A Timeless Stone Pool House Was the Perfect Addition to This Kennebunkport Estate

Photo by House Studios / Architect: Steven Harris Architects. Interior Designer: Manuel de Santaren. Landscape Designer: Rees Roberts + Partners. Lighting Designer: Ventresca Design. Stone Artist: Lew French. Structural Engineer: Ross Dalland

The Problem

After snagging the oceanside land in front of their family estate in Kennebunkport, a couple with three adult children wanted to revamp the site with a new swimming hole and pool house. But because the kids’ grandparents lived in the main house full time, they needed to avoid blocking their water views.

The Solution

To create the summer-ready space their clients envisioned, Steven Harris Architects designed a 75-foot-long lap pool—complete with infinity edges that help promote clear sightlines—and a single-level, granite-clad pool house nestled into the hillside. “The roof of the pool house is slightly lower than the grandparents’ lawn, so it’s almost invisible from their house,” principal Steven Harris says.

Inside, the team focused on simple but durable materials. Harris enveloped the open-concept kitchen, dining, and living area in clay plaster and opted for limestone floors to withstand salt air and sandy feet. Meanwhile, to add a touch of drama to the back wall, artist Lew French dreamed up a massive stone installation that recalls the rocky seascape framed by the room’s trio of bronze-and-glass doors. “Because the house is made of natural materials, it’ll age beautifully,” Harris says. “I can imagine in 100 years, it’ll still [look] almost exactly like this.”