When a North Carolina couple acquired their parents’ small 1940s cottage in Eastham, Cape Cod summers took on a whole new meaning. The homeowners relished the charm and comfortable feel of the cottage, but it soon became impractical as they spent more and more time there. It was then that they contacted Cape Associates to construct a more livable home in place of their little cottage. It was crucial to the owners however, that the new home keep with the understated charm and Cape Cod-feel of the neighborhood.
The primary challenge was to keep the new vacation home modest and comfortable while creating a well-deserved vacation retreat for the hard-working homeowners. Together with the couple, the Cape Associates and Brown, Lindquist, Funnucio & Raber (architect) teams worked to maintain smaller cottage details while also incorporating more luxurious features found in contemporary homes.
Cape Associates’ project manager Lance LaLone describes the project, “Most of the interior is pine, which was used on the flooring, the walls, ceilings and beams, giving the owners what they desired on a grander scale – a beautiful, modern dwelling that still held the personality of that little cottage that held cherished memories.”
The front of the home has a two-car garage and breezeway entrance, while the rear reveals an entertainer’s paradise, with an enormous mahogany deck with an outdoor shower, a stunning Connecticut-fieldstone fireplace with a chimney that reaches around 30 feet in height, and multiple sliders to access the home. The finished basement opens to the ground level, and above the entrance breezeway is another small deck with a great view, perfect for Cape Cod’s indoor/outdoor living style.
Inside the home features a casual yet creative kitchen with painted shaker cabinets and limestone countertops. “What’s unusual and fun about this space is the multiple windows that break up what would traditionally be more cabinet space,” says LaLone. The island also adds a splash of blue for fun and white washed shiplap that ties into the treatment of the walls and the wood of the ceiling and beams.
The rest of the main living space is free flowing and includes a dining area and a living space that is open to the balcony above. Three bedrooms (including the master) are on the top floor and an open recreation and bunk space completes the sleeping options in the basement. The finished home provides year-round living, with a summer-getaway atmosphere.