For a contemporary house clad in granite, lead-coated copper, and wood, with overscale windows that open to blur the boundary between interior and out-of-doors, JMMDS designed an exquisite tapestry of massive granite boulders and mostly native plantings. Stone entry paths and terraces are made of thick granite planks, while wooden decking seems to float over swathes of mosses, ferns, and native groundcovers. The serene pool and terrace, sited to overlook the harbor beyond, are surrounded by salt- and wind-tolerant gardens.

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JMMDS worked from the start alongside since retired architect Barbara Freeman, and the clients to site the house to maximize views and blend into the existing ledge-filled topography.

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Granite pavers, thick enough to be driven on, complement the house’s geometric cladding.

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The courtyard’s intentional microclimate permits a secure habitat for specimen trees.

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Living room sliding window wall makes an immediate connection between inside and outside.

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Statuesque composition of granite boulders set as courtyard focal points.

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Courtyard provides a protective harbor for the specimen trees American Persimmon, Full Moon Maple, and Katsura.

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Granite paths and stairways intersect with ipe decking, which cuts neatly through lush gardens.

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Ipe path artfully floats through gardens to pool terrace.

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The pool terrace sits higher than the landscape sloping around it, providing an elevated view of the harbor.

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Dark stained pool with full length entry steps reflects the soft gardens and hillside.

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At the entry to the pool terrace is an outdoor shower, built against a granite pillar.

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Coe Studios created the lanterns that rest on custom cedar and stone bases.

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River Birch, low-growing perennials, ferns, and mosses, all able to withstand salty air or soil, soften the hardscape.

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Minimal custom bronze railings link landscape and home together.

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Subtle palette of greens include Comptonia and Microbiota.

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Contemporary home — clad in granite, lead-coated copper, and stained cedar — cuts a low profile among a blanket of vegetation.

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Hand-selected boulders set to look like they have always been there.

Photography

Susan Teare

Collaborators

Landscape Construction: Stoney Brook Landscaping & Masonry
Architecture: Barbara Freeman
General Contractor/Builder: Wright Ryan Homes

Featured In

Meaghan O’Neill wrote about this JMMDS-designed landscape on the Maine coast in “Set in Stone,” with photographs by Susan Teare, in the March/April 2021 issue of New England Home.