A Lake Sunapee Lodge that Mixes Old and New

Charles Myer’s design for an addition to a circa 1910 log cabin on the shore of New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee is unabashedly modern. The original part of the house is full of historic charm, while the new section has room to accommodate an ever-expanding group of friends and family. Despite contemporary comforts, activities at the home have changed little over the years.

A ten-bulb Double Church Chandelier by Brendan Ravenhill Studio brings a modern vibe to the historic living room. The walking sticks and canes in the basket at the foot of the stairs were left in the home by its original owner, the late Henry Bowles. A doorway behind and to the left of the fireplace leads to the new section of the house.

New construction meets original construction as you enter the family room from an alcove near the stairwell; a custom Thayer Design Studio rug and Kenneth Raye Workshops coffee table anchor the space.

When the home’s boathouse was refurbished, some of its wood paneling was salvaged and applied in a ribbon frieze along the top of the game room wall. It perfectly matches the antique wood paneling of the staircase.

A new front entry opens into a mudroom, with steps leading up to three arched openings that overlook a terrace where the family enjoys alfresco dining.

Books that belonged to the original owners fill the dining room shelves, and a rice-paper print of a lake trout caught by the homeowners’ son hangs above the fireplace.

The kitchen features Vermont Soapstone Co. counters and NH Woodworks cabinets, while Croft House stools surround the stainless-steel-topped island.

In the main bedroom, Myer chose Benjamin Moore Bayleaf for the old woodwork, paired with a Zoffany fabric wallcovering in the wife’s favorite color

A new annex, referred to as “the wine room” by the homeowners, includes a framed 1920s photograph of Henry Bowles’s wife, Edna, in a canoe; the canoe now rests out back.

NH Woodworks crafted the built-in bunks in the bunkroom, which sleeps eight adults and an infinite number of kids. The leather Lostine pulls on the drawers sport hand-stitched shapes.

The kids’ bathrooms have stone countertops and Original BTC lantern sconces.

Above a foundation constructed of local fieldstone, the home’s original section features projecting gables that once housed sleeping porches and a semicircular covered porch overlooking the lake.

The porch, furnished with neutral RH wicker seating and a showstopping Moroccan lighting fixture from Tazi Designs, is the favorite daytime gathering place. “There is plenty of color and drama in the view,” the designer says.

When it comes to houses with sleek new elements that rub elbows with picturesque old elements, Kate Maloney knows how to make the seemingly disparate characteristics fast friends. “Put something modern, like a great light fixture, in the old spaces, while using antiques in the new rooms,” divulges the interior designer.

That’s just what happened at a venerable log cabin on New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee. Henry Bowles, a U.S. congressman from Massachusetts, built the cabin at the beginning of the twentieth century as a hunting and fishing lodge, says architect Charles Myer. After Bowles died in 1932, his widow, Edna, lived there until she passed away in 1981 at age 97. The current owners, who purchased the home in 2016, are only its third.

The house’s name, given to it by Bowles and inscribed on granite gateposts, is “Natleh,” which means “of nature” in the language of the region’s indigenous people. The original part of the structure, constructed of white cedar and sheathed with peeled birch sourced from the surrounding woods, boasts historic elements like deep roof brackets, fieldstone foundation and fireplace walls, a sweeping covered porch, built-in inglenooks, and screened sleeping porches. Myer designed a two-story addition that replaced a one-story section added by Edna Bowles in the 1970s. It includes a new kitchen and garage as well as new dining, bunk, game, bath, and guest rooms.

“When we added to it, we did not mess with the original part of the house,” explains Myer. “It was in excellent condition; it had been well built and cared for.” Adds Maloney, “We honored its historic elements while we made no apologies for the new section.”

The historic and new come together in the family room, which was the home’s original dining room. A dark, wood-lined alcove that still displays Henry Bowles’s hunting trophies leads into the bright, open room. A sophisticated tonal wallcovering acts as a background for a few carefully chosen pieces of contemporary furniture, including a round sofa.

The homeowners have worked with Myer and Maloney on five previous properties, including two primary residences, so the architect and interior designer were familiar with their clients’ style preferences. But aesthetics aside, there was one driving question behind the project, says Maloney: how many people can we pack in?

“I love the bunk room because that’s what it’s about,” the homeowner points out. “We can always find room for another person.” In that same vein, Myer redesigned the home’s boathouse to include a small kitchen and additional guest quarters for friends and family who might extend their stay.

But the real sweet spot is the large lakeside porch, furnished with wicker seating and a swing conducive to lazy afternoons spent curled up with a book. The homeowner says the family enjoys entire days outdoors. “The view is the whole show,” says the wife.

As it turns out, they are continuing a tradition that began 100 years ago, as Edna Bowles’s diaries and photos attest. The front lawn has always been used for badminton and ball games. The current family still spends hours boating, water skiing (once called “aquaplaning”), swimming, and playing card games. Kids still jump off the same wide dock. And in a fitting tribute, Edna’s green canoes still rest in the boathouse.

Project Team
Architecture: Charles Myer, Charles R. Myer & Partners
Interior design: Kate Maloney, Kate Maloney Interior Design
Builder: Louise Bonfiglio, McGray & Nichols
Landscape design: Charles R. Myer & Partners