This summer we asked MH+D readers to send us before and after photos of a home renovation project they were particularly proud of. After reviewing the submissions, our editorial team selected one lucky winner to receive a one-year subscription to Maine Home+Design and see their project featured here.

Congratulations to our winner Kate Gomprecht, who turned an outdated lakeside camp into a cozy, relaxing home by the water.

“We’ve spent time in Maine our whole lives, and when COVID hit, we decided it was time to look for a place that recalled our lake experiences. Lakeside properties within an hour of Portland were scarce, but we finally found this camp listing on a Thursday, with all bids due Monday evening. We were in Maryland, so we sent our daughter to walk us through the place on FaceTime. The old camp was pretty scary, but Thompson Lake and the waterfront were amazing. We put in an aggressive offer and hoped for the best—it was uncharacteristically impulsive for my husband and me, but we were excited about the chance to bring the property back to its fullest potential. We originally lost the place, but two weeks later, the initial buyer backed out, and it became ours!

“I have a fine art and design background, so this was a dream project for me. We consulted with our niece, architect Jocelyn O Dickson, to draft our vision, and then we found Josh Gregoire of Bartow Construction working on a camp a few doors down the day we settled in. Josh took Jocelyn’s drawings and worked with us to renovate an accessory building before moving on to the main house. We worked together to salvage pieces of the original camp—for example, the rough-sawn wood that had been the house’s exterior now clads every north-to-south wall in the great room.

“We started the project with general ideas but constantly collaborated on the house’s design as we progressed. Josh has a great vision of the property and an amazing crew. We co-opted some wonderful ideas from Jocelyn’s past work and added plenty of new ideas, too.

—Kate Gomprecht

Architect: Jocelyn O Dickson, Jocelyn O Dickson Architecture
Interior Designer: Kate Gomprecht
Builder: Josh Gregoire, Bartow Construction
Building Supplies: Hancock Lumber
Electric: Bedell’s Electric
Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting; Visual Comfort
Landscape Design: Lyndsey Stretch, Petals Farm & Garden Design
Landscape Installation: Richardson Landscape Service
Millwork: Ben Gibson, Bartow Construction
Plumbing: Ferguson Plumbing Supply