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Trumbull-Nelson’s millwork shop and expertise is put to the test in an extensive interior renovation of a century-old building. By Jack DeGange photos by rich frutchey

hen Sam Rowse bought his home on the eastern shore of Lake Sunapee in 1993, the house was a seasonal residence. Built as a “summer camp” more than 100 years ago, the house had been through numerous renovations that detracted from its original, steamboat-era charm.

“The earlier renovations weren’t done well,” said Rowse. “It was still a big summer camp.”

Over the past two years, Rowse, now retired, has transformed the property into a year-round home and restored its historical integrity. The project began in 2005 when Rowse sought out the late Greg Hemberger of Banwell Architects in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to develop plans for a major renovation.

Hemberger introduced Rowse to DPF Design of White River Junction, Vermont, a firm that specializes in interior renovation and restoration. Together Rowse and DPF developed ideas that were translated into drawings by Dave Sargent of Sargent Design Company in Norwich, Vermont.

Around that time, Trumbull-Nelson entered the picture. Initially, Trumbull-Nelson signed on to repair storm damage to the home, but before long, Trumbull-Nelson became the project manager, and a year and a half later, the company has touched virtually every one of the house’s unique nooks and crannies.

the office (above) and the kitchen (below) were completely refurbished. the island and all but one cabinet in the kitchen were fabricated in trumbull- nelson’s millwork shop

Before work began, Rowse and Trumbull-Nelson planned the renovation in stages. “That created too many headaches,” said Dave Harrison, Trumbull-Nelson’s project manager who has worked with site superintendent Rob White from the outset. “It became a continuous piece of work, especially when we removed the walls and ceilings and saw that revealed several peaks that reached to the roof.

“When we opened the walls we found structural problems. Some of the beams supporting the roof had been weakened during earlier renovations, and rooms were actually tipping. We spent about two months on roof re-framing to restore support and, in the process of leveling the house, we had to create several small ‘step-ups’ in the floors.”

Dave Robinson, an engineer and friend of Rowse, provided solutions for various structural issues. “Dave was very helpful getting us through the toughest of the roof framing issues,” said Harrison.

With the exception of the floors, a small pantry, one built-in cabinet in the kitchen, and the surrounds for two large fireplaces at either end of the expansive living room, all of the new woodwork and cabinetry in the house came from Trumbull-Nelson’s Millwork Shop.

the renovated bathroom provides both comfort and class

The job challenged shop manager Mitch Ross and his millwork team in both skill and scale. Among other things, the job required the production of several thousand feet of beaded poplar for virtually every inch of the walls and ceilings, intricate cabinets, a new coffered ceiling in the living room, an island in the kitchen, a large walk-in cedar closet beside the master bedroom, armoires for two guest bedrooms, a built-in desk in Rowse’s office that spans an entire wall, and a draftsman’s table. Perhaps the most interesting work for the millwork team was the conversion of an old attic area over the garage into a children’s bedroom with four built-in bunk beds. The bunks look like berths on a boat, and each of them is below a skylight.

Outside the bunkroom, the nautical motif continues. Curved, decorative beams in the second floor hallway that leads to the bunkroom look like ribs in a boat’s keel, and the narrow, curving stairway beside the room features a heavy rope railing.

When the project began, Rowse’s vision was to restore the original look of his property while making it into a year-round home. He has succeeded on both fronts with flying colors. According to Sam Rowse, “It’s been enjoyable work with Trumbull-Nelson.” According to Dave Harrison, “The [final product of our work] is the result of Sam’s vision.”

While renovations progressed, Rowse scoured antique shops in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, looking for lighting fixtures and other pieces that would give the house its original decorative flavor. His search yielded many interesting finds. The front door was originally from an old carriage house. Trumbull-Nelson refinished and cut it to its new size. A classic, restored Clark Jewell gas stove with seven burners, three ovens, and a warming oven was refurbished and added to the kitchen. Restored gas stoves in three bedrooms, and a huge, old woodstove in the entry area provide supplemental heat. An old art deco lamp illuminates the midway landing in the stairway from the bunkroom, and an extraordinary old gas chandelier (now electrified) lights the curved main staircase to the second floor.