Easterling Homestead
PROJECT TAGS
LOCATION
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
BUILDER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Original Structure
Addition / Renovation
Historically significant, Easterling is one of the oldest existing homes on Peaks Island. Its half-acre, neighborhood lot enjoys protected westerly water views across its landscape and over lower neighbors of Portland harbor.
Keeping the Old Charm
Our single client sought to minimize disruption to the historic structure, leaving substantially unchanged the existing kitchen, dining, and partly the living. An addition was desired to house a ‘gallery’ space (informal living), master suite, guest bedroom, office, and private porch.
Inspired by Russian Dachas and Art
The addition incorporates design elements inspired by the client’s fondness for Russian summer dachas, including an idiosyncratic second-floor porch and an embedded exterior column reflecting traditional Russian wooden architecture. Inside, a custom Hundertwasser-inspired column, serving both as a structural element and a piece of art, complements the client’s extensive art collection and adds a unique character to the space.
Elevating the Design
Easterling’s existing bathroom resided in the living room, directly adjacent to the fireplace. This was removed and a new front entry with mudroom was created there. This alleviated the kitchen’s entry door from continuing to serve as ‘the’ front door. The new entry opening serves the added purpose of bringing easterly daylight into the original living room.
The addition’s mass was kept to the rear, maintaining a mostly undisturbed presence for the existing structure. The addition’s 2-story portion was separated from the diminutive mass of the existing through the use of a flat-roofed bridging form (housing the ‘gallery’), not competing with/ Easterling’s character. It is configured to create a southwesterly-oriented courtyard/deck for outdoor living. The exterior wall of the flat-roofed addition portion (the ‘gallery’) is slightly skewed to reorient the interior space directly to its Portland Harbor views. This also lends an expansiveness to the modest space.
Balancing Preservation With Modern Needs
The challenge was to design an addition that complemented the historic character of Easterling without overwhelming it. This required careful placement of the new structure, ensuring that it did not compete with the original home while reorienting the interior space to capture views of Portland Harbor. The design also had to integrate modern conveniences without disrupting the historic fabric of the building.
The Results
The client had spent much time in Russia and was fond of the character of their summer Dachas. This influenced the idiosyncratic second-floor porch and inspired the creation of the embedded exterior column, reflective of wooden Russian architecture.
The client also has a wonderful art collection that enriches the interior. Living overseas in Austria, a love of the art and architecture of Friedensreich Hundertwasser (who had a habit of creating unique columns throughout his native Vienna) was nurtured – a fondness shared with this architect. Springing from this, a Hundertwasser-inspired column was created here as structure and art to contribute to the collection.
