On a lake in Southern Maine, the old family cottage was too small, too dark, too tired. Now, the free-standing stone fireplace is the only vestige remaining. The new cottage is a simple gabled form, its major roof dipping down gracefully toward the water, punctured by a long shed dormer.

Details and finishes are rustic but refined, using native wood virtually everywhere inside and out. Twenty-two inch wide native pine boards, seasoned, planed, and beaded, provide sheathing for living and dining areas. Clear-finished wood is balanced with surfaces painted in bright but milky colors, all awash in natural light.

The cottage’s generous spirit accommodates family traditions past, present, and future.

photos: Brian Vanden Brink