02 NHH Mar-April14.pdf

8/19/2019 02 NHH Mar-April14.pdf

1/92 74470 22772 4

0 4

MARCH/APRIL 2014 $4.95

H H O M E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

And the winners are...

Stylish, energy-efficient housesGO GREEN

Seventh Anniversary Issue

DESIGNAWARDS

2014

maga z i n e

A dazzling spring garden

At home with P.J. O’Rourke


2/92

The FineArt of

Radiators

Our Showroom in Haverhill, MA is open M,TU,W and F 9-5 and TH 9-8 or by appointment.

For a virtual tour, please go to: www.runtalnorthamerica.com.

Runtal Family

of Heating Products

Runtal offers an array

of radiator designs

for hot water, steam and

electric heating systems.

187 Neck Road, PO Box 8278Ward Hill, MA 01835 (Haverhill)

Tel: 800-526-2621

PANEL RADIATORS


3/92

Home is a reflection of each of us. Where we make our own

style, our own statement. Our in-showroom qualified lighting

specialists can help you create this atmosphere by bringing

eclectic living home.

Lighting the Way You LiveSOPHISTICATED | CASUAL | MODERN | ECLECTIC | COASTAL

SHATTUCK WAY NEWINGTON NH |

MONDAYSATURDAY AMPM | SUNDAY AMPM

WASHINGTON STREET CLAREMONT NH | MONDAYFRIDAY AMPM | SATURDAY AMPM WWWROCKINGHAMLIGHTINGCENTERCOM


4/92

Water in your basement can happen at any time and the average cost of a flooded

basement is $6000 after paying the insurance deductible.

A water shut off system will shut off your well pump in the event of a mechanical

failure. It costs hundreds less than the average homeowners insurance deductible

and the complete system takes less than two hours to install. Keep your family safe

from deadly black mold and respiratory disease caused by flooding.

Call Skillings & Sons, Inc. today to schedule installation of a water system shut off at

(800) 441-6281. And mention “Knee Deep” for our best pricing.

Don’t find yourself knee deep in problems.

We had a little problemwhile you were out…


5/92

BEDROOM GARAGE ENTRYWAY MURPHY BED MEDIA CENTER KIDS OFFICE STORAGE CRAFT PANTRY

Servicing New Hampshire 800.225.6901 | CaliforniaClosets.com/New-England

© C

a l i f o r n i a

C l o s e t C o m p a n y , I n c . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d .

E a c h f r a n c h i s e i n d e p e n d e n t l y o w n e d a n d o p e r a t e d .

Transform the under-the-stairs space in your home into a stylish, organized mudroom. Add Ecoresin backpanels to create a dramatic, eco-friendly backdrop for your shelves!Ecoresin contains 40% pre-consumer recycled content. Schedule your complimentaryin-home design consultation today and see what California Closets can do for you.

Exceptional designsfor every room


6/924 | New Hampshire Home march/april 2014

MARCH/APRIL 2014 | VOL. 8, NO. 2

NHHomeMagazine.com

A PUBLICATION OF

McLean Communications, Inc.

A DIVISION OF YANKEE PUBLISHING, INC.; DUBLIN, NH

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Sharron R. McCarthy

EDITOR Andi Axman

ART DI RECTOR John R. Goodwin

PHOTO EDITOR John W. Hession

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kara Steere

SENIOR DESIGNERS

Jodie Hall, Wendy Wood

CONTRIBUTORS

Nancy Belluscio, Jenny DonelanMary Ann Esposito, Dana Flewelling,

Eric Goodwin, Great Island PhotographyDebbie Kane, Heather Milliman

Rebecca Rule, Robin Sweetser, Greg West

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Rose Zevos King

INTERN

Kris LaRosa

VP/DIRECTOR OF SALES Steve Paré: (603) 413-5140

[email protected]

SEACOAST SALES MANAGER Cynthia Stone: (603) 413-5159

[email protected]

REGI ONAL S AL ES MANAGER Jessica Schooley: (603) 413-5143

[email protected]

B U S I NES S MANAGER Mista McDonnell

EVENT & MAR KET ING MANAGER Tricia Baker Schmitt

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Morgen Connor

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Maria Aguirre

CORRESPONDENCE

Andi Axman, editorNEW HAMPSHIRE HOME

150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH 03101(603) 624-1442, x 110

[email protected]

S U B S CRI PTI ONS Subscriptions, NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME

PO Box 3000; Denville, NJ 07834.You can also call (877) 494-2036, or click on

“subscribe” at NHHomeMagazine.com

© 2014 MCLEAN COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME is published bimonthly by McLeanCommunications, Inc.; 150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH 03101;(603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or inpart without the publisher’s written permission is prohibited.The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakesin advertisements or editorial. Statements and opinionsexpressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect orrepresent those of this publication or its officers. While everyeffort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the informa-tion contained in this publication, McLean Communications,Inc.: NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME disclaims all responsibility foromissions and errors.

USPS permit number 008-980.Periodical postage paid at Manchester 03103-9651.

Postmaster, send address changes to:NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME, PO Box 3000; Denville, NJ 07834

The Lighting Showroom • www.NELIGHTING.com

603-471-3299 • Bedford Village Shoppes • Route 101

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LEDS...

Watch out for poor quality LEDs or you could be buyingthe whole unit again.Poor-quality LEDs may initially appear brighter than a high-quality one if the poor-quality device has a higher drive current. However, poorly designed assemblies willcause the extra current in LEDs to heat up more quickly, and ultimately fade or burnout over a short period of time. This could happen after the warranty has expired. Awell-designed LED “chip” and its components result in a better overall performancefor reliability, brighter lumens, longer hours, accuracy in color measured byCRI (color rendering index) and intensity, and durability. They also offer longerwarranties (some as many as seven years).

How do you choose the right LED product?There are several types of LED applications and products that are constantly

being “improved.” So how can you save money? Certain designs, layouts and/orinstallations are factors to consider when we determine what LED application willbe used for a space. In some cases, a retrofit may be a better application. Ask usfor more information.

Surprisingly, not all LEDs are the same quality. In fact, there are only a handfulof high-quality LED manufacturers. We have tested many of our LED productsover the years. Many of the products we have chosen to display have receivednational industry recognition for leading product innovation and architecturaldesign, and have won awards such as the “Lighting for Tomorrow” competition.

Most of our Energy Star™ LED lighting products qualify for energy rebatesand tax credits and savings.

ADVERTISEMENT


7/92

Hardscape Design & Installation

(978) 373-4223

R E S I D E N T I A L & C O M M E R C I A L

WWW . T R I A D A S S O C I A T E S I N C . C OMCertifed Techo-Bloc Installe

Pavers Exposed Aggregate Natural Stone Stamped Concrete Block Walls

TRIAD ASSOCIATES - 100 DOWNING AVENUE - HAVERHILL, MA 01830



features 56 An Energy-Efficient, Eco-Friendly HomeWith their architect, a couple designed a passive solar homethat reflects their aesthetics and meets their family’s needs.

By Kara Steere | Photography by John W. Hession

66 A Creative Shelter

Sculptor Jon Brooks’s singular house in the woods of southern

New Hampshire reflects his abilities and his aesthetics.

By Jenny Donelan | Photography by John W. Hession

74 Hats Off to Designers!At the NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME Design Awards in January, the

magazine recognized 14 noteworthy residential projects from

around the state.

By Andi AxmanON THE COVER

Architect Christopher Briley, of Briburn LLC in

Portland, Maine, again teamed up with a couple

who were relocating from Maine to the Concord

area. The result is an Arts and Crafts-style home

that is a super-insulated, energy-efficient,

family-friendly living space using zero petro-

fuels. Sue Booth of Vintage Kitchens in Concord

designed the kitchen.

Photography by John W. Hession

And the winners are...

G

I

. C

Stylish, energy-efficient houses

GO GREEN

Seventh Anniversary Issue

DESIGNAWARDS

2014

maga z i n e

A dazzling spring garden

At home with P.J. O’Rourke

74

56

66

CONTENTS march/april 2014


9/92



departments

18 20 26

36 42 88

10 CONTRIBUTORS

12 FROM THE EDITOR

Saving Matters

14 LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

16 ON THE TOWN

18 FAVORITE FINDS

eco-friendly items for home

20 HOME COOKING

with mary ann esposito

Raves for Radishes26 BY DESIGN

Building for Sustainability By Debbie Kane

36 NOTABLE HOMEOWNERS

A Writer’s Home and HowIt Got That Way By Andi Axman

42 GARDEN Rx

A Grand Spring Awakening By Robin Sweetser

50 GOING GREEN

Reinventing Home Décor By Debbie Kane

84 MARK YOUR CALENDAR !

87 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

88 AT HOME IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Family Treasures By Rebecca Rule

Illustration by Eric Goodwin

Visit us online at NHHomeMagazine.com to read our digital edition,learn about events and use our resource guide.

As part of our ongoing effort to support sound environmental practices and preserve

our forests for future generations, NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME is printed locally by CummingsPrinting, a Forest Stewardship Council printer.

CONTENTS march/april 2014


11/92

Visit our showroom at459 Islington Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.,Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

www.zenstoneworks.com | 603.319.8700

VANITY TOPS INTEGRATED SINKS FIREPLACE SURROUNDS DECORATIVE ELEMENTS

COUNTERTOPS FLOORS BACKSPLASHES WALLS CUSTOM SHOWERS

Photo © Rob Karosis



CONTRIBUTORS

Nancy Belluscio is

a photographer

specializing in

architectural and

environmental images.

Originally from the White

Mountains, she and her

family now live and work

in the Monadnock Region.

She may be reached at

nancyonsite.com.

Jenny Donelan is an

editor and writer with a

wide variety of interests,

and has covered areas

that include computer

technology, best business

practices, pets, skiing as

well as home design. Her

articles have appeared in

the New York Times, the

Boston Globe and

numerous other

publications.

Mary Ann Esposito is

the host of the public

television series Ciao

Italia, now in its

twenty-third season,

and the author of twelve

cookbooks, including her

newest, Ciao Italio Family

Classics. She lives in New

Hampshire. Visit her

website at ciaoitalia.com.

Dana Flewelling of

Dana Flewelling Graphic

Design & Photography

has a graphic design and

commercial photography

studio in Sutton. For

more than twenty-five

years, Flewelling has

been producing creative

print projects and

commercial photography

for small and large

companies.

Eric Goodwin is an

illustrator and caricature

artist who divides his

time between his

hometown of

Londonderry and

San Diego, California.

He is a member of the

Beastheads, a collective

of like-minded artists

who are pushing the

boundaries of caricature

and portrait art. Ericcan be contacted at

ericgoodwinart.com.

Lindsay Holmes and

Tom McHugh of Great

Island Photography are

based in New London

and provide wedding,

event and portrait

photography, along

with videography

services. Their favorite

commercial projects

include architectural

and product shoots, as

well as sporting events.See their work at

greatislandphoto-

graphy.com.

Debbie Kane writes

about home, design, food,

wine and spirits for a

variety of magazines. A

resident of the Seacoast,

she’s also a copywriter

and public relations

consultant. She may be

reached at kanecomm@

comcast.net or through

write2engage.net.

Rose Zevos King recently

graduated from the

University of St Andrews

in Scotland, where she

pursued a degree in art

history, and served as the

creative director and

photo editor for two

university publications.

Having traveled

throughout Europe, Asia

and North America, she

hopes to pursue a career

that combines her

passions for travel,

photography and

architecture.

Kris LaRosa graduated

from Bedford High

School in 2013 and

began working as an

intern for NEW HAMPSHIRE

HOME. She is attending

Maryland Institute

College of Art in

Baltimore to study

photography and plans

to become a fashion

photographer upon

graduating.

Heather Milliman

spent several years at

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

in San Francisco, where

she developed a

tangible enthusiasm

for fresh, handcrafted

foods with unexpected

visual appeal. Her

clients include General

Mills and Men’s Fitness,

and she was also an

instructor at Stonewall

Kitchen Cooking School

in York, Maine. Milliman

lives in Dover with

her family.

Kara Steere has worked

as a professional

writer/editor since her

first job at a small-town

newspaper in 1996.

Since then, she has

focused her career on

bringing clarity and

consistency to

magazines, books,

corporate communica-

tions and marketing

materials produced in a

variety of media. She

can be reached through

marcomfour.com.

Rebecca Rule has lived

and gardened in

Northwood for more

than thirty years. Her

tenth book (and first

picture book for

children) is The Iciest,

Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride

Ever . Other books

include The Best

Revenge (named one of

five essential New

Hampshire books by

New Hampshire

Magazine); Live Free and

Eat Pie: A Storyteller’s

Guide to NH; and

Headin’ for the Rhubarb:

A New Hampshire

Dictionary (well, kinda).

She hosts an interview

show, the NH Authors

Series, on New

Hampshire Public

Television.

Robin Sweetser writes a

gardening column for

the Sunday Concord

Monitor and is a

contributor to the

Old Farmer’s Almanac,

among other

publications. A former

Seacoast resident, she

now lives and gardens

in Hillsborough.

Greg West is a

photographer who

believes that “in every

room, in every building,

there is a visual

character that makes

the space unique and

worth a second glance.”

He may be reached at

gregwestphotography.com.


13/92NHHomeMagazine.com New Hampshire Home | 11

Become one of our many SATISFIED CUSTOMERS .

© 2014 Pella Corporatio

Brian Vanden Brink Photography

“We use Pella windows because they offer the right balance

between aesthetics, energy performance, weathertightness and cost.”– Thaddeus Siemasko, Siemasko + Verbridge

Pella Windows and Doors of Eastern Massachusetts – Maine – New Hampshire

Contact your local Pella sales representative at

800-866-9886or visit pella.com, and take a closer look.



When I was little, I had a piggy bank for saving my nickels, dimes and quarters

so I could buy something special. But the idea of saving something special?

That I discovered later, thanks to my grandma, Beatrice Axman. She had a

great eye, and loved collecting furniture and other antiques (some of these treasures now

live with us). Grandma’s aesthetic helped nurture my interest in the decorative arts and

historic buildings, especially old houses. By the time I was twenty-eight, I was tackling the

renovation of a third home. (Note to self: You are staying put in the old house that’s been

home, sweet home for the past twenty-five years.)

Falling in love with an old house is a feeling I know well. And so does writer P.J.

O’Rourke—Cupid’s arrow struck when he saw the charming Colonial near Peterborough

that he’s called home since 1989 (page 36). Built in the 1790s in Walpole, the house was

disassembled and moved in 1939. It was put back together the next year with “someunfortunate additions,” which O’Rourke proceeded to fix.

Today, with sustainability at the front and center of conversations about the built

environment, saving an old home and making it energy efficient are some of the greenest

actions possible. But when there’s no home to save that meets a family’s needs, then

building green is a great option. That was the decision made by two families we introduce

you to in this issue.

One is the Parisiens, two physicians who moved with their young children to New

Hampshire for career reasons. They loved the eco-friendly, energy-efficient home they

built in Maine so much that they asked the same architect—Chris Briley of Briburn LLC

in Portland, Maine—to work with them again in incorporating the same green design

parameters (page 56).

The Hopwoods moved to New Hampshire from Pennsylvania, and worked with archi-

tect Frank Anzalone of Frank Anzalone Associates in New London to design a home that

would last the couple well into retirement (page 26). The couple wanted a comfortable

home that also addressed their concerns for conservation and energy creation. Thanks to

solar panels, cutting-edge heating systems and virtually air-tight construction, the home

produces between 70 percent and 80 percent of the electrical energy the family uses.

Sculptor Jon Brooks took another tack when building his New Boston home, which

became his biggest work of art (page 66). Its floor, ceilings and walls are made from local

hemlock and pine, and feature organic forms, such as curved walls, ribbed supports and

stairs that look like vertebra.A similar labor of love is landscape architect Kristian Fenderson’s spectacular garden

in Acworth (page 42). Located on a gorgeous property that’s been his home for more than

forty-five years, his spring garden bursts forth in a riot of blooms from bulbs, shrubs, trees

and other plants. And then there is his passion, the primulas—his garden has more than

a hundred varieties.

I hope you enjoy our tribute to beautiful environments and sustainability in this, our

seventh anniversary issue. And don’t forget to celebrate Earth Day’s forty-fourth

birthday on April 22—see earthday.org for ways to participate.

Editor

Saving Matters

FROM THE EDITOR

Falling in love

with an old

house is a feeling

I know well.



I

, . . . . . .

. . .

Interior Design New Construction Renovation Furniture Home Furnishings

50 Greensboro Road | Hanover, NH 03755 | cell 603.616.8996 | office 603.277.9361 | fax 603.218.6469

[email protected]

Design to build landscape •

Lawn and plant care •

Natural stone walls and patios •

Irrigation and lighting •

Water features and pools •

Carpentry and site work •

Fire pits and outdoor kitchens •

Is this the year you are going to call Belknap?

25 Country Club Rd., Unit 302, Gilford, NH

603.528.2798 • www.belknaplandscape.com



Designing a masterpieceI wish that you could have seen the

expression on my face when I opened the

package containing the latest issue of your

magazine! I couldn’t be more thrilled and

appreciative of the cover photo and the

beautiful spread that you have given the

Lancaster home [ A North Country Dream

Home, January/February 2014]. It truly

exceeds anything I could have imagined!

I am deeply grateful for the exposure this

brings to my work. I have so enjoyed getting

to know you and work with you, and hope

our paths cross again soon.

—Alice Williams of Alice Williams Interiors in Hanover

It was delightful to read A North Country

Dream Home in the January 2014 issue. My

team of landscape architects and I worked

for three years on the design and refine-

ments for all the exterior spaces of the

house, creating outdoor rooms to extend

indoor livable spaces; defining view sheds

toward the mountains; and specifying lo-

cally available construction materials and

plant palettes. We worked closely with our

wonderful clients and collaborated exten-

sively with the architect to marry the house

to the land. It is lovely to see how writerJenny Donelan also connected the interior

of the house with the exterior gardens and

landscape. Thank you for a thorough expla-

nation of the collective collaboration.

—Sandra Youssef Clinton of Clinton & Associates, PCLandscape Architects in Hyattsville, Maryland

An architect’s own homeThank you for the four-star (and appropri-

ately named, Free Rein) spread on my own

private creative folly [January/February

2014]. Once again John Hession’s photos are

exemplary, and Howard Mansfield’s writingis a right-on-the-money mix of humor and

serious architectural perception.

It feels like a mature NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME

now has the confidence to take a deep andexpansive breath to then reach out to a

wider range of residences, or dwellings with

soul as Howard Mansfield writes about

elsewhere. Thank you.

—Dan Scully of Daniel V. Scully/Architects in Keene

These photos and essay on Dan Scully and

his home are among the most accom-

plished and delightful articles I’ve ever seen

in a periodical! This is one magazine that’s

not likely to disappear from our house any-

time soon. Thanks for a great article.

—Jack Barrett in Lyme

Kudos to the jurors!I won’t be able to attend the NEW HAMPSHIRE

HOME DESIGN AWARDS [in January] because I

will be traveling to our Los Angeles office. I

wish you the best of luck with it, and I sin-

cerely appreciate serving on the jury. There

are many fine practitioners in your area,

and they should be encouraged to strive for

creative and beautiful projects. I am sure

the support of your publication, with its de-

sign awards, serves to further enhance the

design community for the betterment of all.

—Kathryn Herman of Doyle Herman DesignAssociates in Greenwich, Connecticut

We love hearing your thoughts about the

stories we’ve published, and we’re always on

the lookout for homes and gardens that might

interest our readers. Write to us at Editor;NEW

HAMPSHIRE HOME; 150 Dow Street; Manchester, NH

03101; or e-mail [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

Left:The entry parlor of a geothermal home in Lancaster (A North Country Dream Home, January/February 2014).

Right: In his garage, whose design was inspired by his love of classical architecture and classic cars (Free Rein, Janu-ary/February 2014), Keene architect Dan Scully readies his 1959 Volvo for racing.


17/92

Visit our showroom in Nashua! Or call today, 1-866-4GMROTH

DESIGN/BUILD – KITCHENS – BATHS – ADDITIONS

www.gmroth.com

Before

Beginning with detailed needs analysis ensures effecve space planning and creave interior design

Connuing with comprehensive project management throughout the construcon process enable

s to remain laser focused on your needs, bringing your dream to life. Offering a single point o

ccountability gives you peace of mind as we execute our 10 step design build process flawlessly

Calling G.M. Roth makes it all happen.



ON THE TOWN

Outstanding architectureFour homes were among the projects recognized at the American Institute of Archi-

tects New Hampshire Chapter (AIANH) Thirtieth Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet

in January at LaBelle Winery in Amherst. John Otte (left, left photo) and Ward D’Elia

of Samyn D’Elia Architects in Ashland, received an Honor Award for the firm’s Norway

Point lakeside project. TMS Architects in Portsmouth took home a Merit Award for itsLighthouse Cove Cottage in Wolfeboro, as did Dennis Mires, P.A., The Architects in Man-

chester for a private residence in New Hampshire. Steve McHenry and Brandon Holben

(from left, right photo) of McHenry Architecture in Portsmouth won the People’s

Choice Award for their Ash Street Split project in Portsmouth. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION

DESIGNAWARDS

2014

maga z i n e

Art and BloomAmong the Concord Garden Club’s

participants at McGowan Fine Art’s Art

and Bloom show in January were, from

left: Susan Heinecke, Laurie Owen, Louise

Spencer, Charlie Cole, Millie LaFontaine,

Lucy Breed and Judy Mathews.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION

Award-winning designNearly 200 people turned out for the presentation of

the New Hampshire Home Design Awards in January at

the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Awards were given in

eight categories—see page 74 for more information.PHOTOGRAPHY BY WENDY WOOD

Among the winners were: Peter Wobber (left)

and Sam Sayers (right) of Beam Construction

Associates, Inc. in North Sandwich, which

won 2014 Home of the Year, with Jessica

Schooley,NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME sales manager.

Sharron McCarthy,NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME publisher

(left), chats with sponsor Annie Rehm of Liberty

Hill Construction and Bob Davis of Crown Point

Cabinetry in Claremont, winner of Excellence in

Kitchen Design.

Andi Axman, NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME

editor, congratulates Jeremy Bonin, of

Bonin Architects in New London, for

winning Excellence in Green Design.

Also attending were

Nancy and David

Belletete, of Belletetes

Building Product

Specialists in Jaffrey,

Peterborough, Andover,

Nashua, Sunapee andAshland—one of the

event’s sponsors.Enjoying the reception were, from left: Don Smith of Dream Kitchens

in Nashua; event sponsors Greg Rehm of Liberty Hill Construction in

Bedford, and Dave Brassard and Michael Huptly-Pierce of RE Marble in

Temple; and Jessica Schooley,NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME sales manager.



603-393-0749 www.rusticstoneandgarden.com

Moultonborough, NH

Servicing clients in the Lakes Regionand White Mountains of New Hampshire

Kitchens | Baths | Additions

HOLLIS, NH ~ 603 n465 n7003

WWW.DAVIDRCRUPI.COM

Love Your Home…

DAVID R. CRUPI LLCDESIGN | BUILD | REMODEL

™

Decked-out holiday homes

Seven homes in New London were

opened to visitors for The Fells Holiday

House Tour 2013 in December. Among the

volunteers, staff and trustees celebrating

at the Holiday Patron Party were, from

left: Laura Beth Foster, volunteer house

tour chair; Bill and Sharon Palmer, volun-

teer preview party chairs; Susan Warren,

executive director of The Fells; and John

Ferries, board chair.PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JOAN EATON

Nearly 400 people turned out to take the

Palace Theatre Holiday Tour in December,

which featured five homes in Bedford.

Shown at Ira Lexus in Manchester, where

the tour-goers picked up maps, are, from

left: Tammi Graff, director of corporatedevelopment at the Palace Theatre;

Ed Stockel, general manager of Ira Lexus;

and Peter Ramsey, president of the

Palace Theatre.PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION



FAVORITE FINDS eco-friendly items for home

Carlisle Wide Plank Floors’ Reclaimed Oak flooring (the material is

salvaged from old buildings) is one of the many reclaimed wood

options the company offers. Carlisle Wide Plank Floors in Stoddard

446-3937 • wideplankflooring.com

Children spend much of their early years sleeping. Give your little one a

safe and comfortable space with organic bedding. Clean Bedroom in

Kittery, Maine • (866) 380-5892 • thecleanbedroom.com

2

6

1Quiet Home Paints are

VOC- and solvent-free,

and were developed by

mother-daughter interior

designers Lisa and Andi

Teague. This color is Ack,

a faded Nantucket red

from the Cottage Palette.

Quiet Home Paints in

Portsmouth • 493-2023

quiethomepaints.com

From the Bolgatanga region

of Ghana, these grass

baskets are traditionally

used for carrying goods

to and from the market.

The leather-wrapped handle

adds to the durability.

Interiors Green in Bethlehem616-6499 • interiorsgreen.com

4

3

5

P H O T O G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F C R O W N P O

I N T C A B I N E T R Y

A PVC-free silicone sleeve wraps around

this large capacity, wide-mouth, non-

leaching glass water bottle. The large

opening makes it easy to add ice cubes

or tea bags, and a loop cap is simple totwist on and off. Bonafide Green Goods

in Concord • 224-9700 or (877) 744-9744

bonafidegreengoods.com

Handmade in Mexico of

97.7 percent recycled copper,

these sinks have curved

corners that are easier to

clean. The sinks don’t rust

or contain lead.

Premier Copper Products

premiercopperproducts.com



Rais in Denmark proves that a well-designed and correctly operated

woodstove can be one of the most environmentally friendly forms

of energy available. Rais • rais.com

Add this topper to any bed to provide the comfort and benefits of wool—

a natural, breathable layer between you and your mattress that relieves painful

pressure points, adds additional softness to your bed and is free of all toxicchemicals. Interiors Green in Bethlehem • 616-6499 • interiorsgreen.com

8

11

This extra-large, stainless-steel compost keeper eliminates odors

and is an attractive way to hold food scraps. Two charcoal filters

come installed in the lid, and a replacement set is included (for

up to one year’s protection against odors). Bonafide Green Goods

in Concord • 224-9700 or (877) 744-9744 • bonafidegreengoods.com

9

7The Savvy Doggy™ allows your pooch to rest in pure organic comfort.

Organic cotton flannel surrounded by a sturdy core of pressure-

relieving, snooze-inducing natural latex lulls your dog

to sleep in no time. Clean Bedroom in Kittery, Maine

(866) 380-5892 • thecleanbedroom.com

10These luxurious organic cotton towels are woven in a

jacquard pattern with a soft grid on one side and wide

ribs on the other. The bath mat is ribbed—a luxurious

feel to pamper your feet!

Clean Bedroom in Kittery, Maine

(866) 380-5892

thecleanbedroom.com



T he unassuming radish gains

notoriety mostly as an over-

looked, carved-rose garnish on a

party appetizer platter, or thinly sliced

and squished between small, buttered

cubes of crustless bread that is served as

a classic, crunchy French hors d’oeuvre.

But, there is so much more radishes

can offer a cook looking for a fresh

vegetable this time of year (radishes

are available year round but are at their

best in winter and spring).

Radishes were first cultivated in China

and Egypt thousands of years ago, and

today come in many different sizes,

shapes and even color. Best known are

the Cherry Belle variety, those round,

red radishes that look like jewels andstand out in the produce aisle. But,

there are also very thin, white tapered

radishes known as icicle radishes as

well as purple, yellow and black rad-

ishes. Farmers’ markets usually have

a variety of these lesser-known types.

Asian markets sell the daikon radish—

cylindrical in shape and long, these are

used in Japanese soups and stews as well

as Chinese stir-fries.

Generally eaten raw, radishes are

members of the mustard family, where

they get that nice tangy and peppery

flavor. And while radishes are delicious

raw, they are also terrific roasted, grated,

steamed and sautéed. They make a

terrific side dish for roasted meats and

chicken; salad slaws take on new tastes

when made from grated radishes. They

are even good pickled.

Raves for Radishes

P H O T O G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F P A U L L A L L Y

Spring is the perfect

time for this versatile

vegetable.

HOME COOKING with mary ann esposito

By Mary Ann Esposito | Photography by Greg West | Food styling by Heather Milliman

When buying radishes, look for firm,

non-cracked bunches with smooth skin

and vibrant green tops. Wilted leaves are

a telltale sign that the radishes are past

their prime. Don’t remove the tops until

you’re ready to use them (the leaves

can be chopped, and used in stir-fries

or salads). Radishes can be stored for up

to two weeks in the vegetable compart-

ment of your refrigerator.

I like to grow radishes. Once the seed

is sown, radishes are one of the earliest

crops to pop up in the garden. I prefer

to harvest radishes when they are a

small size (larger ones tend to be dry

and mealy).

Low in calories—just nineteen in a

cup of sliced radishes—this vegetable is a

great source of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid

and potassium, as well as a good source

of riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, mag-

nesium, copper and manganese. Adopt

radishes as part of a healthy diet! NHH



Chicken and Ginger Stir-FrySERVES 4

Chicken can be quickly prepared with daikon radishes in this stir-fry.

Ginger and soy sauce add just the right amount of punch for flavor.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1½ cups chicken broth

1 pound boneless chicken cutlets,cut into ½-inch-wide strips

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons sesame-seed oil, divided

2 carrots, peeled and julienned

1 small daikon radish, julienned

1 small bok choy, cut into thin strips

1 cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons grated ginger

Recipe courtesy of Mary Ann Esposito

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarchand chicken broth, and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, soysauce, Chinese Five Spice Powder and lemon juice. Toss well to combine and marinate for 15 minutes.

3. In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoonsof the sesame oil over medium heat. Add carrotsand daikon, and cook quickly for 2–3 minutes. Addthe bok choy and cook until it begins to soften.Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantlyuntil they begin to soften. Transfer the mixture toa bowl.

4. Add the remaining sesame oil to the pan overmedium-high heat. Drain the chicken (reserve themarinade), and add the chicken and ginger to thepan. Cook, stirring often until the chicken browns.Stir the marinade into the cornstarch mixture andadd to the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring untilthe sauce begins to thicken.

5. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.



HOME COOKING with mary ann esposito

Grated Radish SlawS ERV ES 4 –6

This colorful and healthy radish slaw is a spin-off on the more commonly known

coleslaw salad. The radish version is perfect for company because it can be made ahead.

2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar

2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon caraway seed, crushed

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

15–20 medium radishes, withoutleaves, grated

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1. In a small bowl, whisk together thevinegar, oil, honey, caraway seed, parsley,garlic and salt.

2. Combine the radishes and carrots in alarge salad bowl. Add the dressing andtoss well.

3. Cover and refrigerate at least one hourbefore serving.

mandevillecanyondesigns.com

603-321-0650

“Design

in Balance

with Nature”

Combining color, texture

and the five earth elements

Renee Carman, award winningdesigner, has been seen onHGTV’s “Decorating Cents”




We believe a kitchen is beautiful

when it fits your home, life, and

tastes. Contact us to find out

how we can make your dream

space a reality.

End your kitchen envy.

3wdesigninc.com

[email protected]

603.226.3399

7 Henniker St, Concord, NH

creating beautifully functional spaces

Artisan qualitycabinetry forevery budget.

From our shopto your home.

Visit our design center n11 Production Avenue nKeene, New Hampshire

www.vermontcabinetry.com n(802) 463-9930

n

n

n

n

n

n



HOME COOKING

Roasted RadishesSERVES 4

What a nice surprise! Radishes are

delicious roasted and a perfect side

dish for meat or poultry.

2 bunches radishes, trimmed andcut in half lengthwise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon salt

Grinding black pepper

603.886.1920 | www.theperfecttile.com | Greystone Plaza | 650 Amherst St, Nashua, NH

Kitchens Baths Showers Backsplashes Floors

Chic, Stylish, Practical...Tile is Anything but Square.

Chic, Stylish, Practical...Tile is Anything but Square.

Contact Us Today at 603-734-4282www.homescapesofne.com

Homescapes of New England, LLC is a family run business with over 30 yearsof building industry and remodeling experience.

Siding • Trim • Windows • Decks

JAMES HARDIE® SIDING SPECIALIST James Hardie® siding is unmatched for its weather resistance and beauty.

You can get the look and feel of real wood, without the maintenance.Perfect siding for New England.




1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine all

ingredients and spread on a nonstick

baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes,

or until the radishes begin to brown

around the edges and are fork tender.

NIN A’S T I P S F ORREMODEL ING

Y O U R K I T C H E N

Nina Hackel, President | Dream Kitchens | 139 Daniel Webster Highway

Nashua NH | www.adreamkitchen.com | 603-891-2916

Tip 1 Maximizing your storage is essential to having a great kitchen. I haveseen many kitchens that have no place to put the frying pans, no real pantryand no counter space on either side of the cook top. These are not functioningkitchens. I maintain that all cabinets less than 12 inches wide are useless. Whatcan you store in them? Not much. If you are going to spend the money to re-model your kitchen, let a designer help you maximize the storage space so youreally can use it. No more trips to the basement to get that pan or roll of papertowels. At Dream Kitchens, I guarantee we will give you at least 30 percentmore storage.

Tip 2 Life has changed. The kitchen is the center of our lives. We cook, ourchildren study, and we entertain in the kitchen. This makes the layout essential.

How many times have you asked your child to “stop standing there so I can getto the fridge?” We should be able to easily chat with guests, put chips and dipout on a buffet, and watch TV. We want guests welcome in the kitchen, but onthe fringes where they add to the fun but don’t get in the way.

Tip 3 Get rid of the clutter. Most countertops are packed with the coffee maker,toaster, food processor, blender, knives, spices and pantry items. This makes italmost impossible to prepare food and makes the kitchen look messy. Have aplace to store everything so you can see and use those beautiful countertops. AtDream Kitchens we will store everything away so you are ready for company atany time of day!

ADVERTISEMENT



BY DESIGN

Bill and Jane Hopwood had

three primary concerns when

they decided to build a home

in the Lake Sunapee area: reduc-

ing energy use, producing their

own energy and living comfortably.

Protecting natural resources and

saving energy is a way of life for Bill,

who worked for more than twenty

years in the renewable energy field.

Through his experience with wind

energy and photovoltaics (solar cells,

panels or arrays that convert sunlight

into electricity), Bill knew the advan-

tages of incorporating this technol-

ogy into his new home.

“I don’t believe any home is truly

net zero (meaning all the energy that

the home consumes is produced on-

site via renewable resources),” Bill says.

Building for Sustainability

By Debbie Kane

In designing a home

that would last well into

retirement, a couple’s top

priorities were energy

efficiency, conservation of

resources and comfort for

their family.

Bill and Jane Hopwood's cedar-shingled, lakeside home was designed by architect Frank Anzalone of Frank Anzalone Associates in New London to address

the homeowners’ concerns for comfort, energy conservation and sustainability.

P H O T O G R A P H Y O N T H

I S P A G E A N D F

A C I N G P

A G E B Y G R E A T I S L A N D P

H O T O G R A P H Y



Thanks to high-tech

features—such as solar

panels, cutting-edge heating

systems and virtually air-tight

construction—the red cedar-

shingled home produces

between 70 percent and

80 percent of the electrical

energy the Hopwoods use.

“But we were interested in producing

our own energy while conserving what

we don’t produce.”

A move to New Hampshire

The Hopwoods moved to New Hamp-

shire from southwestern Pennsylvania,

where they raised cattle and hay on

250 acres of rural farm land and lived

in a circa 1830s, Greek Revival-style

farmhouse. After twenty-five years, they

decided to move, primarily due to noise

and pollution created by one of the

world’s largest underground coal mines

that was located only eight miles from

their home.

Fortunately, the hilly, wooded3.6 acres they purchased on a New

Hampshire lake in the mid-1990s

had no such neighbors. A small, two-

bedroom cottage on the property was

used primarily for family vacations.

Once their three children were grown,

Bill and Jane decided to move to New

Hampshire full time and hired archi-

tect Frank Anzalone of Frank Anzalone

Associates in New London to design a

home that would last the couple well

into retirement.

Bill and Jane worked closely with

Anzalone to design a home that was

comfortable but also addressed con-

cerns for conservation and energy cre-

ation. “Bill was interested in designing

an energy-efficient home,” Anzalonesays. “Jane was interested in a home

that would be comfortable as well as

accommodating to family and friends.”

The cottage on the property was

taken down, and much of the struc-

ture was salvaged or recycled for other

uses. Anzalone identified oak trees on

the property that were removed dur-

ing construction and used as flooring

throughout the house. Designed to

blend into its natural environment,

the three-bedroom, three-bathroom

(with three half-bathrooms) home is

oriented to take advantage of lake views

and maximize sunlight for energy use.

Grading the property and installing

rainwater gardens reduced the amount

of unwanted water-runoff into thelake below.



BY DESIGN

603.679.1777REVISIONENERGY.COM

Top: Jane Hopwood refers to her colorful family room as the “kitchen room,” a comfortable spot adjacent to

the kitchen, and perfect for enjoying a view of the lake and relaxing by the large stone fireplace.

Above: Sue Booth of Vintage Kitchens in Concord worked with Jane to create a bright kitchen that's the

heart of the home. Countertops are honed granite, while the custom-made, red birch cabinetry is stained

medium brown.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y G R E A T I S L A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y

P H O T O G R A P H B Y D A N A F L E W E L L I N G



Making the homeenergy-efficient

Thanks to high-tech features—such

as solar panels, cutting-edge heat-

ing systems and virtually air-tight

construction—the red-cedar-shingled

home produces between 70 percent

and 80 percent of the electrical energy

the Hopwoods use. “A tight house

reduces its overall heating and

cooling load,” says Michael Bruss,

president of Bruss Construction in

Bradford, who was hired by the

Hopwoods to oversee construction.

Layers of high R-value insula-

tion were sprayed and installed on

all foundation walls, on the home’s

exterior and interior walls and sides,

in the stud cavities, as well as in the

roof and rafter cavities. To ensure air

circulation, an energy recovery venti-

lator (ERV) continuously replaces airinside the house with air from outside

Wicked Good Deals From Around the World!

542 W. Main St. Tilton, NH 03276

920 Lafayette Rd Seabrook, NH 03874

603-729-4043

603-601-0349

DIRECT IMPORTERS OF TOP QUALITY, EXOTIC

HARDWOOD FLOORING AND DECKING.

OVER 50 HARDWOOD FLOORS IN STOCK

HARDWOOD • CEDAR • COMPOSITE • PVC DECKING AND RAILING SYSTEMS

We ship NatioNWide • opeN MoNday-saturday

RARE AND BEAUTIFUL

PONDEROSA PINE

BARN BOARD

CUMARU DECKINGBRAZILIAN HICKORY

hBraNh hoMe shoW • March 21-23 • radissoN hotel MaNchester

coNcord hoMe shoW • March 29-30 • everett areNa

North shore hoMe shoW • april 26-27 • topsfield fairgrouNds

Visit us at these home shows:

For a complete product listing visit our website

www.unclehildes.com



BY DESIGN

the house, reducing the need to open

windows to let in fresh air. During

this process, energy transfers from

outgoing air to incoming air, cooling

it in the summer and warming it in

the winter.

When the Hopwoods are home,

Bill—who prefers a local, renew-

able energy source to help heat thehome—uses a wood-fired boiler,

which stores heat in a 620-gallon

tank for heating and domestic hot

water use. The home’s other heat

source (for hot water, cooking and

running a clothes dryer) is an

efficient, condensing-propane smart

boiler. A radiant-heating system keeps

the floors comfortably warm during

cool weather.

A five-kilowatt photovoltaic system

on the roof carries 80 percent of the

home’s electrical load. A solar thermal

system powers an 80-gallon, solar

hot-water system. A high-efficiency,

propane hot-water unit is used for

backup (as is a generator, during

power outages).

Named an Energy Star Qualified

home, the home has a HERS rating

of 41, which means it’s 60 percentmore energy-efficient than a standard

3 Alpine CourtSunapee, NH 03782

(603) 763-2477

www.northcapedesign.com

D E S I G N B U I L D

Designated a Certified Green Professional (CGP) Builder

© B

i l l F i s h

P h o t o g r a p h y

Details Now offering interior design & planning servicesCustom designed kitchen & bath cabinets

Antique stained-glass windows from the Hopwoods’

Pennsylvania home were restored as a gift from

architect Frank Anzalone and installed above the

doors from the master bedroom to the porch.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y G R E A T I S L A N D P

H O T O G R A P H Y

0 74470 22772 4

1 2

NOV EMBER/ DECEMBER 20 13

$ 4.9 5

N H H O M E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Ho lida y déc o r that dazzlesT LC f o r ar tw o rk

.

In all sizes, shapes and sty les

BEAUT I F ULBAT HROOMS

TO S U BS CR I B E :

Call 603.624.1442 or go to

n h h o m e m a g a z i n e . c o m

0 74470 22772 4

0 2

JANUAR Y/FEBRUARY 20 14 $4.95

NHH O M E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

I

.

F

TRANSFORMING SPACES THROUG

H

GREA T DESIGN



Congratulations to

The 2014

NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME’s

Excellence in Design

Awards Winners:

Alice Williams Interiors

Patty Kennedy Interiors

Patty Cooke of Wentworth Style

BEAM Construction

Created from Earth. Crafted by Artisans.

REMARBLEANDGRANITE.COM

Building for Life.

(603) 744-0186www.haywardandcompany.com

Mike and Julie Hayward,

owners of Hayward & Company

P H O T O G R A P H B Y S T E F M A R T I N , N O R T H P E A K D E S I G

N



new home (HERS stands for Home

Efficiency Rating System, which is an

index for measuring a home’s energy

efficiency).

“The Hopwoods generate most

of the electricity they use with this

whole system,” Anzalone says. “It’s a

sustainable home that’s very livable

and attractive.”

A comfortable, bright interior

While Bill’s focus was sustainability,

Jane’s goal was making the home’s

interiors comfortable and livable. A

former weaver and an avid sewer, she

wanted space for her own interests

as well as living space for herself,

Bill and their family, which includesfive grandchildren. The home has

BY DESIGN

100 West Road, Portsmouth, NH

603-436-1400

800-225-7747

www.standardne.com

THE BATH & KITCHEN

SHOWROOM AT

A little OVERWHELMED

by all of the CHOICES

for your NEW

KITCHEN & BATH?

CLASSIC, CONTEMPORARY

ECLECTIC, TRANSITIONAL

YOU COULD PROBABLYuse someone to...

PLACE YOUR TRUST IN US.

help you through the clutter.

nhmagazine.com

877.494.2036

Subscribe to

The home’s lower-level mechanical room contains a

condensing-propane smart boiler (the white box at

right, hanging on the wall), the heat source for hot

water, cooking and the clothes dryer. The wood-

fired boiler is on the left. A radiant-heating system

throughout the house keeps floors warm.

P H O T O G R A P H Y O N T H I S P A G E B Y D A N A F L E W E L L I N G

This storage tank and reservoir for the wood-fired

boiler supports the home’s heating and hot water

systems.



Imagine a kitchen...Imagine a kitchen...

Vinta e Kitchens

Vinta e Kitchens

Vintage Kitchens

vintagekitchens.com603.224.2854 24 South Street Concord, NH 03301

Whether you live in an old house with original features, or planto create something entirely new, the goal is the same: a consistent

aesthetic theme and a kitchen that works— beautifully.

Vintage Kitchens

Make your dream a reality with a newStorage Shed or Certified Home!

Call or E-mail us for more

information.

• Barns • Garages • Certifed Homes

• Gazebos • Play Structures

• Chicken Coops

1195 VA Cutoff RoAd, WHite RiVeR JunCtion, VeRmont

www.carriageshed.com 800-441-6057 [email protected]

three floors: the master bedroom

suite is on the third floor; the second

floor contains a guest room and the

kitchen/dining/living room spaces;

the ground floor has a sewing room,

a family room, a guest room as well

as access to a screened porch and

stone patio. Bill’s office is over the

garage in the back; stairs connect it to

the main floor.

Jane directed most of her attention

to the kitchen (“It's where I am 90

percent of the time,” she says) and

communal living spaces. The bright,

open kitchen, designed with Sue

Booth of Vintage Kitchens in Con-

cord, has red birch cabinetry (custom

made and stained medium brown atVintage Kitchen’s custom cabinetry

shop) and natural stone tile floors.

“Jane knew how she wanted her

kitchen to flow so it was a good part-

nership,” Booth says. “We designed

the kitchen based on how she works

in the space.”

A large, granite-topped center

island provides ample room for

informal meals and can accom-

modate visiting grandchildren. A

sitting room directly off the kitchen

offers beautiful views of the lake and

was originally designed with a glass

wall to close off the space in winter.

The three-story home features a deck off the

upstairs master bedroom, a screened porch off

the family room and easy access to the lake.


H O T O G R A P H Y



“But, I wanted to be able to use the

room year round,” Jane says. “Now

it’s one large room. Someone can be

sitting on the loveseat reading a book

while someone else is working in the

kitchen.” There’s also access to a

giant stone fireplace, one of five in

the home.

Especially important to Jane was

creating space for family heirlooms as

well as her collection of watercolors

and prints. The formal dining room

was designed to accommodate a large

square mirror (sixty-six inches on

each side) that has belonged to Bill’s

family for generations. Stained-glass

windows from the Hopwoods’ home

in Pennsylvania were restored as a gift

from Anzalone and installed in doors

leading from the master bedroom

to the upstairs porch. Jane’s colorful

collection of pottery and porcelain

BY DESIGN Montreux deep seating designed by Peter Homestead

When you pair the Montreux set with the cast aluminum table top fire pit, you can turn entertaininginto a fine outdoor event that will last long into the night. Let our professionals help you design

your own personal space: indoor or out. See and sit in over forty settings on display, or choose fromthousands of styles, colors or patterns at our Design Center. Learn more, including weekly specials atwww.SeasonalStores.com.

Seasonal Specialty Stores®Your store for style, service and selection™

120 Route 101A, Amherst, NH 03031(603) 880-8471 • www.SeasonalStores.com

[email protected] 0917

Total Garage Enhancement

Garage Accessories

Storage & Flooring

Imagine your garage, tailored to the way

you live. Let Tailored Living® personalize your

space today with exclusive PremierGarage® brand

custom organization solutions and flooring.

LOCATED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, ALSO SERVING MASSACHUSETTS AND MAINE

(603) 232-0117 n www.tailoredliving.com/Manchester

CALL TODAY OR GO ONLINE TO REQUEST A FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION!



Resources

Bruss Construction938-2069 • brussconstruction.com

Colonial Woodworking, Inc. 938-5131 • colonial-woodworking.com

Frank Anzalone Associates 526-8911 • faa-arch.com

Vintage Kitchens / Vintage Custom Cabinetry 224-2854 • vintagekitchens.com

is displayed on fireplace mantels and

along the top of the sitting room wall

off the kitchen.

Several years after construction, the

Hopwoods are happy with the results.

In fact, everyone involved with the

project is pleased.

“Having a ‘green’ home doesn't

mean sacrificing comfort or livability,”

Anzalone says. “This is a well-

planned, high-performing home

that should be around for many,

many years.” NHH

Professional, Proactive,

Managed I.T. Support

■ I.T. Support

■ Networking

■ Cloud Migration

■ I.T. Strategy

■ Server Virtualization

■ Server Consolidation

We don’t prot from I.T. problems, we PREVENT them.

2 DYER AVENUESALEM, NH 03079

(603) 458-7190

www.tseed.com

Technology Seed

Geothermal Energy Done Right!

To realize geothermal’s full potentialas a clean, energy saving technology,you need a geothermal expert.

With over 500 geothermal installationsand 20 years experience in heatingand cooling, we pledge to deliver

• An accurate cost estimate• Reliable scheduling• A system that works as promised

Contact us today for a free estimate!

New England’s #1Residential Geothermal Installer

603.868.7878

www.UltraGeothermal.com

The home's front entry highlights

an antique bench as well as the main

staircase, built by Colonial Woodworking

in Bradford. The wall trim is maple, and the

staircase rails are mahogany.


H O T O G R A P H Y



A Writer’s Home and

How It Got That Way

By Andi Axman | Photography by John W. Hession

NOTABLE HOMEOWNERS

Every old house has a unique

history of who’s done what

and why. While most of these

stories are pretty predictable in light

of when the home was built, some

buildings have stories that are hard

to imagine. A case in point is P.J.

O’Rourke’s house near Peterborough.

O’Rourke is the best-selling author

of fifteen books and his sixteenth, The

Baby Boom—How It Got That Way…And

It Wasn’t My Fault…And I’ll Never Do It

Again, was published in January by

Atlantic Monthly Press. He’s also writ-

ten for numerous publications, includ-

ing Rolling Stone and the Atlantic , and

has established himself as America’s

premier political satirist. Time and the

Wall Street Journal have called him the

“funniest writer in America,” and he

Despite all the work it

needed, an eighteenth-

century house won

P.J. O’Rourke’s heart

from the get-go.

The living room is P.J. O’Rourke’s favorite room in the house because of its original woodwork and the view. The décor includes objects from his travels

to forty countries as a foreign correspondent. O’Rourke likes to read in the leather Eames chair by the fireplace.



Standing in the center hall, P.J. O’Rourke says the wood figures flanking the entry to the dining room were made in China in the nineteenth century and one of the few

items he did not buy abroad. “These were from an estate in Florida,” he says, “and weren’t very expensive because they were white elephants and we knew just what to

do with them.”



NOTABLE HOMEOWNERS

frequently appears on television and

National Public Radio’s Wait, Wait,

Don’t Tell Me.

Moving to New Hampshire

O’Rourke found his way to New Hamp-

shire after visiting a college friend and

his wife in Jaffrey in 1979. He was liv-

ing in New York at the time and wanted

a place outside the city. When a two-

bedroom cottage in Jaffrey with a lovely

view and fifteen acres came on the mar-

ket that year, O’Rourke couldn’t refuse.

He bought the property even though it

needed work. “I couldn’t get a parking

spot in New York City for $66,000,” he

says, “and I thought, ‘What do I have

to lose?’” A couple of years later, he

became a freelance foreign correspon-

dent and took his accountant’s adviceto become a New Hampshire resident.

Among the renovations that O’Rourke made to house—seen above as it looked before it was disassembled and

moved from Walpole—were adding a pair of bay windows and a screened porch on the “awkward” addition

(top photo).



He lived in that house for ten years,

but the time came when he and his

wife, Tina, needed a bigger house with

room for a family that now includes

three children and four dogs. So he got

back in touch with real estate agent

Heather Peterson, who sold him the

first house. “Both times I told her whatI wanted, and both times I bought the

first house she showed me,” he says.

“When we drove up the driveway,

I saw this house and said it was the

house my mother always wanted. She

had always loved Colonial architecture,

and although she had been dead for

fifteen years, this house really struck

a chord.”

The house, on a beautiful eighty-

acre site with a spectacular view of

Mount Monadnock, was built in

Walpole in the 1790s. In 1939, it

was taken apart and moved to where

it now stands. “It was put together

again in 1940 with some unfortunate

additions,” O’Rourke says. Although

the paneling in the living room, the

pumpkin pine floorboards and the

main beams date back to 1790, the

siding does not. Nor do the woodworkdetails and the ceiling. While the pre-

Sales, Cleaning

Appraisals

Repair &

Restoration

Since 1953

persianrugsnh.com • 227 1/2 Main St., Nashua • 603-882-5604

THE RUG IS THE SOUL OF ANY ROOM.

Published in January by Atlantic Monthly Press,

O’Rourke’s newest book has been called “a terrific

American memoir” and his “best book ever” by

fellow author Christopher Buckley. O’Rourkeappears at The Music Hall in Portsmouth on April

16—see page 84 for details.



Resource

P.J. O’Rourkepjorourke.com

vious homeowners were interested in

preserving Colonial architecture, “they

weren’t sticklers for accurate details,”

O’Rourke says. That’s putting it mildly:

in a hysterical Wall Street Journal piece

published in October 2013, he calls

these homeowners “amateur architects”

and refers to them as “Mr. and Mrs.

Frank Lloyd Wrong.” O’Rourke sur-

mised that after the house was disman-

tled, “mice ate the plans.” When work-

men finished putting the house back

together, “they had so many parts left

over that they built a barn with them.

Our chickens scratch authentic, antique

twenty-four-inch wide pumpkin pine

flooring and roost on fireplace mantles

that, for all I know, were hand carvedby Duncan Phyfe.” O’Rourke continues,

saying that Mr. and Mrs. Wrong “tacked

on random boxy additions in an archi-

tectural style that might be called Old

Sturbridge Village Self-Storage.”

O’Rourke already had renovated an

old house and says he “learned the

hard way that you don’t do the cos-metic stuff first.” The

house’s wiring and

plumbing systems

dated from 1940

and the insulation

wasn’t very good, so

he began with those

projects.

The house also had

“a hideous picture

window in the dining

room” and an “ugly”

bay window in the

living room. “It was

very 1970s and made

up of three, great

big sheets of floor-

to-ceiling insulated,

twin-paned glass that

got all fogged up on

the inside,” O’Rourkesays. “The result was

just awful.”

There was also

grass cloth wallpaper

and a playroom

“box” added on to

the house. “The

porch was walled

in to waist height

and also walled in

from the top, so there was only a nar-

row view down to the mountain. One

whole wall of the porch had jalousie

windows and a fake tile concrete floor.

It was terrible.”

Renovating the house

So O’Rourke went to work with Andy

Weber, a contractor from Jaffrey. “I

asked him to put a pair of bay

windows—one in the living room, onein the dining room—so it would look

like it was a one-hundred-year-old

aesthetic error instead of a twenty-year-

old error,” O’Rourke says. “Because

rooms in these center-hall Colonials

are not huge, the bay windows actually

work. They make the room appear a

lot bigger.”Other projects included putting a

screened porch on that “awkward”

addition to the house and transforming

the “rather lumpy-looking three-bay ga-

rage attached to the house.” The garage

area was so big that it became a mud-

room, a breakfast room, a coat closet, a

laundry room, a one-bay garage and a

storage shed. “This was without altering

the footprint,” O’Rourke adds. “We

have not altered the footprint of any

part of the building.” As work proceed-

ed on the mudroom, the kitchen ex-

panded into what had been the garage

and got a little more space.

When it came to decorating the

home, O’Rourke says that was easy.

“The décor is ‘Me and Tina Random,’”

he says. “I spent twenty years filing

stories from forty different countries

and brought things home. I’ve alwaysliked folk art, so a lot of what you see

around this house are things from

various expeditions.”

In the living room—O’Rourke’s

favorite room in the house, because of

its original woodwork and the view—

are an Australian aboriginal painting,

a cross from Mexico, figures from

Paraguay, baskets from the Philippines,

another cross from Ethiopia, a bellows

from Syria, Inuit sculptures, and

wooden masks from Cuba and Tanza-

nia. Near the fireplace is a lamp next to

a modern leather chair where O’Rourke

likes to read. “I have a bad back, which

was an excellent excuse to pay too

much for an Eames chair,” he says.

“But it really does work.” NHH

In the dining room is Patrick Oliphant’s 2007 sculpture called Bush, Cheney and

the Country . Above it hangs a landscape by Maryland artist Kevin Fitzgerald and

over the door is a spear from South Africa used for killing lions.

NOTABLE HOMEOWNERS



Frank Anzalone Associates Architects

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INTERIORS

603-526-8911 ◆ FAA-ARCH.COMNew London, New Hampshire



Spring arrives early at Grout Hill Farm in

Acworth, home of landscape designer

Kristian Fenderson and his partner

Alston Barrett. In mid-March, a collection of

witch hazels ( Hamamelis x intermedia)—

including the deep yellow ‘Arnold’s Promise’,

pale yellow ‘Pallida’, and coppery red ‘Jelena’

and ‘Ruby Glow’—begin to bloom. The earli-

est plants to emerge are golden-yellow winter

aconite ( Eranthis hymenalis); sky-blue hepatica

( H. transylvanica) with its large, felted leaves;

and hundreds of self-propagated giant snow-

drops (Galanthus elwesii). “These three plants,

along with the witch hazels, are the sure first

signs of spring for me,” Fenderson says.

Soon, hundreds of spring flowering bulbs

A Grand Spring Awakening

GARDEN Rx

By Robin Sweetser | Photography by Nancy Belluscio

A master

plantsman

creates an

extraordinary

landscape on

old farmland

at home.

Constructed from stones found on the property, this path leads to the 1836 barn, which was recently restored using most of its original hardware.

Foundations of an old blacksmith shop, corn crib and other outbuildings have provided settings and stonework for many of the gardens.

naturalized in the pasture begin to poke out

of the soil. The miniature daffodil ‘Peeping

Tom’ with its long, golden trumpet is first to

appear, followed by a succession of bloom-

ing daffodils, such as pale yellow ‘Hawera’

with its swept-back petals and ending with

the poet’s narcissus ‘Actaea’, a fragrant, white

heirloom variety.

Blue, white and lavender flowers of

creeping phlox ( Phlox stolonifera) provide a

colorful groundcover and—along with the

graceful, giant, white trilliums (Trillium gran-

diflorum), which age to a deep pink as they

mature—have spread throughout the garden.

“This trillium is only surpassed in beauty by

the double-flowering form,” Fenderson says.



“The double is spectacular!” (His trilli-

ums came from single clumps someone

gave him. “They love to be divided,”

Fenderson says.)

The early magnolias blossom next.

Fenderson has quite a collection of

them, including star magnolias( M. stellata) and ( M. x loebneri). ‘Centen-

nial’ is a double-star magnolia that was

developed and named for the Arnold

Arboretum’s one hundredth anniver-

sary. ‘Centennial’ has flowers that are

between three and four inches wide,

each with between twenty-eight and

thirty-two petals that are white with a

slight pink blush. ‘Royal Star’ is another

fragrant double-star, and ‘Ballerina’

also has white blossoms tinged faintly

with pink. ‘Dr. Merrill’ has fragrant,

strap-like white blossoms, and the later

blooming ‘Leonard Messel’ has pink

petals. “The magnolias self-hybridize

and seed freely in the garden,” Fender-

son says. “A lovely one showed up

with pale pink and white peppermint

striped flowers.”

Building a homeThe three-hundred-acre Grout Hill

Farm is one of New Hampshire’s hidden

gems. Located on a winding dirt road,

the farm has been Barrett’s and Fend-

erson’s home for more than forty-five

years. The house, built in the 1790s, is

one of the oldest in town and belonged

to one of Fenderson’s distant ancestors

in the 1830s. Lovingly restored along

with the 1836 barn, the house has a

solid, nestled-in look. Behind the house

is a large, circular stone patio that

Fenderson built from the stones Barrett

collected from the property. The patio

is home to about 150 potted plants

each summer.

At a glance, the surrounding land-

scape has matured to look as though

it is native to the site, although that is

not the case. “When we moved here,

there were no plantings other than afew lilacs and an old mock orange,”

To locate Kristian Fenderson (top) in his garden, just look for the beat up Stetson—his favorite gardening hat.

Early blooming and very fragrant European alpine primroses (Primula marginata, above left) grow in large

pots placed around the garden. Hybrid peony ‘Itoh’ (above, center), a cross between a tree peony and an

herbaceous peony, bears many of these soft yellow blossoms and is very hardy in this zone 5 garden.

White trilliums (above, right) light up the understory and are a shade-loving companion for the earliest

blooming primroses.



GARDEN Rx

Fenderson says. “The open farmland

was growing up in wild apple seedlings,

pasture pine and gray birch.”

Now, the well-kept pasture is home

to two horses. “I don’t think I could

garden without horse manure,” he

says. “The blue poppies especially likethe soil that has been built up using

manure.”

Rare plants in Acworth

Tibetan blue poppies, which Fenderson

calls the signature plants of the garden,

are just one of the rarities to be found.

On closer inspection, the garden reveals

itself to be the work of a master plants-

man: There are the blue Aquilegia

jonesii—these sub-alpine plants are

native to the limestone cliffs of the

Continental Divide but are successfully

surviving in a raised bed that mimics

alpine conditions. Kentucky lady’s slip-

pers—which are elusive even in their

native range of Virginia to Texas—grow

happily along with other uncommon

finds, such as pale pink Himalayan

mayapple, blue wood anemones and

hardy cacti. Specimen trees include the con-

torted European beech ( Fagus sylvatica

tortuosa). “Now that’s a tree with is-

sues!” Fenderson says as he points out

the twisted branches that loop back on

themselves in a painful-looking way.

Another very rare and prominent tree is

a golden weeping beech ( Fagus sylvatica

aurea pendula). “It has been christened

‘Sarah Bernhardt’ by a dear friend for

its dramatic appearance,” Fenderson

laughs. There are several weeping

European larches ( Larix decidua pen-

dula) lending their gracefully arching

branches and fine bright green foliage

to the spring landscape.

The specialty

Small gardens along the meandering

paths draw you in, demanding close

attention. There are columbines,butterfly-like jeffersonia, bird’s foot

Top: Blue Tibetan poppies are just one of the rarities to be found at Grout Hill Farm.

Above: Tall delphiniums provide a backdrop for the pinks and reds of ‘Liberty’ snapdragons, gomphrena

and ‘Raspberry Splash’ petunias.



4 Grove Street, Wolfeboro • 603-569-3565 • WWW.kitchenSnh.com

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM IN WOLFEBORO AND BECOME ONE OF OUR MANY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS WE HAVE DEVELOPED SINCE 1974.

W spaz u-s sda dsg.W as dsg as, s, a s,

ad ay ay yu .

FRED E. VARNEY COMPANY

Rye, NH | (603) 373-8260 | www.trrussellbuilders.com

T.R. Russell Builders Inc.CUSTOM HOMES AND R EMODELINGBringing together the architects design,

our experienced craftpeople and client input, we

strive to make the finished project an extension

of all our collective talents.

• environment and energy responsible • personal attention • creative • professional



GARDEN Rx

violets, hellebores, double pink

anemonella, pink tiarella, crested iris,pulmonaria, Virginia bluebells and

hybrid lady’s slippers in spectacular

colors. Many of these flowers are wood-

land natives that form the perfect

understory for evergreen rhododen-

drons and deciduous shrubs—such asazalea, andromeda, viburnum, daphne,

spirea and weigela—and trees—such

as Japanese maples, birches, cherries

and crabapples.

In almost every garden there are

primroses. Plants in the primulafamily have been Fenderson’s lifelong

passion, and he is an expert, having

written a book about them, A Synoptic

Guide to the Genus Primula. Fenderson is

The stone and brick patio behind the house provides a stage for about150 pots of flowering annuals,tender perennials, coleus andtuberous begonias.

Cary Award Plants

You may recognize many of the plants that Kristian Fenderson and Alston Barrett grow as being

Cary Award winners. Named for nurseryman Ed Cary, the award has been given annually since

1997 to promote outstanding trees and shrubs for New England gardens.

Nominated to the list by landscape professionals from around New England, the plantsaren’t necessarily new but are superior performers that deserve to be used more in

area landscapes.

“There are a lot of Cary Award winners growing in the garden,” Fenderson says. “Of course,

they were here before there was a Cary Award. I am on the selection committee and help

choose the plants for it.”

A few from the list growing on Grout Hill Farm are pinkshell azalea, large fothergilla, witch

hazel ‘Pallida’, Kousa dogwood, climbing hydrangea, stewartia, rhododendron ‘Olga Mezitt’, and

magnolias ‘Centennial’ and ‘Leonard Messel’. In this way, Grout Hill Farm is not only a pleasure to

behold but also a living laboratory.

For more information about the Cary Award and a complete list of the plants, visit

caryaward.com.

Hybrid yakushimanum rhododendron ‘Ken Janek’

is just one of the many Cary Award plants (it won

in 2002) Kristian Fenderson grows in Acworth.



“your partner in

design excellence and

quality workmanship

throughout New England

and beyond”

sunapee, nh | phone (603) 763-6423 | www.dblandscaping.com

LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECTURE

LANDSCAPE

CONSTRUCTION

DESIGN/BUILD

PERMITTING ANDLAND PLANNING

a member of the American Primrose

Society and serves as a judge during

their national show held each spring

at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in

Boylston Massachusetts. If you have

struggled to grow primroses, you’ll be

amazed by the way the plants havenaturalized, many escaping their beds

and taking over pathways. “I have

been collecting primula species and

hybrids for more than forty years

and grow nearly a hundred different

forms,” Fenderson says.

Golden-yellow cowslip primroses

( Primula veris) and pale yellow oxlips

( P. elatior ) are the first primroses to

show color in the spring, and they

remain colorful for about six weeks.

“Both oxlip and cowslip are wild

European species that have natural-

ized throughout the garden by the

hundreds,” Fenderson says.

Early blooming European alpine

auricula primroses ( P. marginata),

with their fragrant blue flowers and

leathery gray-green leaves, grow in

a perlite and peat mix in large con-

tainers placed around the property.One of Fenderson’s own selections

is a garden auricula he named ‘Grout

Hill Violet’. Rosy lavender and white

globes of drumstick primroses

( P. denticulata) thrive in the damp-

ness of the lower garden. Blooming

at the same time are the small Juliana

primroses, including pink ‘Kinlough

Beauty’, which Fenderson calls an

all-time great. “You can’t kill it! It is

extremely durable,” he says.

Pink, white and blue primula acau-

lis are followed by the larger flowered

polyanthus crosses, including the

Cowichans. “A particular favorite

of mine are the deep ruby and sol

Documents

02 NHH Mar-April14.pdf