plenty of room for their offspring and their many friends—and their potential future families.

“We wanted a house we could use year-round and that would tie into the lake and the environment and fit in with the traditional wood-sided houses in the area,” says the owner.  Keeping the established trees on the five-acre site was a priority. “We wanted the house to disappear into the woods. From the lake, you don’t notice it at all,” he says.

Classic Shingle Style Architecture

Bailey’s design references the classic Shingle style in its subtle yet deliberate hierarchy of forms, including elements such as layered rooflines, expressive bracketing, and tapered columns. Such complexity visually compartmentalizes the house’s 7,000 square feet into modest units. Wrapped in a blanket of natural materials—cedar shingles, simple wood trim, fieldstone-veneer sheathing—the house nestles on the lot like an avian nest in the crook of a tree.

Inside, “There’s a ‘gather round’ feeling,” says Cristina Johnson, principal architect and interior designer at TMS, who handled the decor. “There is a continuity of simplicity in the use of natural materials for the interiors,” she says. The overall sensibility is one of rustic restraint. Pine beams and door frames are purposely sleek. Huge slabs of granite crafted as finishing lintels and hearths elevate the imposing fieldstone fireplaces in the living room and screened porch.

Lakeside Living with Covered Bridge Walkway and Water Views

Giving the project a unique sense of place is the enclosed suspended walkway that links the house to the garage. The exterior of the twenty-foot-long connector is an homage to New Hampshire’s historic covered bridges. Stone steps lead from the front walk down to a curved pathway that runs beneath the span, around the house, then on to the 400-foot beachfront.  “It is my favorite part of the house,” says Chris Ragusa, whose company, CM Ragusa Builders, was the general contractor. “It is aesthetically and functionally phenomenal.”

Inside, four-by-seven-foot windows on either side flood the space with natural light. The peaked ceiling is accented with timbers that give the transitional space a sense of order. “The geometry feels processional,” says Bailey. “It pulls you through to the other side.” 

Project Team
Architecture and interior design: TMS Architects Interiors
Builder: CM Ragusa Builders
Landscape Design: Terrain Planning & Design