When they visited Maine shortly after they were married, Sarah Watts Beneke and Charles Beneke vowed that they would make it their home one day. The dream simmered for more than 30 years until the timing was finally right for them to relocate from Ohio. “This listing in Harpswell kept popping up, but it was rather ambiguous,” says Charles. “As soon as we stepped onto the property, we knew it was where we wanted to be.” The secluded, forested site overlooking the water would make the perfect setting for their family’s new primary residence, but it had another thing going for it that the couple hadn’t bargained for. As the lot was once part of a larger family compound owned by poet and editor Harold Pulsifer and his wife, author Susan Nichols Pulsifer, a 200-square-foot octagonal writer’s cottage also came as part of the deal. The structure, which was constructed for Susan during the mid-twentieth century, boasts a prime spot near the water—so close, in fact, that it wouldn’t fly in today’s world of setback requirements. “The cottage had deteriorated, but you could feel its history upon walking in,” recalls Sarah. “Susan’s writing desk was still there, along with a collection of seashells collected by her grandchildren. It was magical.”

Having found the ideal spot to begin their Maine adventure, they commissioned architect Caleb Johnson and his firm, Woodhull, to design their new primary residence as well as restore this vestige of the previous owner’s history. “I remember being inside with Charles and Caleb and discussing its potential like giddy little kids,” continues Sarah. “Charles is a visual artist and professor, and we envisioned it as a place where both artists and writers could come to create.” (The couple is still getting the residency program off the ground, but the goal is to have creatives visit each month from spring through fall.) According to Charles, the hope was to keep the building as close to the original as possible while bringing it up to date and making it functional for year-round use. “This peaceful, intimate space was begging to be restored,” he says. “There was an overwhelming sense of love, adventure, and a life well lived.”

This project, too, became a labor of love for everyone involved. “Sarah, Charles, and I met on-site, walked in the woods, and dreamed together,” recalls Johnson. “It’s an unbelievable setting with the spruce forest and this fjord-like ledge that ascends out of an emerald-green cove. With the main house being brand-new, this cottage adds richness to the entire property.” However, transforming the structure into self-contained, efficient guest quarters with the addition of heating and plumbing was no small feat. “The intention was to take apart the cottage piece by piece and then put it back together, similar to the process of old boat building,” explains Johnson. “We soon realized that the majority of the wood was rotten and would need to be replaced. In the end, not all of the original materials remain, but the original spirit does.” A new cupola inspired by the original was even created to bring natural light into the center of the structure. The foundation was reinforced with local fieldstone by a stone mason to match what was already there. And while the design team had to stay fairly true to the previous forms due to regulations surrounding what percentage of the existing structure could be changed, they did have a bit of wiggle room. For instance, the roof was raised slightly to offer a bit more breathing room inside. But the most dramatic alteration is a three-foot-deep addition on two of the walls: one bump-out to house the new Murphy bed and another for a small bath. “We didn’t want the addition to be confused with the old structure, so we designed it with a more modern architectural language,” says Johnson. “Instead of the live-edge horizontal Maine pine siding found on the rest of the octagon, the addition features straight vertical siding of the same local pine.”

Pine prevails inside as well, with local pine cladding the walls and reclaimed pine boards on the floor. And while the interior has gotten a major upgrade, the hand-hewn details allow this second iteration to have its very own sense of soul. “I’ve renovated a lot of old houses, and it’s very easy to lose all the character,” says project manager Dee Dee Germain of Woodhull. “But this still feels like the same quirky, magical place that it was before. It’s just a nicer version.” The firm is responsible for all the millwork, including the custom panels on the Murphy bed as well as the compact kitchenette, which occupies one of the eight walls. What one doesn’t realize upon first glance is that the kitchen serves double duty as a mechanical closet, as there isn’t enough space for a dedicated room. The heat and hot water heater are efficiently tucked below the sink and behind a curtain next to a small refrigerator, while the other technical systems can be found underneath the house. “The well tank is located under the structure, which is sitting on a ledge, so insulation and heat are critical to keep that area conditioned,” explains Germain. Meanwhile, the gas shut- off is under the front steps, where it can be easily accessed.

Although every aspect of this project needed to be expertly planned, Woodhull and the clients were careful not to make the interiors feel overly decorated, but rather functional, efficient, and in keeping with the rustic setting. The natural wood is joined by touches of green in the kitchen, on the back wall of the Murphy bed, and in the new bath, which features a green sink and green Vermont slate. “The bath is moodier than the rest of the cottage,” notes Johnson. “We didn’t want the bath to flash when the door is ajar, so we chose darker tones that tend to recede.” Given its diminutive footprint of about 3 by 6½ feet, the bath is essentially constructed as a wet room, and because of that, certain challenges arose. “We wanted the door to match the wood-clad walls, but in order to contend with the moisture, we ended up painting the edges and side that faces inward with marine paint,” explains Germain.

As Johnson points out, this cottage is smaller than many hotel rooms, so deciding on a furniture plan also took considerable thought. “The priority here is enjoying the view, so everything works around the two armchairs in front of the enlarged window,” says Johnson, who stresses the importance of flexibility and moveable furniture in this scenario. For instance, the lightweight dining table and dresser with wheels can be shifted to the side before lowering the Murphy bed. “The margin of error is zero,” he continues. “Having an extra piece of furniture just isn’t possible. Keeping the fixed items—the kitchen, bathroom, and bed—along the edges allows the primary space to be flexibly furnished for the specific day or time of day, depending on the clients’ needs.” Many of the pieces that ended up working are actually the owners’ family heirlooms. “Given that this cottage has always served as a family gathering place, it felt right to use meaningful things that have lived with our family for a long time,” says Charles. After all, this space is meant for reflection and enjoying the small moments, whether gazing at the perfectly framed water view from bed, watching the light change throughout the day, or standing directly under the cupola and relishing the echo of your own voice. “You can leave the world behind here,” says Sarah. “It’s just you, the water, and the birds.”