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Merrimack Valley Magazine

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Seaside Dreams

July 26, 2021 by Lysa Pelletier

The current owners of this Ipswich, Massachusetts, summer house came to it unexpectedly. Thus, when they approached interior designer Kim Macumber, it was almost complete — they didn’t even have the opportunity to pick their own finishes.

The team at Kim Macumber Interiors were able to give the home personality and make it theirs using colors and patterns that subtly evoke the seashore. The team also wanted to maximize the use of space, crafting a layout that took advantage of its abundance of windows overlooking Plum Island Sound. The colors were kept soft with a neutral base so as not to overcrowd the interior. Although the house is only 1,500 square feet, it feels much larger.

The team used pops, traces and hints of color in fabric and art to give the home a sense of vibrancy. You’ll find this technique used in surprising ways. For example, suggestions of soothing orange are hidden throughout the bedroom — on the custom-painted nightstands, the painting above the headboard, even the Eastern Accents luxury pillowcases. There’s a touch of it in two of the most prominent paintings: on the border between sand and sea in the Tim Beavis seascape (page 36) hanging opposite the rattan bed, and in the docked boat (page 38) found in a work by Newburyport artist Ron Emmerling. You’ll find it echoed in the living room on the ottomans, customed with Thibaut fabric. These sunset hues speak of Atlantic twilight and emphasize a feeling of tranquility.    

 

 

style editor and set design
Lysa Pelletier
Anchor Artists
Boston, Mass.

photography
Kevin Harkins
Lowell, Mass.

interior design
Kim Macumber Interiors
North Hampton, N.H.
(508) 397-5576
KimMacumberInteriors.com

additional furnishings and accessories
Acorn Home & Design
Andover, Mass.
(978) 273-9717
acorndesigncenter.com

Filed Under: Home & Garden Tagged With: Home Style, Interior design, Ipswich, Kim Macumber, Seashore, Summer Home

A Clear View

May 27, 2019 by Cindy Cantrell Leave a Comment

Interior designer Kim Macumber embraced the challenge of transforming this 900-square-foot Ipswich home. A small house with too much color might make the interiors seem “heavy,” so she opted for a neutral base in the living area and added pops of color on the accessories and window treatments. 

According to Macumber, the house has beautiful views of Plum Island Sound, Isles of Shoals and Sandy Point — the trick was to embrace nautical elements without seeming too “themey.” “The best feature is the view,” she says, “and we made certain to make the inside cozy and fresh without competing against nature’s beautiful artwork.”   

Photo by Emily O’Brien.

 

Pops of color set against a neutral base make this Ipswich home seem inviting. Hidden touches of nautical imagery connect the interior with the natural environment in subtle ways. Photo by Emily O’Brien.

 

The dining room was designed to feel fresh and relaxing, and to harmonize with the stunning views. To accomplish this, interior designer Kim Macumber balanced the bright rug and window treatments with the soft wood tones of the dining table and chairs. Photo by Emily O’Brien.

KimMacumberInteriors.com

Filed Under: Home & Garden Tagged With: Design Ideas, home, Interior design, Ipswich, Isles of Shoals, Light, Natural Lighting, Plum Island, Sandy Point, Water Views

Enchantment by the Sea – An Autumn Visit to Ipswich

October 7, 2017 by Emilie-Noelle Provost Leave a Comment

Ipswich has always seemed an exotic and mysterious place to me, perhaps because I grew up south of Boston. Or maybe I spent too much time reading H.P. Lovecraft stories as a kid. (In my mind’s eye, Ipswich has always been the real-life stand-in for the fictional town of Innsmouth in Lovecraft’s 1936 horror story “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.”) Or possibly it’s due to Ipswich’s long and intriguing history — it was incorporated in 1634 by John Winthrop Jr., the son of one of the founders of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Whatever the reason, each year when the days begin to get shorter and temperatures start to drop, I find myself drawn there. There’s just something special about Ipswich on a crisp fall day.

To get to Ipswich we take Route 133, starting in Lowell and winding through Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Rowley and Georgetown. It’s the long way, but the prettiest. This route also takes you directly past the Clam Box in Ipswich. The iconic restaurant, literally shaped like a clam box, has been featured on television shows and in numerous books, and serves some of the world’s best fried clams. If you stop here, and you should, don’t be put off by the line. It usually moves pretty quickly, and the wait is worth it.

A fine fall day is a great time to visit Crane Beach, a short drive from Ipswich’s old-fashioned downtown. Owned and maintained by The Trustees for Reservations, the beach is open year-round. Stroll along the sand searching for seashells, or go for a more serious walk along the reservation’s 5-plus miles of trails. If you’re in the mood for a swim, it’s a little-known fact that the water is warmest in September, usually somewhere in the mid- to high-60s, according to NOAA.

Makers of Old Ipswich Rum, Turkey Shore Distilleries offers tastings and tours to visitors. Rum lovers will also want to visit Privateer, another Ipswich distillery. SALT Kitchen & Rum Bar, located in downtown Ipswich, serves rums from both. Photo by Rob Huntley.

Ipswich is home to two rum distilleries, both of which offer tours and, yes, free samples. Turkey Shore Distilleries, on Hayward Street, produces Old Ipswich Rum, which comes in five delightful varieties. Privateer, on Mitchell Road, makes dark and light rum, both delicious.

Once you get tired of drinking rum, stop by 1634 Meadery on Short Street. Their mead comes in a surprising number of flavors, all of which are made from raw honey and local fruit. They offer tours and tastings on a rolling basis during business hours.

An autumn visit to Ipswich wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Russell Orchards. I discovered this place several years ago when I was working on an article about apple pie for this magazine, and their pies are still tops. You’ll also want to pick up some cider doughnuts and check out their selection of house-made fruit wines. Russell also offers apple picking, a menagerie of resident farm animals, homemade ice cream and a variety of produce that’s grown on-site.

On our last visit to Ipswich, we opted for dinner at SALT Kitchen & Rum Bar, located downtown on Market Street. It was a great choice. They serve local seafood, upscale comfort food made with local ingredients, and fantastic craft cocktails in a cozy, friendly atmosphere. (If you can’t make it to Turkey Shore or Privateer for a tour, you can try rum from both right here.) It’s a pleasant place to sit at the bar, talk and relax after a long day.

If you’ll be staying in Ipswich overnight, The Inn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate is hard to beat for elegance and comfort. Located a short distance from Crane Beach, each of the inn’s 10 rooms are unique, offering spa bathrobes, original artwork, striking views of the surrounding marshes and dunes, and perhaps my favorite feature: There are no televisions. Wake up to the calls of seabirds, wrap up in a sweater and head out to the porch to enjoy your morning coffee.

No fall visit to Ipswich would be complete without making a stop at Russell Orchards. The farm offers apple picking, has a menagerie of live farm animals, and sells a variety of items including native produce, fruit wines, cider doughnuts, pies and pumpkins. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

Clam Box of Ipswich
(978) 356-9707
ClamBoxIpswich.com

Crane Beach
(parking fee)
TheTrustees.org/places-to-visit/north-shore/crane-beach.html

Turkey Shore Distilleries
(call ahead for tour times)
(978) 356-0048
OldIpswichRum.com

Privateer
(call ahead for tour times)
(978) 356-0477
PrivateerRum.com

1634 Meadery
(978) 325-6215
1634Meadery.com

SALT Kitchen & Rum Bar
(reservations suggested)
(978) 356-0002
SaltKitchenAndRumBar.com

The Inn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
(978) 412-2555
TheTrustees.org/the-inn-at-castle-hill

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: 1634 Meadery, Clam Box of Ipswich, Crane Beach, Ipswich, Privateer, SALT Kitchen & Rum Bar, The Inn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Travel, Travel Advisory, Turkey Shore Distilleries

Ipswich’s Turkey Shore Distilleries

June 2, 2017 by Dean Johnson Leave a Comment

A quick history quiz: What were Colonial New England’s most popular trading goods? Well, there was lumber, cod, and … and … and … ?

How about rum?

Though most people think of tropical isles when the subject turns to rum, there was a long stretch in New England’s past when the area produced more rum than the Caribbean.

And that bit of local history inspired a onetime high school history teacher to “bring back the good ol’ days” in Ipswich. ( Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the May/June 2013 issue of Merrimack Valley Magazine. )

Mat Perry and lifelong friend Evan Parker make up the two-person Ipswich enterprise known as Turkey Shore Distilleries, and since 2010 the two (along with any friends they can con into helping) have been producing Old Ipswich Rum in their micro-distillery.

“We’re trying to replicate what an old New England-style rum was like,” says Perry, Turkey Shore’s co-owner. Up to a point, that is. Perry is quick to add that local Colonial fathers pretty much “drank anything,” and that many of the local rums produced in the Colonial era were basically get-drunk-quick liquors.

So the two men are more interested in reviving a once-thriving local industry than with copying it. It’s easy to understand why Perry was bitten by the rum bug. He grew up in a house on Turkey Shore Road in Ipswich, and research revealed that the property once was home to a rum distillery founded in 1770. In Colonial times, the shoreline in that area was called Turkey Shore.

Turkey Shore Distilleries makes a white rum; a dark, “tavern-style” rum; and two seasonal rums. Greenhead Spiced Rum, available in the spring, uses white rum as a base and blends lemon grass, green tea and mint infusions. Golden Marsh, an autumn specialty, includes cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice and more. The 750-mL bottles are all priced in the low-to-mid $20 range and are available at various stores in eastern Massachusetts (see their website for a full listing). The distillery is expected to produce about 20,000 bottles this year.

Left to right: Tank, Evan Parker and owner, Mat Perry. Photos by Rob Huntley.

A visit to the distillery — a small, rectangular space with a loft that serves as an office area — is in some ways a trip to an earlier era. Tucked in the back corner of the room, by the 2,200-gallon molasses tank, is a 250-gallon copper pot still, the obvious centerpiece of the operation.

There are oak aging barrels, four 500-gallon fermenting tanks, a big chocolate Lab named Tank who lives up to the name when he greets you, and an area where all the bottles’ labels are literally applied by hand, a method Parker quips is “exceptionally Jurassic.”

It takes up to two-and-a-half weeks for the molasses, water and yeast to mix well, take two trips through the still, and then a pass through a condenser and filter system before it’s stored in those oak barrels for close to a year.

When a recent visitor noticed clear, potent liquor dripping from a pipe that was running from the still to a beaker
that contained a swirling hydrometer, he joked that it didn’t seem all that different from watching an episode of Discovery Channel’s reality show “Moonshiners.”

Truth is, the two processes aren’t all that dissimilar. But the equipment and results are. The still, for example, was custom-designed for Turkey Shore Distilleries, based on an updated version of 250-year-old models. It cost a cool $117,000 and is light years removed from the playthings used by Tickle and his cohorts on “Moonshiners.”

The consistency and quality of Turkey Shore Distilleries’ rums have already won a handful of top industry awards, and Perry says the general public’s initial response has been “wonderful.”

But he also understands that for many people “it is a huge leap of faith” to understand and accept the concept of “craft rums.”

That is, until you taste one.

 

Turkey Shore Distilleries is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday at 23 Hayward St. #8, in Ipswich. It is open for tours and tastings most business hours. Weekend tours are by appointment. Call ahead to confirm at (978) 356-0048. For more information, visit TurkeyShoreDistilleries.com.

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: distillery, Ipswich, Rum, Turkey Shore Distilleries

Character and Craftsmanship

February 17, 2017 by Beth Daigle Leave a Comment

Thoughtful Architecture Meets Quality Craftsmanship at The Savoie Family Home in Ipswich.

The Savoie home was one of 10 that were featured on the 2015 Open Doors of Ipswich House Tour. Proceeds from the event benefit the Ipswich Visitor Center at the Hall-Haskell House. The next tour will be held in 2017. For updates and more information, visit OpenDoorsofIpswich.org.

When Cathy and Ken Savoie made their home available for the 2015 Open Doors of Ipswich House Tour, they knew what to expect. Their blended Arts and Crafts/New England Shingle-style home had been on tour before. Additionally, Ken Savoie, the founder of Savoie Nolan Architects, often welcomes prospective clients into the house for a firsthand look at his style and thoughtful planning.

Built in 1999, the Savoie home combines Arts and Crafts details with the traditional exterior shingle style that’s popular in the Ipswich coastal area. “The shingles wrap the home like a blanket, and that’s a look that I’ve always liked,” Savoie says in his kitchen as he shares his passion and vision with Merrimack Valley Magazine.

The Savoies’ home was built on an empty lot that was originally part of a 10-acre parcel. The property was subdivided from an estate known as “Rocky Hill,” where the main house remains and can be seen on a nearby hill. The estate’s carriage house and caretaker’s cottage still stand as private residences.

Opposite page: The Savoies’ kitchen, with its standout center island, is the hub of the house, where Cathy, Ken and their two children, Lily, 22, and Michael, 19, gather. It acts as a dining area, workspace and conversation spot. The arched, overhead beam unifies the tapered columns at each end of the island and creates a powerful design element. Photos by Emily O’Brien.

At the Savoie family home, the semicircular pebble driveway provides arriving guests with their first taste of the property’s grandeur. The home’s stone foundation and bold portico columns add to the impressive exterior. Charming rain chains hang from the portico roof, and a custom-made wood front door extends an air of warmth and welcoming as you approach. Upon entering, you are instantly drawn to the kitchen, where Savoie’s attention to architectural detail and his love of wood stand out. The dramatic center island catches your eye first, then the Arts and Crafts-inspired two-toned cabinetry.

“I’ve always been a big fan of wood,” Savoie says. “I love working with wood and I love designing with wood. Throughout the house there are a variety of woods.”

The cabinets are a combination of cherry and maple, the floors are beech, and all the doors are constructed of maple and basswood.

While the kitchen island is attractive, it was designed to be functional. Hidden within one decorative column is a structural post, the second column was added for visual balance.

“We wanted a central focal point within the kitchen, and the island really is the place where everything happens,” Savoie says.

The depth of the island is also purposeful. It provides abundant storage in the drawers below, while the butcher-block maple top is wide enough for prep on one side and eating on the other. Counter height was increased 2 inches above standard to make cooking more comfortable for Cathy and Ken, both of whom are taller than average.

The musical instruments in the living room are most often played by Michael Savoie. The violin to the far left is not a working violin but a piece of art created by award-winning American sculptor, George Sherwood. The piece, called, “3-Legged, Bow Billed Stringer,” resembles an egret in profile.

Just off the kitchen, a piano and other musical instruments draw attention to a sunken living space, Ken’s favorite room. This space, often used for entertaining and quiet relaxation, is television-free.

“We wanted a place that was dedicated to conversation and enjoyment and wasn’t dominated by television,” Savoie says. “It worked with the topography of the site and it makes for a more comforting type of room because it’s sunken.”

Opposite the piano is a fireplace with a brick and stone surround. A keystone etched with the year the home was built adds a personalized touch. The warmth of the room is further enhanced by the unusual choice of flooring, which consists of 2-inch x 4-inch end-grain fir blocks laid out in a parquet style. It is extremely durable, and Savoie loves it for its texture and distinctive appearance.

Other interesting details can be found throughout the house. In both the dining room and small TV room, you’ll find the geometric shape of each ceiling mimicked on the floor below it. The dining room boasts a round tray ceiling with a circular floor inlay, and the TV room features an octagonal inlay with custom cut carpet that lies below the same shape in the ceiling. You might also notice a repeated tapered pattern in the columns as you enter the house. The tapered lines are replicated in the panels of every custom-made door, all of which were created by Peter Buchanan of PrB Woodworking in Ipswich.

This is the small TV room where a portion of the octagonal inlay floor and tray ceiling can be seen. Carpet was cut to the exact shape of the inlay and permanently installed. The coffee table was designed by Ken Savoie so that it would not be an obstacle in the room. The table was built by Robert Hanlon of Walker Creek Furniture in Essex.

The coffee table in the TV room is another specialty item. Savoie designed it himself in the shape of an elongated triangle, which allows for easy navigation though the room. Robert Hanlon, who specializes in the use of reclaimed wood, built the table at Walker Creek Furniture in Essex. The curved legs of this table were reclaimed.

The Savoies’ house is truly a conversation piece from floor to ceiling. Much of the home’s charisma comes from Ken’s desire to work with many local craftsmen and suppliers. He has even installed a working, built-in phone booth purchased through Ipswich antiques dealer Harry Zeltzer.

While the Savoies are closely connected to every inch of this home, Ken envisions building a zero energy house suitably sized for the couple’s retirement years. But for now, this home, with its many personal touches, is the perfect place for the Savoies to live.

“I don’t want to leave this house any sooner than I need to,” he says. “I’m grateful that we can stay here and have a place
that our kids and friends and family can come to.”

Savoie Nolan Architects LLC
Ipswich, Mass.

(978) 356-7786
Savoie-arch.com

Filed Under: Home & Garden Tagged With: architecture, Interior design, Ipswich

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