A New Cottage Fits Perfectly in the Neighborhood

The new cottage designed by Bonin Architects & Associates for clients Peter and Chasity fits right in with their Victorian neighborhood of Blodgett Landing, Newbury, NH.  New Hampshire Home magazine featured this open concept home in its July 2012 issue.

An excerpt of the article “Building a Better Cottage” by Clare Kittredge:

CLIMBING ART

Inside, the home’s artery is the beautiful winding, open staircase that’s visible from one end of the house to the other.

“It’s not your typical enclosed stair because the house is narrow and there’s so much travel between the floors,” Architect Jeremy Bonin explains. “It didn’t make sense not to celebrate the fact that it’s a tall, narrow home. Since they will use it so often, it needed to be a design focal point.”

Coiling through the home, the stairs benefit from windows on two sides for the entire height of the house. This means the look of the staircase changes throughout the day as the sun hits in from different angles.

“The stairs are kind of floating in the space,” Chasity says. “It’s like a work of art.”

But it’s not a delicate work of art. With many children running up and down at one time, the staircase takes a lot of beating. “If the kids have their friends over, sometimes they can have fifteen kids running up and down the stairs,” Chasity notes.

Read more at New Hampshire Home magazine online.

NH Architectural Firm Bonin Architects Launches New Website

Bonin Architects & Associates, a residential and landscape architectural firm in New London, NH, announces the launch of their newly redesigned website, www.boninarchitects.com.  The new site highlights a new corporate image, details of services, and explains the approach to each individual project.

“We are very excited about this new website because we believe visitors will find it effective, user friendly, and one of the best ways we can explain – and show - our architectural services,” said KimberlyBonin, Principal Partner and Executive Project Manager.

“Our Architectural Portfolio is now broken down into three categories:  Selected Projects, Under Construction, and On the Boards,” explains Jeremy Bonin, Principal Partner and Architect.  “Projects have several photos in gallery style showing the architectural style, drawings, construction photos, unique details, and a description of the design program which outlines the strategy and goals of the building.  Many of our clients have properties with specific challenges: Shoreland Protection restrictions, wetlands, tight setbacks, steep slopes, or close neighboring homes."

“Our services and fees have always been on our website, but now our landscape design and architectural services are outlined and explained in detail so visitors can see the benefit of working with an architect in designing a new home, addition, or remodeling their existing home,” Kimberly adds.

Cabin Life Feature Article on Award-Winning Cottage

Check out the latest issue of Cabin Life magazine! 

Bonin Architects’ award-winning cottage is the cover story of the May 2012 issue.  The article titled “Mini Retreat, Maximum Fun” describes how our remodeled cottage reuses as much of the original material as possible, makes the most out of  layout and storage, and creates an ultra-fun spot for entertaining guests on beautiful Pleasant Lake in New London, NH.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The beach cabin was in good shape for its age, but dark and rough inside. The goal was to maximize space, natural light and lake vistas. “We had very specific things we wanted to do,” says Sheri, a former property manager whose experience with architects, landscapers, and tradesmen came in handy during the project. “That’s the fun of having a cabin – you fix it up and make it your own.”

She found inspiration in books and magazines – Cabin Life included – on cabin design and lakefront living. The Webers brought the stack to architect Jeremy Bonin, AIA, of New London, N.H., who distilled common themes from pages of images. On the wish list: a cathedral ceiling, French doors, lots of glass, and a screened back porch facing the lake.

Lots of open storage was another must. Builder Jay Tucker of Old Hampshire Designs in New London was called in to do the revamping. Old Hampshire sanded floors, opened the ceiling, and created built-in nooks and cubbies. “It’s still all exposed wood inside, like a beach house,” says Tucker. “We upgraded it, painted it, made it a pretty little living space.”

“We tried to use as much of the original materials as possible,” notes Bonin. “We turned casement windows on their sides, reframed and regrouped others.” Bonin also guided the couple through a maze of required permits, as the cabin is just 50 feet from the water.

For more information on this great cottage, see our website at http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/119-le-petite-pointe-cottage.html