Love Shack

For a casual summer home right on the beach, interior designer Alina Wolhardt took inspiration from the natural landscape. Inside and out, relaxed frills, like the ottoman’s pom-poms, elevate the sense of fun.

The couple forewent any major reconstruction, instead sprucing up interiors with paint, furnishings, and art, while orienting the layout around the generous ocean views.

A commissioned painting of the living room by regional artist Adam O’Day helps drive the tone and hues for the interior styling.

Wolhardt and the owners transformed a small loft with terrific views of the water into the primary bedroom with gauzy, sheer curtains that filter the bright light that floods in all morning. A desk and lounge chair add practical touches to the cozy space.

A cheerful guest room ensures the homeowners, who love to entertain, have ample space for friends and family to visit.

The design team left the bathroom’s existing pink tile and wall mirror in place; a modern round mirror, new lighting, and subtly humorous artwork (sketches of superheroes using the toilet) freshen up the area.

Wolhardt walks the beach with clients and close friends Ricardo Rodriguez (left) and Michael Kelley (right).

Ricardo Rodriguez and Michael Kelley had been visiting Provincetown for decades when they decided it was time to invest in a property of their own. That property turned out to be the first one they toured. “It was love at first sight,” says Rodriguez of the approximately 1,000-square-foot condominium that sits right on the beach. “It has a beautiful relationship to the water—it’s like you’re on a boat.”

Rodriguez, who works in real estate, says he instinctually began considering ways they could remodel the condo. But the Boston-based couple closed on the purchase during summer and quickly realized they didn’t want to waste any time on renovations. They also liked that the existing space captured Provincetown’s artsy, casual vibe.

Still, the home needed a solid refresh. So instead of a whole-house overhaul, the couple collaborated with friend and interior designer Alina Wolhardt to enliven indoor and outdoor spaces with furnishings and art. “It looked worn out and needed love again,” says Wolhardt, founder of Boston-based Wolf in Sheep Design and one of New England Home’s 2020 5 Under 40 winners. The trio decided to refinish floors and revive rooms with paint, but some quirky touches, such as the bathroom’s pink tile and the kitchen’s cobalt-blue countertops, were left intact as much for utility as they were an homage to the history of the place.

Rodriguez had commissioned a painting of the living room’s wall of windows, which became the inspiration for the interior decor. Art—the couple collects—and furnishings add color, flair, and function throughout. The living area flows seamlessly to the deck, where at high tide the water rises halfway up the stairs leading to the beach.

During the process of creating a getaway purpose-built for appreciating family, friends, and fun, the home earned an apt moniker, the Love Shack. “It’s beautiful,
but it’s not precious,” says Rodriguez, who describes the retreat as a place for “wet bathing suits, sand on the floor, and seashells everywhere.”

“They didn’t want a fancy house. They wanted a place that was quintessentially P-town,” says Wolhardt. “We didn’t want to lose that essence of what makes this place special.”

Interior design:
Alina Wolhardt, Wolf in Sheep Design