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Whitten Architects is responsible for the design of this spectacular modern treetop home in Kennebunkport, Maine, for a young professional couple seeking a permanent base for remote work and an active outdoor lifestyle.
Having found a lot on a quiet cul-de-sac with private access to the water via a wooded path, they envisioned a home that felt like a secluded sanctuary, one that could house their extensive collection of kayaks, paddle boards, bicycles, and Harley-Davidson while providing a multi-generational home grounded in the landscape.
DESIGN DETAILS
ARCHITECT Whitten Architects
CONTRACTOR Bowley Builders
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Albert Putnam Associates
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Callahan + Le Bleu
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION Callahan + Le Bleu
INTERIOR DESIGN Whitten Architects/ Owners
MILLWORK Derek Preble
LIGHTING DESIGN Reflex Charron
Exterior Design and Curb Appeal
The site slopes downward from the south-facing entry toward the dense, private woods to the north. The challenge was to accommodate a full program, work with the grade change, and settle the home into the hillside. The main living spaces needed to rise to catch views of the ocean to the southeast and the forest canopy to the north, while the active and guest zones were grounded in the slope.
Entry Porch and Gear Garage
A T-shaped plan organized around a central circulation spine responds to the site’s level changes, with half-flight stairs creating distinct destinations at every level. The entry sequence begins at a sheltered porch of natural Douglas fir and ipe, which extends into a pass-through connecting the residence to the three-car gear garage.
Open-Plan Kitchen Living and Dining Room
One wing of the T-shaped plan is dedicated to hospitality, featuring two private guest suites designed for elder parents and friends, one at the entry level and another at the middle level.
Modern Kitchen With Soapstone Island
The lower levels house the home’s active program. At the lowest level, the slope allowed for a high-ceilinged volume for an indoor golf simulator, while the level above houses a dedicated gym. Here, biparting doors retract to open the space to the wooded side of the home, extending the gym out onto a covered patio—a sheltered place to train outdoors. After a workout in the gym, on a bike, or on the water, the lower level provides direct access to a secluded hot tub nestled among the trees.
At the heart of the home, a sculptural metal staircase with warm oak treads and open risers allows natural light to spill through the levels, keeping the stairwell lit as it rises past the mid-level home office and primary suite.
Screened Porch With Treetop Views
The upper level holds the open-plan kitchen, living, and dining areas, lifted high into the canopy and complemented by deep balconies and a screened porch that projects directly into the trees. A bi-folding window extends the kitchen into the screened porch.
Living Room With Freestanding Fireplace
By concentrating the active program within the hillside and the social program within the canopy, the architecture functions as a vertical ecosystem. The owners live in the treetops, sharing the sky with local nesting bald eagles, in a home that adapts to their work, athletic lives, and guests.
Home Office and Sculptural Staircase
What We Love About This Home
This modern treetop home is a masterclass in site-responsive design, with every level of the home purposefully tied to the landscape — from the active zones buried in the hillside to the open-plan living spaces lifted into the forest canopy. We are especially drawn to the sculptural metal staircase with warm oak treads, which anchors the home’s vertical journey and allows natural light to spill through every level. Overall, we love how seamlessly the architecture supports two distinct ways of living: quiet, focused work and an active outdoor life, without compromising on warmth or beauty.
Tell Us: What is your favorite space in this modern treetop home? The canopy-level living area, the cedar screened porch, or the wooded lower levels? Let us know in the Comments below!
Note: Check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Maine: A stunning Maine home designed as the ultimate woodland sanctuary and Tour this coastal Maine house with elegant modern living spaces.
Owner’s Bedroom With Forest Views
Owner’s Bathroom With Floating Vanity
Modern Treetop Home in Kennebunkport, Maine
PHOTOGRAPHER Trent Bell Photography
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