An immensely versatile space, the loft/family room sits at the top of the stairs on the second floor. The chrome and wicker settee was found on Nantucket. Designer Lisa Tharp papered the daybed alcove wall with book pages and ephemera to inspire daydreaming.
Tharp designed the master bedroom’s custom canopy bed with a subtle reference to boat dock cleats. New ceiling rafters and planking throughout add airiness and authenticity.
The guest bedroom is a rich mix of textures with its navy grasscloth backdrop, embroidered pillows, and bed linens.
The windows in the room’s new bump-out bathe the space in natural light. The breezy shades can be rolled up and fastened with rope, while shutters offer flexible privacy control at the room’s front window.
The screened porch is furnished with comfy sofas and tea-height tables for casual eating and reading, making it a favorite gathering spot.
The master bath’s indoor shower connects to its outdoor counterpart.
The living room adopts a nautical air without being too obvious.
The kitchen was designed with an eye toward functionality and good looks, with yacht-inspired lighting and counters of teak and holly woods
The kitchen opens to the light-filled dining room.
The dining room’s velvet-covered wing chairs provide a luxe counterpoint to the vintage violin maker’s table and textural pendant light.
One of two matching vanities in the master bath; the wire bases are former flower displays.
The living room is contemporary in feel, now that the old brick hearth has been replaced by a sleek stone surround. Easy-care slipcovered chairs flank a cocktail table of black grasscloth and brass.
To integrate the pool with the landscape, “We conceived of the rectangular pool as a farm relic—perhaps the foundation for a farm structure,” says Horiuchi. Behind the pool, plantings on the sloping lawn will grow lush over time.
Stone mason Eben Armer hand selected each locust branch for this outdoor shower he designed and built.
Reclaimed vintage white oak rafters add a rustic touch to the cedar-clad great room.
The wife orchestrated the placement of the engaging cow photos—a nod to the home’s pastoral nature.
Wood decking links the nearby parking area with the dairy barn. The barn door is just one of many thoughtful details reinforcing the home’s farm narrative.
A boon to entertaining, the butler’s pantry is accessible to the kitchen and screen porch.
The screened porch provides views of the poolhouse (which also functions as guest quarters) and the water. Stiving-Nichols and furniture maker Jeff Soderbergh collaborated on the design of the handsome reclaimed cypress dining table, one of several he crafted for the house.
The random sizes and shapes of the paving stones further the natural look of the landscaping.
“The kitchen was a labor of love,” says interior designer Liz Stiving-Nichols. The room’s wood ceiling links the space to the adjacent great room.
Guest bedrooms and the family room occupy one wing of the home. The oversize windows light the staircase to the owners’ second-floor sanctuary.
Sandberg wallpaper from Stark graces a guest bath.
A sunny screened-in porch is cooled by Cape Cod breezes and scattered with comfy chairs atop a Stark area rug.
In the guest quarters, a custom-built table and vintage Klismos chairs upholstered with Stark leather cozy up to one of the Otis house’s original fireplaces.
The master bedroom sits in a quiet corner of the addition with views out to the backyard.
A midcentury sideboard forms a stylistic bridge between the living room with its contemporary furniture and the dining room with its traditional Windsor chairs.
The open kitchen features a Thermador Pro Series gas range and hood and granite countertops.
Reclaimed bullseye windows were used in the entry hall’s transoms.
An upstairs guest room in the original house sports bright primary colors.
The original house, which holds guest quarters, is connected to the barn-style addition by the Royal Barry Wills-inspired entrance hallway.
The dining area features a dining table from Restoration Hardware and Windsor chairs from D.R. Dimes.
A soaking tub nestles between shiplap walls in the master bath.
Beams from an eighteenth-century New Hampshire barn frame the view from the living room to the backyard.
The star of the terraced backyard is the swimming pool with its natural rock diving platform. J.P. Zigante Landscaping kept plantings simple with lavender and grasses that dance in the wind.
Winding steps of uneven rock lead from dock to house for a more nature-in-the-raw experience.
Modernist architect Olav Hammarstrom believed in getting close to nature, in this case a private kettle pond. In the recent update, architect Coty Sidnam’s glass rail on the deck of the main house makes “up close” even closer.
The rebuilt deck ends with an outdoor shower outside the master bedroom.
A guest bedroom sports a Flou Notturno bed and Danish modern night tables by Poul Volther.
In the family room, once an old fishing cabin, Sidnam reinforced the ceiling with tie rods and added clerestory windows to bring in light.
The breezeway entry was hard to find until landscape architect Keith LeBlanc regraded and opened up the parking court.
Iconic Arne Jacobsen chairs ring the dining table.
A guest bathroom continues the sleek lines and neutral palette of the house.
From the perspective of the seating area, the pool’s infinity edge disappears into the waters of the bay.
At the near end of the pool, two pieces of granite stacked atop each other form a naturalistic and appealing diving platform. On the opposite end sits the fireplace, with a dining area and bar conveniently located nearby. Just steps from the bar, the spa is delineated from the pool by a curved wall designed for sitting and soaking.
The color of the pool, carefully chosen to blend with the surrounding vegetation and the bay, is a source of delight.
On the water side, the fencing is glass, while white-painted pickets do the job on the driveway side.
A smaller, round table for informal dining is located at one end of the pool, near the seating area.
A path leads across the lawn to the parking area.
Wide porches, two balconies, and a roof walk allow open-air views of Nantucket Harbor to the north.
At one end of the infinity pool, a cabana features an enclosed bar area, bathroom, and changing room.
In the master bedroom, a tailored approach lends structure to the powder-blue easy chair, custom headboard, and bed skirt. French doors swing open for a view of the harbor.
The living room gets a nice punch of color from the oversized painting by Ben Georgia above the fireplace.
The red-cedar roof and white cedar shingle siding, traditional for the area, are allowed to weather naturally.
Brightly patterned fabric by China Seas pops against the neutral surroundings of the main staircase. The J.D. Staron runner is one of Morgan’s favorites. “I just love the simplicity of it, and the way the striped borders give it definition.”
Above the table, the outline of a polished nickel chandelier from Circa Lighting brings to mind a sailboat’s rigging and the motion of waves.
In the basement bunkroom, striped bedding and nautical details add up to a space made for grandchildren.
Blues and whites predominate in the living room. “We just kept it beautiful, simple, and inviting,” says designer Lynn Morgan.
Adjacent to the kitchen, the family room is outfitted for comfort with an oversized sectional and a hefty leather ottoman large enough to rest an extended family of feet. Durable fabrics are key to keeping the beach house relaxed and user-friendly, says Morgan.
Chairs upholstered in a Jane Churchill print liven up the white milk-paint dining table from Circa Antiques.
Artworks roost atop and below a Crate & Barrel table on the upstairs landing. The handcrafted felt rug from Patterson Flynn Martin reminded designer Richard Hallberg of cross-sectioned tree branches. The window on the stairway was framed with half-timbering, to make the house look like an old home that had been restored.
A built-in banquette hugs the walls of the sunroom, which was designed to suggest a screened porch that had been enclosed.
Resting atop a base of bluestone and New England fieldstone, this Cape Cod residence draws from nineteenth-century traditions, but includes amenities such as a ground-floor gym that opens out onto a swimming pool. The balcony belongs to the owner’s bedroom—one of three master suites incorporated to accommodate the owner’s children and their future families.
The room’s other seating area is geared toward conversation and the view, with all-weather outdoor upholstery to withstand wet bathing suits and the owner’s Labrador retriever, Sam.
The limestone on the floor is repeated on the kitchen’s island and backsplash, where it contrasts with stainless steel cabinets.
A game table anchors the center of the great room, whose retractable doors encourage easy indoor/outdoor flow, while sectional sofas surround a TV concealed behind stainless steel panels.
Antique hand-adzed timbers crown the walls throughout the main floor, instilling a sense of history and a rustic counterpoint to the sleek limestone floors.
Designer Richard Hallberg used two tables in the dining room to accommodate large or small gatherings; the woven rope patio chairs can be used indoors or out.
The homeowner says everyone congregates in the kitchen or on the deck, whose expansive table easily accommodates twelve.
A Max Frintrop painting commands the kitchen’s seating area, which features a customized pair of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs. The television over the sideboard was recessed into the wall and framed with Sheetrock for a seamless, built-in look. The Tao Gray Light limestone floors are from Exquisite Surfaces.
The compact powder room off the dining room features a custom triangular sink crafted from limestone.
The swimming pool culminates in an invisible edge that visually blends into Buzzards Bay.
A desk doubles as a headboard in one of the guest rooms. The angled walls recall the attics the owner played in as a child.
A Wetstyle tub in the master bath overlooks scrub-covered dunes and the bay beyond.
The deck railing follows the curve of the wetlands setback abutting the house; a second seating area at the rear capitalizes on its western exposure.
A deft mix of antiques and contemporary pieces fosters a charming cottage ambience. “The wife and I had a wonderful time sourcing pieces,” says interior designer Linda Banks. “Many of them are from local sources.” Holding court in the living room, the old cherry coffee table has a waxed finish reminiscent of a boat’s deck.
The generous deck wraps around the house and is accessible to the living room and the guest bedroom.
The king-size bed in the guest room is from Leonard’s in Seekonk, Massachusetts. “Should the owners ever want one-floor living, this room is like a secondary master suite,” Banks says.
Versatile x-benches slide out of the way when not needed, while an oat straw and wood Orkney chair lends texture.
The guest room’s washstand was made in England.
The living room’s vintage black barley twist writing table was among the first purchases made for the home.
The petite bibliothéque features a range of comforts including an enticing window seat for soaking up the views.
The eye-catching painting is by local artist Allen Whiting, who was inspired by the Norton Point Breach, a breach in the barrier beach connecting Edgartown with Chappaquiddick. The wife scored the captain’s chairs at a charity flea market in Manhattan, and Banks designed the weathered oak refectory table crafted by furniture maker Mike Elkins of Elkins and Company in Boothbay, Maine.
The daughter’s bedroom boasts a headboard covered in a textured fabric that looks like crewel work.
In compliance with the owner’s wishes, the rejuvenated house looks like it has always been there. “We wanted to maintain the home’s modest scale but also make it function the way people like to live today,” explains architect Patrick Ahearn.
The sophisticated walnut dining room table sports a hand-planed top and rustic carved bases—a fetching contrast to the hearth’s edited frame. The living room’s vintage black barley twist writing table was among the first purchases made for the home.
The breakfast area is open to the kitchen and living room, which allows family members to engage in different activities and still be together; the framed commemorative scarf is a memento of one of the numerous Newport to Bermuda races the husband has sailed.
The cathedral ceiling is painted in high-gloss white to enhance the sense of height and emphasize the simplicity of the beams and trim work.
The indoor/outdoor dining table, wicker chairs, and cushions were chosen for their easy care and relaxed style. An open floor plan creates a casual atmosphere and allows for more light.
The rope motif of the Lee Jofa wallpaper is echoed in the headboard’s trim and the twisted plaster rods of the chandelier.
Gold flame honeysuckle climbs the pergola, overlooking the perennial garden’s mix of lavender, salvia, Rozanne geraniums, Bluebonnet, and Asiatic lilies.
The nautical motif was extended to the back deck, where a white, powder-coated aluminum dining set overlooks the Centerville River. The rebuilt deck’s surface was chosen as a close match to the interior floors for a seamless transition between spaces.
The designer worked with a sailmaker to create mainsails for headboards in the children’s room.
The built-in bench and cabinetry hold summer gear, while teardrop marine cleats are used as coat hooks.
The open kitchen is outfitted with custom cabinetry that sports authentic marine cleats for hardware. Silvery crackle ceramic subway tile adds shimmer to the backsplash. The owner wanted countertops of Caesarstone for its high style and low maintenance.
A classic barn door was updated with navy high-gloss paint and modern hardware for a polished, but rustic look.
The home’s classic shingled exterior looks much the same, post renovation, with the addition of a multitude of new window boxes filled with pink geraniums.
A new foyer was created to establish a true sense of arrival. Navy grasscloth walls let the white furniture, accessories, and high-gloss white trim pop.
The clean lines of the bedding and furniture play well against the wallpaper’s whimsical nautical design in the master bedroom.
The original entry was transformed into a sitting area, where swivel chairs surround a pierced cast-resin cocktail table, adding a sophisticated touch to the beachy vibe.
Higgins and her client laid out the garden like a parterre, with four flower beds surrounding a bird bath.
Kevin Baker Stonework is responsible for the hardscaping, including the stone terrace on the water side of the house, where the homeowners’ pup, Chewie, enjoys the view.
Original exterior details, such as the cornerstones, were replicated in the new parts of the house.
An antique folk art horse and an old rooster weathervane add character to the family room. A fish-themed mosaic floor and a porthole window give the master bath nautical flair.
A fish-themed mosaic floor and a porthole window give the master bath nautical flair.
A soft palette of peach and gray enhances a guest bedroom, where Badger, Helen Higgins’s faithful Jack Russell Terrier, stops for a rest. The pastel palette, reproduction cane bed, and brick-lined fireplace augment the space’s romantic ambience.
A white wash lends subtle color to the master bedroom’s paneled walls.
A twentieth-century Rockport School painting marks the entrance to the pantry.
An antique fish weathervane decorates the kitchen’s custom hood.
Custom shades from Blanche P. Field finesse the powder room sconces.
Louis XIII wing chairs and a leather-upholstered ottoman help create a comfortable fireside oasis in the great room.
An assortment of plant-filled pots dress up the front door.
A crushed-clamshell drive lined with boxwood leads to the new porte-cochère. The home’s top-to-bottom update blends modern features and character-infusing details, such as high-efficiency windows made with hand-blown glass. “A typical summer house has become a four-season home,” says interior designer Helen Higgins.
The Duxiana bed tucks into a headboard, with built-in nightstands and bookshelves, that separates the room’s sleeping and sitting areas.
The master bedroom holds a spacious sitting area, where a George Nakashima stool keeps company with a Holly Hunt sofa and Christian Liaigre table.
A broad window with a transom lets light wash over a cozy sitting area defined by tapered stone columns.
Along the scullery hall, the homeowner has a favorite niche that holds books and a comfortable place to read.
The kitchen is furnished with simple wood cabinetry and pale counters, with tapering stone columns that form a solid connection to the rest of the house.
A seating area in the kitchen features an Eero Saarinen Tulip Table.
The dining room, located in the open space next to the living room, offers comfortable seating to host lots of friends and family.
Wood, stone, glass, and an abundance of natural light define the living room, where a Dash and Albert rug delineates a seating area that includes Christian Liaigre sofas and Holly Hunt drum chairs.
Stone pillars along a hallway are just one way the natural world is brought indoors.
Tapered and notched rafter tails speak the language of Wright.
The house design includes bedrooms with covered porches away from the public spaces.
At this Martha’s Vineyard house, the deeply overhanging roofs, stone walls, wood colonnade, and ample windows were inspired by the iconic work of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Set amid vibrant but groomed grounds, the stone patio offers an outdoor gathering spot perfect for warm summer nights or cooler evenings around the custom fire pit.
Neutral, beachy tones and glamorous accents make for a soothing master bedroom sanctuary.
Featuring built-in trundle beds, the boys’ bunkroom is an ode to the interior of a ship.
The airy kitchen continues the understated Americana theme with its island and lanterns sporting a patriotic navy blue.
A modern bistro set and a sunny window seat add a splash of fun to the kitchen area.
The dining room fulfills the owners’ wish for a space that seats their large extended family without being too formal.
Striped his-and-hers chairs and ottomans inhabit a cheerful and sunny reading lounge in the living room—one of many nooks created with a family of book-lovers in mind.
An antique American flag anchors the airy living space and serves as an inspiration for the home’s color scheme. Modern accents, like the custom floor cubes, create an appealing contrast to the more traditional decor and neutral carpet and walls.
The coastal-chic white rocker and bench, stars-and-stripes pillows, and a door painted in Ralph Lauren’s Club Navy keep the space in sync with the homeowners’ tasteful patriotic aesthetics.
The perfect place to sit with a Sunday paper and coffee, the entry porch is a nice respite from the summer sun
A short jaunt from the beach and the heart of Falmouth, this sun-drenched home was renovated to nearly double its original size and now serves as a family getaway. The cleverly terraced yard and lush landscaping complement the sizable circular driveway, built to accommodate a large family and many guests.
Landscape designer Mary LeBlanc created multiple outdoor seating areas, including this charming nook with a fire pit.
Elms opted for an all-white interior, and then added a shot of yellow with fun pillowing and a striped quilt by Denyse Schmidt.
The diminutive Shingle-style guesthouse beckons visitors with its sunny demeanor.
The master bedroom gets a dose of luxury in the form of rich, textured wallcovering, beautiful drapery, and linen-wrapped bedside tables in Nantucket red.
Visiting grandkids get their own colorful bathroom and custom bunkroom on the lower level.
Detailed design—a toe-kick in the bathroom pulls out to serve as a step, and each bunk has two USB ports so iPads stay charged—defines the spaces.
In the study shared by the husband and wife, Elms designed built-in desks and shelves painted a deep gray-blue. A textured wallcovering and leather accents, such as the rolling chairs and leather-wrapped drawer pulls, add gravitas.
A glassed-in, temperature-controlled wine cellar and a handsome, comfortable sitting area encourage relaxation.
On the screened porch, Elms started with a neutral foundation of gray-striped cushions and gray paint on the floor, then added accents of ocean-blue and orange. The many windows let nature’s green act as part of the palette.
A statement-making walnut peninsula with a waterfall edge separates the kitchen from the dining room.
The dining table and buffet hail from the owners’ old house; designer Dee Elms added a contemporary three-drum chandelier and wishbone chairs.
Symmetry rules in the living room, where Elms designed matching built-in bookshelves and cabinets to flank the fireplace.
A woodland landscape, anchored by beautiful oaks, provides a lush backdrop for this Shingle style Falmouth house designed by architect John Dvorsack.
A pool cabana further screens the house from the street and offers extra bedroom space for guests.
Around the side of the house, the gardens form outdoor rooms that make perfect spots for play or relaxation.
Surgical precision was required to site the house among the mature trees. Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscape Services created an inner courtyard rimmed with plantings.
The bed was one of the last things the couple found while working on the decoration of the house. A multicolored woven blanket and pillows by John Robshaw are finishing touches.
Soothing blue is one element that gives the master suite its getaway feeling. A cozy sitting area in front of the fireplace and a large balcony overlooking the backyard are other bonuses.
The study, where Kramer and Celeste often take their morning coffee, shows off Murphy’s deft blending of the couple’s tastes—her preference for traditional and his for a more bohemian look.
The bed was one of the last things the couple found while working on the decoration of the house. A multicolored woven blanket and pillows by John Robshaw are finishing touches.
A sink base picked up at the antiques show in Brimfield, Massachusetts, finds a new home in the first-floor powder room.
Wood beams and painted beadboard emphasize the vaulting of the kitchen ceiling; the design team took down walls, allowing the kitchen to flow into the breakfast area and living and dining rooms.
A fun mix of seating around the table gives the breakfast area its relaxed feeling.
The homeowners chose a reclaimed wood table built in Ohio for the dining room, which sits just beyond the living room and opens to the backyard; interior designer John Murphy surrounded the table with a mix of upholstered and Windsor chairs to lend extra interest.
The large living room, outfitted to accommodate the homeowners and their six children as well as plenty of friends, has multiple seating areas scattered around a fireplace conceived and built by stone artist Lew French.
Layers of antiques and flea-market finds fill niches such as this one in the entryway.
Mimi Bennett’s study/sleeping porch has dramatic views on three sides.
George Bennett’s vanity tucks sideways into the nook under the window.
Reclaimed pine tops the kitchen island.
The big dining table is a copy of the one in the old rental house.
The living room’s comfortable furnishings echo the sand, sea-blue and corals of the beach outside.
The exposed rafter ends look like stylized fish heads, reflecting the family’s love of fishing.
Gambrel roofs and low eaves give the house its horizontal, ground-hugging quality.
The wife’s office area is part of the master suite.
Simple tile and clean whites make for a fuss-free master bath that doesnât skimp on luxury.
The master bedroom’s open bookshelves hold an array of Nantucket baskets, some of which the homeowner made.
The kitchen’s tiled countertop and green faux-painted cabinets add to the home’s cottage look.
The table has an end drawer for storing linens.
A reproduction lace-maker’s table holds summer’s bounty. Sconces set into painted wood beams add ambience in the evening.
Built-in wooden benches line the patio and serve as additional seating for entertaining.
The window seat wraps the perimeter of the living room.
A whale carving that once hung on the outside of a Sconset house dominates the living room with its whitewashed walls.
A schooner painting by William P. Stubbs gets prominent placement in the entry hall.
An addition to an existing post-and-beam house on Nantucket gave its new owners a wide porch and more formal entry area.
Furnished with casual pieces from Restoration Hardware’s Leagrave collection, wide porches invite overflow guests, easy conversation, and kicking back.
Outdoor living is essential to the Cape experience, of course, and it’s celebrated in this family compound.
The TV room is layered with textures.
Comfort and a go-with-anything palette rule. Punches of color, exaggerated patterns, and touches of wood, rattan, and wicker jazz up the living room. The living room’s Balou lounge chair from JANUS et Cie is a favorite perch.
The kitchen and dining room are perfect examples of an intentionally casual mix of materials and styles.
The main house family room was fashioned around neutral seating from Restoration Hardware.
Most of the furnishings in both houses were collected over time, some from previous residences, others from catalogs, says interior designer Barbara Lazarus.
A bright red door, twig chandelier, and compass rose create a welcoming vibe in the larger main house.
A pergola shelters the main walkway between the entry doors.
Sited to face the lawn and lake, the houses connect to the outdoors—and each other—by way of multiple paths, porches, and patios.
Inspiration for the two nearly mirror-image homes came from classic Cape architecture, a lovely, private lakeside setting, and the idea that both would function as one family retreat.
Local photographer Daniel Sutherland’s work brings a bit of the island’s scenic landscape into the master bedroom.
A sloped ceiling and paneling are classic New England touches—the perfect contrasts to the family room’s custom console and attention-getting artwork from Natural Curiosities.
In addition to the poolside cottage, which has been reborn as guest quarters, and a pool house for equipment, the property also holds a separate garage with second-floor studio space.
Dartmouth, Massachusetts, woodworker Scott Pacheco crafted the kitchen’s sawbuck table and bench. The latter is clad in vinyl for easy cleaning, and the pillows are dressed in a Galbraith & Paul fabric.
Strips of iridescent glass tile shimmer against white granite in the bathroom.
A custom bench is reflected in a mirrored dresser in the bedroom.
