Perched on a midcoast peninsula of granite ledge and spruce forest, this 3400-square-foot contemporary three-bedroom home was commissioned by a couple from Arizona who will soon be retiring to the Maine coast.  Coming from an aerospace engineering background, the clients desired a minimalist aesthetic that would include several references to traditional New England materials.  Early in the design process, the clients provided me with a multicolored “inspiration stone” found on a rocky outcropping just above the property’s breaking waves.  As the project moved forward, natural elements found on the building site itself became a major influence on the material and color palette found within the house, from tile and paint selection to the patterns and hues of granite countertops.  Not far from the main house stands a separate three-bay garage which includes a second-floor one-bedroom apartment.  For the entirety of this project, I was solely responsible for all aspects of design: construction documents, outline specifications and finish schedules, cabinetry design and shop drawings, computer modeling and digital renderings, as well as assisting clients with finish and fixture selections.  During the last few months of construction, I spent two or three days per week on-site installing tongue-and-groove siding, cedar shingles and exterior trim.