Four years ago, anna rosenblum palmer and her husband, steven
Palmer, moved into a two-bedroom ranch-style house on a narrow dirt road
on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. Like many
homes along the lake, the Palmers’ house was originally built as a summer
camp. “We wanted to renovate and expand,” says Anna, who was pregnant
with their second child at the time. “But when the engineer came to see
the house, we learned that the foundation was leaking and everything needed to be ripped
down. The more efficient choice was to rebuild.”
Enter Michael Minadeo, a quiet, contemplative man who grew up in Vermont and
earned his master’s degree in architecture at Columbia University in 1994. For Minadeo,
the project began with two clear goals.
First, he wanted to design a building
that would connect gracefully with the
site, a narrow, sloping lot with 80-foot-
tall white pines and long views across
the lake to the Adirondacks. Second, he
wanted to help his clients realize their
vision: a home that would blend her
modern, more austere sensibilities —
reflected in her collection of Asian art
— with his love for Adirondack design
and warm wood.
“We would swing between rustic
and more elegant modernism,” Anna
says. “We wanted both. Also, for the
shape of the building, I had this odd,
84 DESIGN NEW ENGLAND
the living room (above) is defined
by Douglas-fir posts and beams. The
wall of windows takes full advantage
of the views of Lake Champlain and
the Adirondacks. The fireplace hearth
is Vermont granite. Lighted niches in
the stair tower (top left) serve as a
showcase for Anna Rosenblum Palmer’s
collection of Asian art (and a hangout
for Sarah, the family’s Saint Bernard).
Protected balconies (bottom left)
are tucked into the corners of the
middle and top floor.
