Chestnut Way

Cozy living area at Chestnut Way with a stone fireplace

Turning a dream into reality

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.

Our style is casual and a bit eclectic; we like pretty timeless pieces with some pops of color or interest. Our decorating blends some older pieces (the Hoosier cabinet in the dining room was made by my great-great-grandfather) with some newer classics.

– Homeowner, Chestnut Way

A rustic, eclectic aesthetic

One of the homeowners grew up in a beautiful farmhouse in New Hampshire, and she had always been drawn to that simple, rustic aesthetic. The home is filled with memorable design features, many of them “found.” The beams were hard to come by, as they needed to be long enough to span the entire length of the living room. The antique pine beams were eventually recovered from a dilapidated barn in Friendship, Maine.

Wooden wall detailing with wooden beam at Chestnut Way — **Chestnut Way** ARCHITECT + BUILDER, Knickerbocker Group | PHOTOGRAPHER, Darren Setlow

Wooden door with surrounding windows in the entry at Chestnut Way — **Chestnut Way** ARCHITECT + BUILDER, Knickerbocker Group | PHOTOGRAPHER, Darren Setlow

Stair detail with runner at Chestnut Way

Mosaic window looking into the living room at Chestnut Way

Found treasures abound

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.”

I think some of our favorite days are weekends when we wake up, make pancakes, get plants at the nursery and work and play outside all day with the kids. The perfect end to the day is grilling and eating outside, just enjoying the house and the land.

– Homeowner, Chestnut Way

A seasonless outdoor space

Another unique attribute of the home is its outdoor kitchen and living space; the fireplace opens into both the family room inside the house, as well as into the screened-in porch. The design grew out of beloved features from the clients’ previous home, although was reworked for better usability this time around. The second kitchen adds convenience and allows for the family to spend more time outside. Furthermore, the fireplace, along with glass paneling to replace the screens, makes the porch space usable for most of the year.

The approach to the carriage house at Chestnut Way

Rustic bar and game room at Chestnut Way

A barn for passion projects

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.

A home to spend a lifetime

Reflecting on the project as a whole, the homeowner expresses, “I can now say that it’s the most amazing feeling to live in a home that is completely in every way what we wanted it to be…I think we have built something that will work well for us for a long time to come, and I look forward to getting old in this house!”