Simply Perfect: A Straw Bale Home in Wilmington, Vermont

By Karen Olson
Published on January 1, 2007
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Dale made the bed, and his mother sewed this Irish chain quilt.
Dale made the bed, and his mother sewed this Irish chain quilt.
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Straw bale creates a healing environment for Michele to do her energy work. She says her patients claim to feel better before she even puts her hands on them.
Straw bale creates a healing environment for Michele to do her energy work. She says her patients claim to feel better before she even puts her hands on them.
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Chickens and guinea hens, which share a building with the solar panels and batteries, provide a regular source of fresh eggs.
Chickens and guinea hens, which share a building with the solar panels and batteries, provide a regular source of fresh eggs.
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The stained glass in the interior window, originally from France, was purchased at the Vermont Salvage Company. Michele and Dale found their dining table covered in cloth and knick-knacks at an antique shop in Cambridge, New York.
The stained glass in the interior window, originally from France, was purchased at the Vermont Salvage Company. Michele and Dale found their dining table covered in cloth and knick-knacks at an antique shop in Cambridge, New York.
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With 1,600 square feet of upstairs living space, the Doucettes wanted to maximize their storage space, so they built these drawers right into the walls.
With 1,600 square feet of upstairs living space, the Doucettes wanted to maximize their storage space, so they built these drawers right into the walls.
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The Doucettes relied on architect Joseph Cincotta for innovative ideas, including the gentle oval curve on the deck, that add beauty to the plain rectangular structure.
The Doucettes relied on architect Joseph Cincotta for innovative ideas, including the gentle oval curve on the deck, that add beauty to the plain rectangular structure.
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Southern light fills the living room. Dale, inspired by carousels around the world, carved the rocking pig.
Southern light fills the living room. Dale, inspired by carousels around the world, carved the rocking pig.
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Left to right: LineSync Architecture’s Joseph Cincotta, principal architect, and his wife Julie Lineberger, owner, with homeowners Michele and Dale Doucette.
Left to right: LineSync Architecture’s Joseph Cincotta, principal architect, and his wife Julie Lineberger, owner, with homeowners Michele and Dale Doucette.
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The arched, main-floor entrance to Michele’s office includes wood doors that Dale made.
The arched, main-floor entrance to Michele’s office includes wood doors that Dale made.
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In the morning, Dale cooks breakfast and Michele makes school lunches in the open kitchen. The glass-block island provides the main work space as well as a place for the family to eat.
In the morning, Dale cooks breakfast and Michele makes school lunches in the open kitchen. The glass-block island provides the main work space as well as a place for the family to eat.
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Soapstone makes a sensuous, durable countertop and sink. Dale built the cabinets from ash grown in nearby Jacksonville, Vermont. The drawer pulls were fashioned out of rocks from the driveway.
Soapstone makes a sensuous, durable countertop and sink. Dale built the cabinets from ash grown in nearby Jacksonville, Vermont. The drawer pulls were fashioned out of rocks from the driveway.
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The property is currently powered by 10 solar panels, a wind turbine and a propane generator for additional heat in winter.
The property is currently powered by 10 solar panels, a wind turbine and a propane generator for additional heat in winter.
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The bathroom is filled with Dale's custom woodwork, including the carved branch from native pine. He created the shower from leftover materials: The soapstone trim comes from the kitchen countertop's end cuts, and the glass block for the partial shower wall was another kitchen remnant. Dale bought 200 square feet of discarded tile for $20--it had been returned to the store by someone who didn't like the color.
The bathroom is filled with Dale's custom woodwork, including the carved branch from native pine. He created the shower from leftover materials: The soapstone trim comes from the kitchen countertop's end cuts, and the glass block for the partial shower wall was another kitchen remnant. Dale bought 200 square feet of discarded tile for $20--it had been returned to the store by someone who didn't like the color.

Although it took Michele and Dale Doucette five years to plan their straw bale house and two years to build it, they agree it was worth the wait. Their home reflects the life they live: simple in design and elegant in detail.

Set on 22 acres in Wilmington, Vermont, the 3,200-square-foot house fits right into the landscape. Local stones set in the stucco perimeter around the base connect the house to the earth. Locally sourced timber and straw bales make up the frame and the walls. The indigo metal roof mirrors the surrounding mountain peaks at dusk.

When imagining their home, the Doucettes knew they wanted to live close to nature’s cycles and to conserve energy. They read everything they could about solar power, visited many straw bale homes and decided to go off the electrical grid. They also paid close attention to the way their family moves. “Bodies and houses are very similar,” says Michele, a chiropractor and Zero Balancing energy worker. “You can optimize the way energy moves through both for better health.”

To transform their ideas into workable blueprints, they turned to architect Joseph Cincotta of LineSync Architecture, a longtime friend who also lives in Wilmington. “The design evolved from Michele and Dale’s initial idea of having separate work and living spaces to one barnlike structure that houses both efficiently,” Cincotta says. Michele’s chiropractic office and Dale’s woodworking shop both are located on the main floor. Their living space, which they share with their sons, Justin and Beau, is on the upper floor.

The family’s sun-drenched living space includes an open kitchen and a living room that accesses a deck. The master bedroom and a full bath are at one end of the house; at the other end, the boys share a large suite that includes a living area, loft and small private alcoves with beds and desks.

Cold comfort

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