Lucky Pines is the home of Jill Neubauer.
The 4.5-acre site of pine woodland fronts Deep Pond. A collection of buildings occupies the landscape and carves out its domain from the woods. In addition to the house, a workshop and storage shed, barn, chicken coop, and tree house have been built over the years. A library was recently added to the house.
The house and outbuildings reflect an aesthetic of rustic industrial which is inspired by Jill’s roots in the Wisconsin north woods. This modern log cabin utilizes mature pine trees as structural columns for its three floors. The columns are paired with exposed framing and steel beams. Knotty pine walls contrast with colored plaster walls that derive their colors from site elements—green pine needles, rusty pine needles, and lake sand. A 120-foot-long poured concrete wall running through the workshop, courtyard, and house retains the grade and establishes a plinth for the house and lawn. An exposed aggregate fireplace heats up the mass of a freestanding raw concrete wall. Throughout the house raw materials are counter-balanced by the warmth of the pine, colored plaster, and furnishings.
The courtyard space between the house and workshop holds a number of useful and delightful features. Accommodations for outdoor dining, showering, and grilling, as well as a soothing water feature and runnel create a wonderful summer room.
The barn, like the other buildings, has a balance of modern and traditional design and materials. The exposed oak timber frame structure is clad with pine, cedar and polycarbonate. The plastic walls allow light to fill the barn and make a pleasant environment for the horses and family.
The master plan organizes the structures on the site. The design of the buildings settles them into their pine landscape. The master plan organizes the structures on the site so that each one relates quietly and naturally to the others.
Builder: Miller Starbuck Construction
Landscape Architect: Stephen Stimson Associates
Photographer: Lucas Allen, Charles Mayer, Dan Cutrona