Classic Design on Cape Cod
June 22, 2020
Text by Meaghan OâNeill   Photography by Read McKEndree
![CI20_Tharp_Chatham_Exterior Exterior cape cod shingle style house](https://i0.wp.com/nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CI20_Tharp_Chatham_Exterior.jpg?w=685&h=466&ssl=1)
![CI20_Tharp_Chatham_Pool A raised terrace and infinity pool extend into the backyard, which abuts a saltwater pond with views of the bay beyond. Connecting landscaping and hardscaping with the architecture was an important element of the design for Polhemus Savery DaSilva, the firm responsible for the architecture, landscape architecture, and construction of the house.](https://i0.wp.com/nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CI20_Tharp_Chatham_Pool.jpg?w=345&h=226&ssl=1)
Architect John DaSilva was facing a dilemma. His integrated architecture-construction firm, Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders, had purchased a prime piece of real estate in Chatham, Massachusetts. The propertyâs existing 1950s-era house had a Cape Cod aesthetic, but the interior wasnât cohesive, and it didnât take advantage of the siteâs beautiful location on a salt pond with views of the bay beyond. Having built eight custom houses in the neighborhood, DaSilva and his team knew the building was a tear down. Still, they wanted to retain the character of the neighborhood.
âHow do you make a house that meets the needs of contemporary living, but respects the natural and historical character that draws people here in the first place?â asks DaSilva, design principal at PSD. âItâs a philosophical and artistic challenge. People want a certain degree of familiarity, but they donât want something that feels ordinary, either.â
Solving for that, says Aaron Polhemus, owner and chief executive officer of the firm, was âabout being thoughtful about the architecture and the landscape.â Posing such questions resulted in a building that, from the front, references classic cottage proportions. Over-scaled columns on a broad porch coupled with over-scaled windows and roof overhangs play with proportion to give the illusion that the house has less mass and volume than it actually does. While the front facade âconfounds expectations a bit,â says DaSilva, the water sideâs ganged windows, raised terrace and infinity pool, and walk-out lower level offer fairly contemporary styling. Inside, open-plan living maximizes the gorgeous views.
Because the 5,850-square-foot house was custom built for sale, the homeownersâa husband and wife who use it as a seasonal retreat for their familyâpurchased the property after construction was complete. Wanting to further personalize the inside, they brought on interior designer Lisa Tharp with Lisa Tharp Design.
To define and unify spaces within the horizontally oriented main floor, Tharp added rafters and beams to ceilings in the living, dining, and kitchen areas; crown molding, drapery, and paneling also draw the eye upward and add texture. The designer swapped out contemporary lighting fixtures for options with a touch of vintage charm and warmth.
At the terrace entry, new wooden doorsâpainted a stunning shade of hydrangea blue,
a favorite color in the familyâbecame the foundation for a harmonious palette.
For the seating area, Tharp replaced the fireplace surround with floor-to-
ceiling paneling reminiscent of Colonial-era Cape Cod. âWe wanted to introduce a sense of age not through distressing and patina, but in classicism in the detailing,â she says. The result, partly inspired by the homeownerâs admiration for design icon Jackie O, is gracious and elegant, yet still crisp and fresh.
In the kitchen, that direction meant adding a Pietra Cardosa stone slab behind the stove, lightening the white oak floors, and installing a custom surfboard-shaped table. âThe style is about being comfortable, easy entertaining, and classic, casual elegance,â says Tharp.
Bedrooms also advance what Tharp calls the houseâs âethereal envelope.â
A dreamy first-floor guest suite is dressed in what she describes as âa tight range of white, creams, and neutrals.â Upstairs, an airy master bedroom that features upholstery on the walls and ceiling and three-directional views feels like a tent canopy floating over the water.
The ultimate effect is a residence where interior and architectural elements come together to do just what theyâre supposed toâin this case, provide the perfect backdrop for relaxation, fun, and family time, now and for years to come. As Polhemus puts it, the house âembraces the past while looking forward to the future.â Itâs a design that has fulfilled its promise, and in so doing, become more than the sum of its parts.
Architecture, builder, landscape design: Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders
Interior design: Lisa Tharp, Lisa Tharp Design
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