Chestnut Way

The clients, a couple from the Northeast with two young children, had frequently discussed building a home from the ground up, although they thought it was something they would take on later in life. As fate would have it, the opportunity came much sooner than expected.

Unable to find a home that met their needs, they asked Knickerbocker Group to assist in selecting the right property. During their first visit to an 8-acre overgrown, wooded lot in Cumberland Foreside, it was difficult for them to visualize its potential. Knickerbocker Group provided the vision and excitement that helped paint the whole picture for them.

The vintage transom windows throughout the house, as well as the newel post on the main stairwell, were discovered at Portland Architectural Salvage. The newel post holds particular significance to the homeowner; she explained that “it meant a lot because it’s an almost exact match to the newel post in our old house. It was hard for us to give up the home we loved and had thought we would spend a lot more time in, so taking some key elements from it felt really good.”

Across the way, Knickerbocker Group designed a barn to nestle into the land. It’s a multi-use structure, with a garage and woodshop on the main level, and individual “his” and “her” spaces on the second floor. The clients are especially fond of “the curved detail over the front door”. A winding gravel pathway connects the barn to the main house and its grand farmer’s porch.