Salt Marsh

This meticulously crafted home in coastal Rye, New Hampshire, was designed for an active couple with a passion for contemporary New England design and indoor/outdoor living.

Their site configuration is ideal. Passing through the neighborhood cul-de-sac to the north, the entrance overlooks a south-facing clearing surrounded by towering oak trees to the south and west. Situated above the estuarine marshes just south of Rye Beach, the property enjoys high-level sunrise views over Rye Harbor.

We organized the home around the owners' love of the outdoors. Two crisply detailed white gabled structures are linked by a single-story glazed entry, accessed via a stone path. Upon arrival, the focused view through the compressed link reveals a south-facing courtyard that functions as a sun trap overlooking the meadow. The meadow is loosely bound by a meandering privacy fence designed by landscape architects Soren deNiord Design Studio.

Vertical fins that appear solid when viewed directly offer glimpses through the landscape at angles—imparting an impression of softness and blurring the boundary with nature while maintaining privacy.

Delicate black posts support a cloister-like covered walkway that wraps around the courtyard to the north and east, connecting the two structures. Sheltering the home from the sun and the pool area from northerly breezes, it delineates a formal transition zone between the home and the courtyard and moderates the scale of the double-height massing—creating a more intimate space. Following around to the southern gable, the colonnade's solid roof opens up into a pergola that lets more light into the living room and defines the covered outdoor dining pavilion overlooking the pool to the south and the estuary to the east.

The two-story building houses the primary living spaces. The ground floor incorporates a primary suite to the north to support aging in place and an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room to the south. A discreet working kitchen/pantry is hidden behind the primary kitchen range's stunning full-height marble slab backdrop. The marble's variegated pattern, repeated on the nearby countertops and island, is a desaturated echo of the swimming pool nearby and harbor beyond.

The interior layout pivots around a monolithic ash staircase that divides the shared and private spaces on the ground floor. The staircase ascends to a vaulted ceiling under a projecting dormer above. Its windows span the full width of the space—capturing natural light and disappearing the boundary between the home's interior and exterior. From within, the raised eastward outlook across the estuary to Rye Harbor is unparalleled. From outside, the stair windows and dormer serve as a sculptural beacon that punctuates the long elevation of the home, adding interest to the otherwise understated rhythm of the facade.

Upstairs, the spacious home accommodates two additional bedroom suites, a den, and laundry. The bedrooms are separated by the dramatic stairway for privacy. To the south, the primary bedroom has a neutral-toned wood and upholstery headboard wall designed by Heidi Lachapelle Interiors that visually connects the room with the tall oak trees surrounding the meadow. The northern bedroom suite features a slim vaulted internal dormer window that lets in daylight while allowing for lower-level privacy screening facing the neighbors.

Downstairs, the glazed entry link separates the primary living areas from the "barn"—a hardworking, single-story structure that comprises a two-car garage with storage alongside a mudroom, office, and exercise room that overlook the courtyard, pool, and meadow beyond.

Every occupied room within this two-structure home is oriented to foster a connection with nature and the outdoors. The aesthetically clean and crisp detailing is complemented by textured lime-washed walls, richly patterned upholstery and wall coverings, and natural stone and wood finishes to create a uniquely contemporary coastal New England home.

Photography:
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Trent Bell Photography

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Collaborators:

Contractor: Chase Construction

Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates

Landscape Architect: Soren Deniord Design Studio

Interior Designer: Heidi Lachapelle Interiors

Millwork: Chase Construction / The Webhannet Co.

Lighting Design: Reflex Lighting / Heidi Lachapelle Interiors