A Lake Winnipesaukee Retreat Designed for Outdoor Living

Interior designer Lindsay Lawrence outfitted the four-season room with comfy seating and indoor/outdoor flooring, both impervious to wet bathing suits.

A boulder found on-site was sliced and repurposed as a fire table on the waterfront patio.

A large spa awaits just steps from the indoor sauna.

Looking up from the docks, native blueberries and Goshen Stone steps connect the lake and property.

Landscape architect Michael D’Angelo managed to provide copious amounts of towel storage by constructing a custom wooden rack that also offers additional built-in seating.

A stone patio framed in native plantings skirts the lake side of the house.

D’Angelo carefully preserved existing trees along the extended driveway and added native species to carpet the forest floor. Beds of sweetfern, Gro-Low sumac, hay-scented ferns, and Rozanne geraniums hug the patio.

Gro-Low sumac, hay-scented ferns, and Rozanne geraniums hug the patio.

Bluestone planks delineate the lakeside home’s entry and back patio while Goshen stone creates pathways.

A Lakefront Retreat for Family and Friends

The Lake Winnipesaukee family getaway had the best possible problem: too many friends. “It’s a cherished place,” says architect Britni Rotunda. “They really use the home. And with twenty to thirty people visiting on a weekend, the owners needed a bigger house.”

The project started in 2021 with Rotunda’s design of a new seven-bedroom house set back from the water to satisfy environmental regulations. By siting the home at a lower grade than the surrounding land and tucking it under the mature woodland canopy above, its presence is diminished. Plentiful floor-to-ceiling windows and doors on both levels of the two-story home act as a metaphorical handshake with the lake, while a four-season room with accordion and pocket doors opens to the waterfront patio at the back of the house. No matter where you turn, you’re on the water.

Landscape Architecture Makes the Most of Lakefront Living

Because the entire family prefers to be outdoors, the one-plus-acre property also needed areas to host alfresco activities. That’s where landscape architect Michael D’Angelo comes in.

To build drama leading to the main entry, D’Angelo imagined a roughly 200-foot-long permeable-asphalt driveway that glides through a curated woodland. He replaced invasive species with native plants like lowbush blueberries and ferns and planted those below witch hazel and other shrubs. Arrival culminates in an expansive parking area necessary to accommodate all those weekend houseguests. A thoughtfully positioned granite bench allows visitors to comfortably remove their shoes, and a stone pathway leads to the back of the house for those who can’t wait to put their toes in the lake.

Subtle details, like the quiet color palette of the natural-cleft bluestone planks that compose the waterfront patio, encourage everyone to exhale. That patio hosts a spa, gas firepit (another woodburning firepit sits closer to the water), grilling counter with bar seating, and ample lounging room.

The back of the home is also planted with native species and cultivated perennials that nestle into existing trees to achieve one of D’Angelo’s main goals. “We wanted it to feel instantly mature, like it’s always been there,” he says.

One of D’Angelo’s biggest challenges, though, had nothing to do with the foliage. How do you furnish towel racks for twenty-plus people? The solution is slatted wooden walls with hooks and built-in benches, providing dedicated space for family and towels to hang out.

Project Team
Landscape design: MDLA Landscape Architecture
Architecture: Maugel DeStefano Architects
Interior design: Lindsay Lawrence Interiors
Builder: Jason Drouin Custom Homes