Downsizing With Style, Lakeside
Subtle, cozy elegance keeps the focus on stunning views.
NADINE GINSBERG CHERISHES the nature surrounding her home in Laconia, where she has lived with her husband, Martin, and cat Mayzie for a bit more than a year.
They sold their Bedford home and nearly all the furniture in it to downsize and start anew in this idyllic lakeside spot, which abuts a state forest.
Nadine got more than she bargained for, though, when she ended up eye-to-eye, more or less, with a bear who had a hankering one night for the Ginsbergs’ birdseed. After Nadine was woken by a loud thud—“this was no squirrel,” she knew—she saw the hulking quadruped feasting away on the deck, not far from the bedroom’s open sliders. Claw marks on the deck’s support posts mark the path the determined bear took en route to the feeder. Nadine is all for wildlife but admits “that was a little too close.”
Over-eager woodland creatures notwithstanding, Nadine is thrilled with her new environs—inside and outside. When she and Martin bought the Laconia house, they loved its architecture. Nadine could clearly envision how she wanted the interior to look but felt she needed guidance from a design specialist, so she contacted Emily Shakra of Emily Shakra Design in Bedford.
“They wanted the vibe of the home to be sophisticated yet casual,” Shakra says, an atmosphere conducive to entertaining but also family-friendly. To achieve those goals, Shakra says she and the homeowners cast their net wide in the search for furniture, artwork, and other design elements to include sources from New Hampshire, New York and North Carolina.
The front entry sets the tone of the casually elegant home, Shakra says. The space is understated but punctuated by an oversized, gold flower-shaped wall mirror by Oly with a sleek hardwood buffet, also by Oly, below it.
The house also has a practical but attractive mudroom entry with a bench and plenty of hooks, one of Shakra’s signature elements. “I love hooks everywhere,” she says, for their functionality and potential visual interest. Above the mudroom entry’s hooks, a triptych lake scene with loons by Dana Boucher of Bedford further embellishes the space and includes the turquoise hue that appears throughout the house.
Transforming the kitchen into a “wow spot”
Stepping away from the front entry and veering right behind a partial wall is where some of the home’s most significant design changes occurred—the kitchen. To accommodate Martin’s request for a convenient place to read his daily newspaper, Shakra reconfigured the breakfast bar by lowering it from bar height to countertop height. This enlarges the surface area and makes the overall space more inviting for guests, who—in any home—seem to be drawn to the kitchen. Capital Kitchen & Bath of Concord helped plan and execute renovations, and Key Stone Carvings in Hudson replaced the previous kitchen counters with white quartz, providing an upscale look.
Finishing touches in the kitchen included painting the peninsula’s woodwork in Benjamin Moore White Dove as well as adding a decorative, custom stainless border with nail-head trim, crafted by J.A. MetalCraft in Wilmot, to the existing cooktop hood. Cabinet hardware was swapped out by Fixtures, Etc. in Salem. “New hardware can make a big difference and create a fresh, new appearance,” Shakra says.
Updates were also in store for the kitchen’s lighting, with new LEDs that illuminate workspaces and the peninsula. The showstoppers, though, are two, large Sputnik-style lanterns by Hudson Valley, available from The Lighting Showroom in Bedford. Designed with a mix of textured black metal and polished nickel, these lanterns elevate the functionality and look of the space, Shakra says.
It’s clear that the homeowners, who initially had their doubts about altering the peninsula’s counter height, are pleased with the results of Shakra’s work. “She made the kitchen a ‘wow’ spot,” Nadine says.
Embracing the lake vibe
Adjacent to the kitchen is a dining area. The gold-based, glass-top table crafted by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is surrounded by custom chairs upholstered in a diamond print from Company C in Concord. Nearby, a dry bar is backed by glass tile in a bold, attention-getting design.
Steps away, the family room—with its soaring, angular ceiling and view of the lake—would in many people’s minds count as another “wow spot.” In choosing furnishings for this room, “the lake vibe was important to keep in mind,” Shakra says. She and the homeowners chose to blend the modern with the classic as well as incorporate multiple textures while still honoring a New England style. “Over the years, [this style] has been transforming from very traditional to a more clean, transitional look,” Shakra says.
“We chose a quiet interior to keep the focus on the lake view,” Shakra says. The overall look in the family room is reserved but the textures are lush, with rich materials and subtle motifs. The family room’s palette of gray, off-white and gold contributes to the room’s visually soothing effect, Shakra says.
Right: On the landing, a custom ottoman is accented with white piping and pillows.
Shelving provides a home for some of Nadine’s favorite books and accessories, which are highlighted by soft lighting and grass-cloth wallpaper. Nearby, a few pieces stand out: A John-Richard accent table is made of acrylic with gold-leaf edges that catch the light. There’s also a Company C floor lamp with variously sized, stacked golden circles that climb the height of the lamp’s base, and a statementmaking Mitchell Gold cocktail table whose tree-trunk bottom appears to be rooted in the floor. “We tried to sprinkle organic shapes” and textures throughout the home, Shakra says, to echo the natural surroundings of the house.
Long, sheer window treatments with a leaf pattern and pale-gray border by J&R Langley of Manchester add warmth to the room without detracting from the star attraction: the view of the lake. Beyond the room’s expansive windows and slider doors, ample seating beckons on the home’s deck.
A glamorous but soothing main bedroom
The first floor is also where the main bedroom is located. Here, Shakra wanted to create “a glamorous retreat,” she says. She filled the space with neutral tones that repeat the family room’s color scheme. “When designing a home, my favorite saying is ‘go with the flow.’ I like to carry a main color throughout, echo architectural details or simply repeat decorative motifs. This creates a sense of cohesion and harmony between rooms.”
Neutral-toned wallpaper highlights an accent wall behind the bed, while a scalloped pendant light suspended from the tray ceiling casts light over a gray-velvet bed covered in white-and-gray bedding from Mitchell Gold. Two bedside sconces subtly repeat the curves of the pendant light. A gray, shag rug provides softness underfoot, while custom sheers frame the sliders and Hunter Douglas Silhouettes provide privacy and light-filtering options.
Stepping through the sliders from the main bedroom leads to a screened-in porch with low-profile, Lloyd Flanders wicker; sisal carpeting; and a Company C accent table constructed with branch-like pieces to blend perfectly with the tranquil views of the lake and surrounding trees. This is Nadine’s favorite room in the house. “It’s our go-to place,” she says. “I love going out there in the morning with a cup of coffee to see the sun rise and the birds at the feeder.” (But hopefully no bears.) The views are “what got us,” Nadine says, persuading the Ginsbergs to make the place their new home.
In the main bath, a lovely arch curves over double sinks and cabinetry, and an accent stool topped with a fun shag sits at the far end of the space.
Space to work, play or simply relax
Heading upstairs, the carpeting’s loose latticework pattern leads to a custom ottoman accented with white piping and pillows perched on top—one of which features a whimsical eye design by Jonathan Adler.
The second-floor rooms include an office designed primarily for Martin. Here, the carpet—with its bold Y-shaped design by Mitchell Gold—captures attention and grounds the room. But there’s visual interest overhead, too: a handcrafted, walnut ceiling fan.
Across from the office, hall space provides a cozy sitting area for guests, where they can watch TV or play a table game. When it’s time to call it a night, two bedrooms provide a welcoming space. Turquoise lamps in one of the rooms deliver a splash of color atop a nightstand that features an eye-catching, antique mirrored look.
The Ginsbergs couldn’t be happier with their Laconia home, especially as they’ve discovered an important bonus: it entices their daughters to visit more often. Like many busy, grown children, the Ginsbergs’ adult daughters didn’t visit much when Nadine and Martin lived in Bedford, Nadine says. The newly furnished lakeside home—with a boat and golf nearby—has proven to be a great draw. It has persuaded the Ginsberg daughters to spend more quality time with Mom and Dad, and it has helped make Nadine’s vision of home a reality. NHH
RESOURCES
Apotheca • (603) 497-4940 • apothecaflowershoppe.com
Art 3 Gallery • (603) 668-6650 • art3gallery.com
Big Ass Fans • bigassfans.com
Dana Boucher • (603) 591-2299 • breathoffreshart.com
Capital Kitchen & Bath • (603) 226-4460 • capitalkitchenandbath.com
Company C • (603) 226-4460 • companyc.com
Emily Shakra Design • (603) 661-4969 • [email protected]
Fixtures, Etc. • (603) 893-6777 • fixturesetc.com
J.A. MetalCraft • (603) 782-6164 • jametalcraft.com
J&R Langley • (603) 622-9653 • jrlangley.com
Key Stone Carvings • (603) 230-6462 • keystonecarvings.net
Mavrikis Upholstery • (603) 883-6868
Mitchell Gold • (781) 552-5200 • mgbwhome.com
The Lighting Showroom • (603) 471-3299 • thelightingshowroom.us
