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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.