A Pint-Sized Provincetown Apartment

The spiral staircase leads to the master bedroom. A mirror of python skin and fossil stone is a focal point of the dining nook.

Most of the art is by local artists from Provincetown galleries.

A lacquered box from Provincetown’s Yates & Kennedy adorns the living room’s Palecek side table.

Corrie, who grew up in Virginia, is a self-taught designer whose first career was as a lawyer.

The antique Jacobean chairs in the living room are from designer and homeowner Paul Corrie’s own collection.

Corrie completely gutted the kitchen, replacing the upper cabinets with glass shelving and a range hood, both of which he designed. He wanted the room to be a “sea of open with no actual ending.”

Corrie completely gutted the kitchen, replacing the upper cabinets with glass shelving and a range hood, both of which he designed. He wanted the room to be a “sea of open with no actual ending.”

One of the things that attracted Corrie to this condo was the fact that it was the only one on the wharf with a loft space for sleeping.

Unlacquered brass fixtures and an Urban Archaeology light fixture are subtle nautical references in the bathroom.

Paul Corrie knows Provincetown.

The Washington, D.C., interior designer has been vacationing in the Cape Cod hotspot for twenty years. In 2016, he and his husband, Steve Ewens, purchased a postage-stamp–size condo right on Commercial Street, Ptown’s main drag. “It had everything we needed to work with and direct views of Provincetown Harbor,” explains Corrie of the 436-square-foot space. “And the size didn’t concern us. Our first condo was 900 square feet; we understand how to use vertical storage and how to max out space.”

After enjoying the condo as-is for a year, the couple first gutted the bathroom and kitchen. When it came to the design, Corrie wanted a reflection of who he is as a designer coupled with Provincetown’s culture that is welcoming to all. “I work in D.C., so I have a traditional design aesthetic,” says Corrie. “But Ptown has a playfulness that I wanted to embrace in our getaway. I was trying to build a modern, fun interpretation of what I do in D.C.”

That meant painting the home from top to bottom in a high-gloss white; even the knotty-pine ceiling beams that date back to the mid-1800s were treated to a glam makeover. (For contrast, the brick fireplace in the living was painted black.) The result is a space that almost feels like a yacht. Nautical nods appear in the form of unlacquered brass fixtures by Waterworks in the bathroom and kitchen, portal windows and mirrors, and, in the bath, shower tiles from Ann Sacks that mimic the ocean waves outside the front door.

The other common denominator throughout is the use of pink for what Corrie calls, with a laugh, “a bit of gay whimsy.” The bathroom ceilings are painted a glossy pink, and the Metal Marcel Armchairs by Restoration Hardware in the dining room sport custom reversible Glant Textiles fabric in a cotton candy color. A cherry-patterned wallpaper in the living room adds wit and humor to a space that’s custom de signed, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Artists have been lured to the storied community at the tip of Cape Cod for generations, and art sourced locally was also an important factor in Corrie’s design. He acquired many pieces from Provincetown’s Room 68, one of his favorite galleries, and much of the art pays homage to the town’s embrace of diversity and inclusion.

The men make the ten-hour drive to Ptown every other month to escape the pace of city living. “It’s truly a reflection of what we wanted to accomplish as our own clients,” says Corrie. “Good design isn’t just the name of a designer and their interpretation of a space but a reflection of what the client wants to achieve. Our space reflects our love for the magic environment that is Ptown.”

Interior Design: Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors
Builder: Home Remodeling Pros of New England