Architect Katie Cassidy Sutherland’s clients wanted to preserve just about every aspect of their 1950s lakeside cabin in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire—especially the knotty pine wall boards, the stained ceiling beams, and even the trees that partially obscured the spectacular water view. What they were eager to remedy, however, was the cabin’s unrelenting chill.

The couple tasked Sutherland with insulating, updating, and slightly expanding the cabin without sacrificing its camp-like feel. In order to preserve the interior walls and ceiling boards, which were the underside of the roof’s board sheathing, Sutherland approached the project from the outside.

First, the team removed the exterior siding, along with the roof. Next, they surrounded the shell of the cabin with two layers of two-inch-thick sheets of rigid insulation, which Sutherland likens to a new winter coat. Following a new superstructure of strapping, they applied rot-resistant, vertical Alaskan yellow cedar sheathing and red asphalt roof shingles. “We kept details minimal to celebrate the 1950s modernism,” Sutherland says.

The gabled roofline remains unaltered, though Sutherland added a small addition to the cabin’s south side to accommodate a dining area. A steel support beam allows the freshly renovated kitchen to flow into the new dining area, which boasts sliders that open to the lake.

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The entire space radiates a playful, midcentury-modern vibe. Teal-colored concrete counters top handmade custom cabinetry with white and natural maple panels in the kitchen, while a banquette sporting sunny yellow cushions wraps two sides of the addition. “They’re foodies who like to cook and wanted something fun,” Sutherland says. “People can lounge during dinner prep, and there’s plenty of room for overflow.”

When the family purchased the cabin, the second story was an attic-like storage space. It’s now an airy suite with a view of the lake and a new birch plywood floor. That the pine wall boards don’t reach the peak of the cathedral ceiling only adds to the appeal. “It’s quirky and campy, so we left as is,” Sutherland says.

Five small rooms run across the east side of the house, which is built into a hill. As such, the row of rooms—bunk rooms on either end with a den, a family bath, and a guest room between them—is located a half flight down from the primary suite, and a half flight up from the main level.

Sutherland enlarged the lake-facing windows in the bunk rooms on either end and renovated the bath, and the homeowners recently commissioned built-ins for the den. While the bunk rooms retain the original bunks and natural pine boards, Sutherland painted the walls in the den, bath, and guest room white to brighten them, since all lack lake-facing windows.

Since the renovation, the family spends winter holidays and summers at the cabin, and they also sheltered there during the pandemic. Colorful touches exude midcentury-modern style, yet inside and out the cabin retains its camp-like character. “They were thoughtful about transforming it into a sustainable, all-season getaway with a real Yankee modern sensibility,” the architect says.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: kcs ARCHITECTS / @kcsarchitects

Builder: Ingram Construction Corporation

Structural Engineer: TR Fellow Engineering

Civil Engineer: Brickstone Land Use Consultants LLC

Landscape Design & Installation: Simpson Landscape Co.

Lighting Design: kcs ARCHITECTS

Interior Design: kcs ARCHITECTS

Cabinetry: MHS Architectural Millwork

Dining Table: Michael Miritello Woodworking