Name: Jessica & George (Jack & Murray, two Maine coon cats)
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 8½ — owned
Jessica and George live on a street in Manchester that anyone would consider busy. Although right off the highway, their home is set far back on a hill encompassed by trees and a long front lawn. It is clear that they like their privacy too, because their home exudes relaxation and recreation. It is a large comfortable house fit for swimming, hosting a dinner party, reading, making art or music, and lounging.
It is easy to imagine all of the creative and restful ways to spend time in their home but after speaking with them, it is clear that a lot of work happened first. When they bought their home almost nine years ago, the entire first floor was carpeted in blue shag. Yes, even the bathroom! There were large shrubs covering most of the windows which blocked the natural light. In a word I would describe their home "before" as stuffy, as in cramped with texture, competing textiles, and little natural light. The former owner was brave to pair blue shag carpet with red and orange drapes!
Jessica and George did most of the renovation themselves including adding an outdoor irrigation system, adding a very long stone walkway, tiling the bathrooms, building the pool deck and cabana, partially refinishing the basement, and adding the staircase railing. They are obviously related to the right people, because most of the furniture has been passed down from grandparents and great aunts! Other pieces they found on sale or on the side of the road.
I particularly love the arrangement of the living room furniture. Those fabulous leather chairs beckon you to sit. A New Hampshire state senator lived here during the sixties and seventies and outfitted the home with the fixtures in the first floor bathroom and kitchen, and wallpaper in the bedrooms. He also had most of the drapes custom made. Jess and George have kept all of these elements to create a nice fusion of contemporary meets retro.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style? George: Frank Lloyd Wright meets Monster Garage
Jessica: For me it's more about the 'piece'. I have transformed rooms for their placement.
What is your greatest inspiration? George: The number 3
Jessica: Nature
Favorite Element: George: Stair Railing
Jessica: It changes with the season; At the moment it is the cabana.
Biggest Challenge: George: HVAC
Jessica: Maintenance
What Friends Say: George: Always a fun place to be
Jessica: Fun, cool and a space worth wandering
Biggest Embarrassment: George: That after 9 years I've yet to build a roof-top sun deck, with an outdoor spiral staircase and fire pole.
Proudest DIY: George: Designing and building the deck and cabana
Jessica: The front walkway; my only mosaic.
Biggest Indulgence: George: Quality and style
Jessica: Items that will last a long time.
Best Advice: Instinct is never over designed.
Jessica: When estimating the time it will take to complete a project, multiply by 2.
Dream Source: George: Falling Water
Resources:
Appliances: Rick Restorations
Hardware: Mcmaster
Furniture: Machine Age, Antique stores, yard sales, consignment, hand me downs; Base for the dining room table was made by Kendal McAdams.
Accessories: Think Geek, CB2, Fred Flare, West Elm, Anthropologie, consignment and antique stores, flea- markets, Urban Outfitters
Lighting: Same as above.
Rugs and Carpets: FLOR
Tiles and Stones: Corriveau Routhier for walkway stone
Window Treatments: Former owner
Artwork:Mostly Jessica and other talented friends
Flooring: Lumber Liquidators
Thanks, Jess & George!
Images: Violet Marsh Photography
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I like a lot of the pieces in each of the rooms and some of the rooms themselves. However, their is a lack of cohesiveness about the house and too many design elements.. Eclectic here is too much and quite dizzying.
I usually don't wall paper, but I am in love with that black and white flowery paper.
I love this home. I want to move in!! The book shelves are blowing my mind!!!
http://burningbridgesbnb.blogspot.com/
I love the library and the cabana!
Love the library and the outdoors area. But, for a 3000 sq ft house, that is a tiny tiny kitchen. I wish they had allocated more space for the kitchen.
Love this house. The previous owner left behind some gems. Oh how I covet the pool and the drapes in the dining room! George's welded stair rail and the pool cabana took my breath away. What I wouldn't give for that cut out for electronics under the staircase, especially the hidden wires - super fantastic! Finally, I love the placement of the desk in the living room. Looks like those windows get great light making that a really cozy spot.
Your electic style is intoxicating! Bravo - love that wallpaper and those kitchen cabinets.
I like your house, especially the brown bathroom. What color is the paint?
Love pic 26!
I had to double check that I was not looking at two different houses here. I am confused because some of it is quite modern and some is retro and there is a way to mix the two but these were clustered off into separate rooms. Great railings though, and there are some great pieces througout the home.
The second floor library steals the show. What a gem!
Oh, and that cabana......... Yes, that too. (But why carpeting in the cabana?)
Loved the first floor, but the second floor with all the crazy wallpaper seemed like it was a totally different house. Love the bathroom with all the pictures.
I like to look at lots of pictures when I'm on the can too:)
the bookshelves? where? please, thanks.
This post makes me homesick. I was born and raised in NH and still own a house in Portsmouth but now live in Austin. I wish I could live in your backyard! I also love how you kept the wallpaper and made it work...gorgeous! That black shelving unit is amazing!
I do love those bookshelves and the art nook. What a fun house!
Manchester sure has gotten sophisticated in the years since I left NH. Wow!
I could easily staycation in your cabana. The pool area at night looks magical.
Cool bookshelves!
Now, on to some suggestions for Apartment Therapy (not directed at Jess and George):
1. If you mention the home owners' pets, please post a picture or two, unless they have asked you not to do so. I look forward to the pet pictures and am disappointed when they don't appear. (Pics of cats on the home owners' walls don't count!)
2. I wonder why AT generally does not include a picture of the home owners, themselves? That, too, would be nice, as long as owners consented. Seeing the owners (or renters) helps put a name to a face, as it were. In other words, sometimes you can see that a home and its people "click."
3. How about a slideshow mode for your viewers? Or, how about slightly smaller pictures that fit on a screen without having to scroll down half an inch to see the bottom of every photo? (Maybe that's just my own computer issue.)
4. Finally, and most importantly, it would be so great if AT always, ALWAYS included a floor plan of the homes they showcase! Hand drawn, slightly-not-to-scale is no problem. Floorplans, along with good pictures, help us envision the spaces we are looking at.
@ kattykat: good points. The issue with your image being cut off is your monitor/computer. No issue in the regard to that here.
Lovely spaces and the scale. It shows a lot more cozy and inviting that I expected for a 3000 sq ft house.
The cabana is great. But, 3,000 square feet and their work spaces have to go in a closet and a corner of the living room - seriously?
kattykat:
1. Sometimes pets hide under beds and run away from strangers. I don't remember seeing the cats in the house. They must have been hiding.
2. I find that homeowners do a lot of running around organizing and cleaning before the shoot and it's sort of asking a lot to request a photo of them as well. People generally do not like their picture taken. Sometimes only one of the owners/ renters are home during the shoot etc.
3. The cut off you are describing has to do with your monitor's resolution. AT offers the thumbnail view so you can view pictures in any order if you want.
4. I really like the idea of a floor plan, but that involves someone drawing it and a scanner which isn't always possible.
Each house tour is different. Some people are still working on their spaces and only want to share certain rooms. Some people want to share their outside space, others do not. We work with each person's situation individually.
Great bookshelves and LOVE the cabana!
The library with the diagonal bookshelves really drew me in. I would love to spend hours of every day on that couch reading.
Really like everything! The mix of all the furniture and style is wonderful. Would love to know the LR paint color.
Just bought a house today, it's a blank slate, lots of ideas from your wonderful house.
I love the layout of the living room. I typically don't organize at an angle unless I have a reason. In this layout, the round table to one side, paintings on the mantle and the door opening all direct me to the next space.
Good Stuff
Can anyone identify the source of the angled bookcases and that small, black tripod table in the living room. I need that table! I've been searching for a table like that for months now.
The pool area is magical (especially in the night photo)
I love that your books seem to be arranged by ideas contained, and not by the color of the cover (although I do love beautiful books) I wonder if it's any easier to find titles on a diagonal?
Your iron work is very elegant!
I'm working on my home office and the little work nook was very inspirational. I'm curious about the curve cut out in the front of the mat?
@littlehouser, looks like the Twiggy table: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=5621
I love everything about this house tour!
with a 3000 sq. foot home...i am really curious as to why his desk is in the living room...seems there are plenty of other rooms it could have and should have gone in.
Thank You all for your comments. Here are some responses to questions posted:
creative license:
The indoor/outdoor carpet in the cabana was primary for traction by avoiding puddles forming from wet feet coming out of the pool.
Allicat09:
The bookshelves are an original design and they're heavy! 200 lbs each. I'd be happy to make you some to fit your space, but you've gotta pick 'em up :-)
babyfishmouth:
I work from home (graphic designer) and the living room is my favorite room of the house. I tried having my office upstairs but it was too cut off from the energy of the first floor. I love that my workspace is cradled within this large open space, windows on all sides and the art-nook is only 3 strides away for any hand-work I need to do. It also leaves us 2 spare bedrooms for company which if often.
jlconnelly:
Bookshelves (see Allicat09 above) The tripod mirror table came from a consignment store and there are no markings to mention. Sorry.
littlehouser:
The cutting-mat table is hinged at the back so the front can be lowered to allow for a drafting-table-like angle. The semicircle at the front is a grab-point to lift the table when it's at it's lowest position.
Coletta: (see babyfishmouth above)
Thank you all again for your interest and I'd be happy to answer any other questions anyone has. Please comment with your email if you'd like Jess or I to contact you directly.
Cheers!
-G
I love everything, even the wallpaper. This house really sings of its time, late 60s and early 70s, but it isn't static or museum-y. Absolutely marvelous.
Love the way your palette works. Could you share the living room and dining room colors? Thanks.
Also, the trim color. Did you paint the ceilings the same colors or did you cut the color? thanks again.
Loads of personality and practical as well. I imagine it's as fun to work there as it is to hang out there. Great balancing act, guys.
hrhprincessfiona:
The first-floor bathroom has 2 doors; one to the kitchen and one to the TV room (pool patio access). I don't know why it was designed this way but I have to admit, it works very well for party traffic. The upstairs bathrooms are kept personal and the bathroom in the basement (the dungeon) is historically only used by males on a mission.
redsail:
Paint on the first floor was done in the fall of 2001, but I do still remember names.... We used Martha Stewart (Kmart) and/or America's Finest (Home Depot). The living room red is eggshell, everything else is satin. The dining-room is 'Tortilla', the living-room is 'Maine Lobster', the TV-room is 'Clay', the Kitchen is 100% 'Backyard BBQ', the bathroom is white-tinted (1:8) 'Backyard BBQ' and the mud-room is white-tinted (1:4) 'Backyard BBQ'. All the ceilings are flat white, which is the only contiguous color from room-to-room, floor-to-floor, throughout the entire house.
-G
Wow, I like!!! Amazing architecture and furniture. What a way to live! Thanks for sharing.
@kattykat: strongly agree with your request for floorplans -I have formerly made that request myself.
@violetmarsh: a photo of the floorplan would be better than nothing and would not require a scanner. I'm not clear why 'requiring someone to draw it' is 'not always possible'? AT has successfully managed to 'require' people to visit the homes, photograph them, write about them, get the owners/renters to fill in a questionnaire ... if a floorplan were made part of the deal, I'm sure people would include one. I do appreciate that drawing even approximate floorplans can be tricky, but they contribute so much to understanding a space that they really should be included with all tours.
Thanks for sharing your paint colors!
Wow - that iron work in the railing and the bookshelf! Does George do this for a hobby or in business? If business - please provide link. Like the electronic niche under the stairs - very compact and clean looking - I hate exposed wiring and cords! My m-i-l has that exact sewing machine! Love the cabana and deck - can picture myself there. Thanks for sharing, but wanted to see you cats, too!
I love those living room chairs, with the honey leather and slim arm straps... what are those? Where did they come from?
love all the wallpapered rooms, very unique, enviable outdoor space. Nice tour!
Wow, I have seen a lot of house tours on apartment therapy but never have I completely fallen so much in love with a space. Every post has great things about it but this tour beats them all for me so far. You two have made everything flow so beautifully, used new and old together so well, and everything ties in like it just belongs there. I disagree with the idea that it's too eclectic, but that's because it's my taste. The metal work is stunning, the use of color beautiful. Even though it's not a good thing to be jealous, I am! Impressive!
Love Love your house and especially those chairs in the living room. I think I gasped when I saw them. And that bookcase! Wow.