Set on a wooded lakeside site in New Hampshire, Camp House has evolved from a summer getaway into a year-round sanctuary. Just back from the lakefront, the home’s bold, horizontal lines contrast with the verticality of forest trees, weaving the design into the natural landscape.
Photo: Aaron Leitz
Camp House
Center Harbor, New Hampshire
With a Kebony-clad exterior, the home’s core is firmly grounded in the earth, while two cantilevered wings extend into the trees. A covered entryway forms a strong east-west axis, framing the lake through a double-height window.
A long staircase, paired with a playful slide for visiting children, descends to the ground-level to access the shoreline. A second north-south axis bisects the first, connecting the main living spaces and bedrooms along a corridor bookended by “magic” windows—hidden panes of glass that dissolve the boundary between interior and forest.
The central gathering spaces are characterized by a rhythm of columns and beams, creating structured yet open spaces. In the living room, custom casework frames a steel fireplace, while the kitchen’s metal backsplash compliments wood tones and textures for a warm, tactile effect.
A screened porch—a nod to New Hampshire tradition—features 20-foot glass sliders, to accommodate year-round use and fluid indoor and outdoor living.
Designed to host large gatherings of family and friends, the home includes two primary suites in the cantilevered wings, a guest room, and flexible sleeping arrangements for up to 30 people, including daybeds along the hallway and a permanently parked Airstream trailer. Interesting features include the client’s jewelry fabrication studio, a daylight-filled basement with a billiards table, and wall niches to display treasures found on-site.
An interior palette of stainless-steel and natural woods—vertical grain Douglas fir, stained cedar, walnut, and Kebony wood—balance modernity with the warmth of a traditional cabin. Custom furniture designed by Jim Olson includes two dining tables that combine for larger gatherings and a game table that adjusts to cocktail height, complementing the client’s eclectic art collection and antique furniture. Site considerations shaped sustainability strategies, including geothermal heat pumps, triple-glazed windows, Kebony siding, and native plantings to restore the natural landscape.
When I first walked onto the site, I was struck by the verticality of all the trees and thought that the house should have strong horizontal lines as a counterpoint to visually weave house and site together.Jim Olson
FAIA, Design Principal
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