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Transom Windows - Flynn Household

James Merrell

Liz and Ed Flynn bought a heavenly slice of Vermont lakefront – with a teardown house. Instead of completely rewriting history, they designed a home that sticks to the old place's footprint, repurposing its charms.

Transom Windows - Flynn Household

James Merrell

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An Old-Fashioned Form of Air-Conditioning

Transom windows, found in many Victorian-era homes, usher in lakeside breezes, keeping more of the house fresh and cool. Once used for aiding air circulation and adding extra light and warmth, these panes went out of style with the wide-use of modern air conditioning and heating systems. Here, the high windows are a nod to the simple era of the teardown home's prime.

Flynn Home - Building on the Past

James Merrell

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Go Local

Flynn hired regional
contractors and cabinetmakers, and relied on natural materials
sourced nearby: "I wanted the feel of a seaside bungalow,"
she said, "but it had to honor Vermont." The home's floors, for instance, are made from
reclaimed pine and sealed with oil instead of polyurethane.
Though the planks easily show wear and tear as a result,
Liz pointed out: "It's not like you'll find anyone wearing high
heels in this house!"

Dining Table - Flynn House - Building on the Past

James Merrell

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Salvaged Finds

A barn-wood dining table salvaged from the old property serves as a spot
for playing board games. The
old cabin also yielded the maritime map
above the sideboard.

James Merrell

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Vintage Kitchen

The kitchen's open shelving holds a collection of vintage bowls, pitchers, and canisters in shades of blue, green, and white.

James Merrell

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Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, an antiques-store oil painting of the Vermont landscape hangs above an iron bed by Hillsdale Furniture.

Flynn Home - Bunkbeds

James Merrell

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Kids' Room

The boys' custom bunks were designed with extra storage - drawers and shelves - in mind.

Bright Idea!
Use a nautical bulkhead light to illuminate a tight spot on the cheap. ($11.97; homedepot.com)

Flynn bathroom - wainscoted walls

James Merrell

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Wainscoted Walls Add Permanence

Wainscoted walls, wood paneling that reaches halfway up the wall, embrace the history of the old home while adding a sense of permanence and durability to the new house.

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Sweet Touches of Antiquity

A collection of 19th-century
patterned glass
oil lamps keep company
with a new version wired
for electric light. With the help of a rewiring kit ($16.95; leevalley.com), updating a vintage oil lamp is not so complicated. Now that's a bright idea.

The vanity in the master bedroom was passed down from Liz's grandmother

James Merrell

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Refurbish Old Finds

The furnishings constitute a conscientious recycling
effort. The vanity in the master bedroom was passed down
from Liz's grandmother; the dining table is fashioned from
repurposed barn wood. Liz even saved items from the original
cabin, including the pair of navigational charts framed and hung in the dining room. She also saved a
slew of '50s-era board games, like Sorry! and Parcheesi.

Flynn Family Home

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Embrace the lifestyle – at least for the summer!

The Flynns have also salvaged an older form of whiling
away Saturday afternoons. There is no Wi-Fi or cable TV
in this house. Instead, the family owns a vintage turntable
and a VCR for watching classic Disney movies. "We lead very
active lives in town, but here we want to relax," Liz explained.
"For me, that's summer: stepping back in time."