Massachusetts

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.
A vaulted ceiling and walls in the second-floor master suite are covered in Schumacher linen upholstery, delivering a delightful canopy effect. Tharp’s signature sail-pulley shades dress the windows. The daybed is vintage; Holland & Sherry pillows button up the look.
In the same space, Tharp specified a daybed, ottoman, and sectional from her own custom line, the Lisa Tharp Collection; the cozy-yet-streamlined pieces don’t monopolize visual space. Swivel chairs offer flexible seating; Scofield sconces hang above the fireplace.
In the kitchen, astragal molding was carried from the upper cabinets onto the ceiling, drawing the focal point up. The same style molding was used to frame ceiling beams. The Urban Electric Co. lanterns and a pendant light hang above the island and table.
To draw the eye upward in the long, open-plan living area, interior designer Lisa Tharp added beams and rafters to ceilings, hung drapes as high as possible, and replaced the existing fireplace surround with floor-to-ceiling paneling.
The street view of a house designed and built by Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders features a welcoming front porch and large-scale windows and columns that give it a cottage-like feel. The one-and-a-half-story facade belies the house’s three stories, which include a walk-out lower level on the waterfront.
: Tharp chose a custom-built dining table in the shape of a surfboard. It sits near the entrance to the terrace, which is delineated by hydrangea-blue wooden doors, a backbone of the decor’s palette.
A built-in daybed in a child’s bedroom was outfitted in pale pink; curtains reveal a play space below.
A bunk room with toe-to-toe twin beds on each side is used for lounging or guests. Striped wallpaper, Schoolhouse sconces, and vintage art lend a nautical vibe.
Texture rules in a playful guest bedroom, where hand-blocked fabric by Design No. Five covers walls and a pillow. A vintage campaign chest was painted inky grey, while the model sailboat comes from Thoreauly Antiques in Concord.
The covered porch features a collection of wicker and a Crate & Barrel sofa that Skok reupholsters every five or six years. “Snoozing there in the afternoon is the most luxurious thing,” she says.
When Skok has a house full of summer guests, she’ll take a break to “rest her eyes” on the master bedroom’s daybed. Her favorite yellow toile curtains frame the window.
The living room’s stone fireplace was inspired by the one in the original house; that’s Skok’s Nichola fabric on the French footstool.
Skok splurged on handmade red-and-blue Portuguese tiles for the backsplash. She discovered the tin schoolroom pendants in London, where she began her design career.
Skok loves the double-sided glass cabinets filled with vintage treasures: “When the cabinets are lit during a dinner party, everything twinkles,” she says.
This guestroom was frequented by Skok’s mom when she was still able to visit from South Africa; that’s the designer’s own fabrics on the headboard, curtains, and bench.
Isabella, a miniature long-haired dachshund, poses next to beloved Stephen Huneck dog sculptures repurposed for the family room’s coffee table.
The chairs flanking the front door came from the now-defunct Antiques on Cambridge Street; Lee Jofa sconces grace the walls.
The designer sets her table with an eclectic mix of accessories from all over the globe, like this tablecloth from South Africa, her own line of ceramics, bowls filled with seashells, and a mix of glassware. “You should see the suitcases I bring back when I travel,” she says with a laugh.
A guest bathroom’s Lee Jofa wallpaper was a favorite of the designer’s two daughters when they were children.
To update the kitchen, Caan painted the cherry cabinets white and chose a fun serpent-patterned wallpaper backsplash by Katie Leede & Company; careful to retain some of The Barn’s history, the designer kept certain structural beams and trim the original wood.
Caan credits the “power of paint, pattern, and fabric” for the living room’s transformation. “I accessorized with things they already had and added here and there.”
A few years back, the owners installed a deck with a spiral staircase that leads down to the lawn. “I love the yin and yang of mixing the old with the new,” the owner notes of the juxtaposed architectural styles.
Designer Liz Caan painted the original barn door in the dining area the same color as the kitchen island base (Benjamin Moore’s Mount Saint Anne) to tie together the two spaces. A heavy black trestle table contrasts nicely with lighter, more modern teak dining chairs with rattan seats.
Cabinetry and the long kitchen island are painted in Sherwin Williams’s Bohemian Black, while cluster lighting and the white island surface keep the room bright. Windows facing the property line are purposefully high.
The downstairs powder room has a concrete composite sink below oversized pendant lamps.
Facing south with a door to the balcony, the master bedroom is flooded with light.
The designers found the old newel post for the stairs in a salvage yard; the space-expanding painting is a peek into a professor’s office, titled Tenure, by Matt Condron.
A painting by Michael Zigmond feels like a window into a further room on the upstairs landing.
The quartz kitchen island, with its accent of bright brackets, is a generous thirteen feet long.
Meg Erickson lounges in the bank of west-facing windows with Cleo the cat. Her parents’ Danish modern dining table suits the space perfectly and offers a nostalgic touch. “I blew out birthday candles growing up with this table,” Erickson says.
Erickson added a bluestone patio with a firepit out back. “I snuggle up outside throughout the seasons,” she says.
Floor-to-ceiling red glass tiles from Ann Sacks are a vivid, reflective counterpoint to the concrete floors. A zero-clearance shower with a full-width linear drain eliminates the need for an enclosure.
The bar, the ladder, and the loft railings were fabricated by Adam Brandt of ArcArt in Sterling, Massachusetts.
Najnigier kept the cottage from being too rustic with clean lines (note the lack of baseboards and moldings), modern furnishings, and strategic use of saturated color.
Rich velvet and brass accents add a dose of luxury.
Designer Jill Najnigier contrasted rustic elements, such as the original ceiling (which was lightly sandblasted to bring it back to life) and the stone fireplace, with simple interior architecture. A ladder made of metal piping and salvaged hemlock leads to a loft with a queen-size bed.
The spa-like tub room connects the master bedroom to the master bathroom. The modern table was sourced at Field + Supply, a curated makers craft fair held semi-annually in Kingston, New York.
A second-floor guest room has a restful color scheme that complements the pretty views of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Shore of Boston.
The library, which boasts built-ins and pocket doors, also made by Jewett Farms + Co., is one of the only rooms sans water view; the owners wanted a comfy nighttime retreat that they could close off.
One of the couple’s favorite wintertime spots, this cozy sitting area off the kitchen has warm wood built-ins fabricated by Jewett Farms + Co.
The ocean-facing side of the house; to the far left is the guest suite inspired by the previous owner’s sculpture studio.
A roaring fire on the screened porch makes for a pretty backdrop to spirited dinner conversation; the screened porch opens out to the pool and the ocean side of the property.
The kitchen, designed by Venegas and Company, contrasts warm woods with stone countertops and metallic-painted cabinetry for a contemporary and chic look; upper cabinets were eliminated to make way for windows and artwork.
The inviting great room, anchored by a sofa, chair, and coffee table from Artefact Home | Garden, in Belmont, Massachusetts, has a soothing palette, reinforced by the artwork.
The statement-making bronze-finished steel doors open out, giving the dining room a European aesthetic. “It encourages the flow of indoor/outdoor activity,” says architect Thaddeus Siemasko. The dinner-party-ready dining table and chairs are from BDDW, and the modern light fixture is from Apparatus Studio.
The playful, gender-neutral guest bedroom hosts frequent sleepovers by the grandkids.
The kids’ room’s swing chair ranks as the most popular seat in the house.
A pair of wine refrigerators in custom cabinets and walls of navy shiplap make a compact but comfortable wine-tasting room.
Views of conservation land are appetizers for relaxed outdoor meals.
Columns, cupolas, and gabled dormers give the front of the home a sense of formality belied by the casual elegance of the interior.
An inviting soaking tub occupies a sunny corner of the master bath; the gossamer shades provide privacy while letting in plenty of natural light.
In the chandelier-lit master bedroom, the most formal space in the home, an imposing bed is balanced with softer tones in the bedcoverings, bench, and divan.
Barstools and chairs are companion pieces that unify the kitchen and dining area.
A landscape by Vermont artist Craig Mooney adds a splash of color to the dining room’s quiet palette.
The onetime dining area is now a bright, airy sitting room that feels like an indoor-outdoor space despite being fully enclosed.
Kicking your feet up in this unfussy living room feels natural, and there’s ample room to do so thanks to the oversize ottoman, brought over from the owners’ previous home and paired with a new sofa.
The master bath’s barnacle-like mirror frame and wave-patterned floor tiles reference the home’s coastal location.
The bunk room’s nautical touches include rope sconces, anchor-print bedding, and a line-and-cleat detail.
Patterns in a guest room mix and match, from florals on the wall to stripes and plaid in upholstery and pillows.
A space-age ball chair is a playful addition to the bunk room.
The pool connects the main house and guesthouse in a unified landscape.
An all-wood wing chair softens the master bedroom’s vibrant colors.
The master bedroom’s vintage and antique furniture is refreshed with plucky hues drawn from the wallpaper in the hallway.
A chandelier strung with tiny bits of turquoise is framed by the angled ceiling in the master bedroom.
The kitchen joins in on the colorful fun with wallpaper (protected by glass) behind the range and inside the glass-front cabinets. The white wall faces the property line, so the high windows let in the light while allowing for privacy.
Ambles through the village inspired architectural details like the cap over the front door and the curved upper corners of the columns.
A combination of benches and transparent chairs surround the concrete-slab dining table.
Bold stripes of blue, green, and turquoise in durable, stain-resistant outdoor fabrics make for a bright, easy-care sitting area.
A rope railing is the final seafaring touch for the stairway painted in two glorious shades from Benjamin Moore—Caribbean Blue Water on the wall and Adriatic Sea on the treads.
The bright blue of the cottage’s front door hints at the rainbow awaiting inside.
The back lawn rolls right down to the water from which the Dillons originally spotted the property while kayaking.
A covered porch provides views not just of the water, but also of the garden the homeowners have created on a portion of the lot on which they were not allowed to build.
The master bedroom’s balcony is the Dillons’ favorite spot in the house.
The master bath houses a bench designed by William Yeoward.
The bench at the foot of the English bed is an antique from France, reupholstered in simple linen.
In the stairwell, old-time touches, including shiplap and a barn door, are juxtaposed with the sleek modernity of the railing.
Beyond the kitchen, views of Duxbury Bay stretch out endlessly.
Gillian used a British fireback as a backsplash for her stove, and she loved the look so much that she now imports the hearth protectors for her store.
An eighteenth-century Breton table surrounded by reproduction English Windsor chairs makes the perfect setup for casual dining.
Simple upholstered seating serves as backdrop to an assortment of wooden pieces from the homeowners’ store, including a reclaimed elm coffee table from England. Rustic ceiling beams add vintage charm to the new house.
As befits this new-meets-old house, a chest in the entry hall was made of antique components.
With its wood shingles and bright white trim, Gillian and Dickie Dillon’s new beach house in Duxbury, Massachusetts, looks as if it has always been in this historic seaside town.
The old fieldstone wall, which Gordon refurbished and reworked, is joined to the cedar fence by way of new cedar gates with bronze hardware. From the meadow side, due to the hilly topography, the wall reaches almost four feet in height.
: Bluestone paths lead to different areas of the garden and help keep feet dry when the grass is damp.
The inviting lawn terrace is an open-air room for play or entertaining.
Unlike today’s pool, which mirrors the lines of the architecture, the old pool was perpendicular to the house.
The red cedar pool fence will eventually weather to gray, making it a perfect fit for the garden’s understated palette.
Landscape architect Dan Gordon created a beautifully proportioned pool garden that’s within easy reach of the house. A parade of white hydrangeas adds to the gracious setting and gives enjoyment to those inside, too. The tall hydrangea paniculata is an old specimen that has been carefully preserved.
A deep Fleurco tub in the master bath promotes relaxing.
A silk and wool rug feels good under bare toes, while an Arctic Pear chandelier by Ochre lends sparkle.
Irving created an inviting sitting area in the couple’s bedroom.
As stylish as any grown-up haven, the little girl’s room holds an Ethan Allen bed from the owners’ previous home, which Irving refreshed with a coat of white paint. A geometric Tibetan wool rug and CB2 bedding strike additional notes of sophistication.
What was once a mere stair landing is now a sunny spot well equipped for private time with a plush daybed.
The chic mudroom incorporates a custom shade and a handy apron-front sink for washing hands.
The kitchen’s dining area sports an arresting acrylic on panel by Duy Huynh and a contemporary Apparatus chandelier in blackened brass.
To ensure the kitchen counters stay clear, Irving devised a bonanza of storage.
Irving brought the dramatic color into the family room, too, coating the bookshelves and window seat as a contrast to the room’s paler walls.
“The dining room’s focus is the wallpaper,” explains designer Kristine Irving, who also chose Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue paint for the ceiling.
A favorite gathering space, the family room includes Michael Mazur’s painting White Water and a game table for hours of fun.
Working with Boston’s Krakow Witkin Gallery and Jules Place, the designer and her clients found contemporary art that beautifully complements the old room. In the same congenial spirit, modern furnishings and fixtures look right at home with the living room’s classic architectural details.
The main staircase echoes the geometric design of the home and incorporates the building blocks used in its construction—wood, metal, and glass. Above twinkles a welcoming crystal chandelier, one of the few truly ornate elements in the home.
The backyard and pool area echo just enough of the geometry of the home to remain harmonic, while landscaping, ornamental flowers, discreet lighting, and a welcoming cabana soften the edges of a space used frequently for entertaining and family time.
A huge slab of polished marble serves as a focal point in the living room, complementing the views of the lush backyard and acting as a counterpoint to the room’s sleek, modern design.
Wood-grained Eggersmann cabinetry hides major appliances and provides contrast to the monumental marble kitchen island.
“Home-sized” windows, a bedroom balcony, and native trees help create a residential feel for a structure that intends to stand out from, not blend into, its environment.
Varied ceiling heights help define spaces throughout the home, while artwork provides color and texture. A wood panel buffed to a high gloss mirrors the custom staircase, itself a piece of functional art.
The sleek, blocky basis of the home’s abstract design is mitigated by the addition of a floating canopy, brise-soleil, and extensive plantings around the entry.
Marilyn Monroe smiles over the art deco dining room, where Parsons-style J. Robert Scott chairs surround a custom table by interior designer Manuel de Santaren.
A variety of textures is at play in the wet bar, where a mix of tile, marble, and polished wood brings warmth to the ultra-modern design.
Polished tile and marble make for a glamorous bathroom.
A library features traditional furniture covered in atypical colors and fabrics, along with bright metallic accents like the coffee table’s gilded treatment.
The foyer’s vivid colors, grasscloth walls, and literary references introduce visual refrains that appear throughout the inn.
Each bedroom has a distinct look and includes something eye-popping, like the high-gloss yellow of a four-poster bed or a scarlet wallpaper
Every guest room holds a writing desk, furthering the inn’s literary theme.
A guest room featuring scarlet wallpaper from Lee Jofa
Bold graphics in the wallpaper and rug get a calming counterpoint in the solids Reider chose for the upholstered bed and draperies.
The dining table’s pedestal base and the sconces display the turned forms that designer Rachel Reider favors.
All the bathrooms adhere to a serene neutral palette.
The slate shelves of the salvaged piece are loaded with items collected by generations of Tilletts.
The screened porch looks over cornfields and a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
The master bedroom is one of the few places where Tillett fabrics—in the drapes and coverlet—are displayed.
A rusted metal shelf loaded with family mementos serves as a semitransparent room divider.
A stainless-steel and galvanized metal island defines the kitchen.
The interior and the screened porch become one when a glass garage door is raised.
Tillett’s son Patrick McBride found the vintage Robert Kayton chairs at a flea market years ago.
A painting by Leslie Tillett and a drawing by his wife, D.D., decorate the guest bedroom.
Two heirloom African chairs, too fragile for regular use, support books alongside a wasp nest treasured for its sculptural presence.
The beds and nightstands are all built in, for a cleaner, more spacious look.
The wife’s bathroom vanity is flanked by frosted-glass partitions enclosing the toilet and shower.
Oversize two-over-two windows enhance the connection to the landscape (and get around Nantucket’s prohibition on windows without muntins). Even the sliding doors are taller than normal, to take advantage of views. The architects obliged the owners’ request for recliners with these sleek models from Design Within Reach, which sit in front of the wood-burning fireplace.
A slatted screen admits light to the stairwell while establishing a midcentury vibe that’s echoed in the living room furnishings. The neutral palette defers to the scenery, save for the sofa’s incendiary spark.
Gridded steel windows line the upstairs hall, introducing an industrial edge and views of the spaces below.
A boardwalk underscores the home’s coastal character, guiding visitors to a recessed entry that provides shelter from the elements without breaching the home’s tightly regulated footprint.
Daisies dapple the meadow bordering this new home on Nantucket’s southern shore. The owners like to grill, so the deck wraps around all four sides of the house, assuring refuge from the sometimes-brutal winds. The central saltbox is framed by one-story wings containing his-and-hers master bedrooms.
The custom dining table expands to seat six. White lacquer cabinets hug the kitchen ceiling at rear, coaxing maximum storage out of the space. The backsplash is back-painted glass.
The latter doesn’t get much use, thanks to the elliptical tub overlooking the dunes and ocean; the shiplap ceiling above falls short of the walls, so it appears to float.
A pass-through frames the adjoining bar, which doubles as a laundry room.
A wall of windows looks out on the rear patio sprinkled with an array of comfortable outdoor furniture.
A path paved with native stone guides visitors to the front door of a seaside Cape Cod home that blends effortlessly into the natural environment.
Outdoor diners can enjoy the views of the sea or straight through the “life space” to the front of the house.
Carefully selected elements, like a stone wall with a traditional look and the white dining canopy, play off the house and create a sense of unity.
Lighting at every step is as beautiful as it is functional, bathing the terraces in a soft glow and highlighting design features.
Lush, layered planting behind the white canopy gives the space a classic New England feel, even with the yard’s contemporary design and accents like the sleek dining table and chairs.
The full outdoor kitchen and bar are situated centrally for an ideal view of the pool.
A combination of textures and materials, from stone and oxidized steel to smooth pavers and lush vegetation, makes for a rich and naturally elegant poolscape.
A raised terrace with a fire pit is a fine setting for evening entertaining.
An understated water feature behind the chaises provides relaxing ambient sound.The full outdoor kitchen and bar are situated centrally for an ideal view of the pool.
The sunroom is everyone’s favorite, thanks to the curvaceous Acapulco rockers from Blackman Cruz that set the tone for the modern, stylish space. Designer Heather Wells adhered strictly to the black-and-white palette here, and used it throughout to keep the home airy, relaxed, and beachy-casual.
The powder room is painted with Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black, a stark exception to the “white walls only” rule throughout the home.
The spacious living room is furnished with custom, linen-upholstered sofas, a custom coffee table, and for added drama, a vintage Augusto Bozzi lounge chair, all grounded by a textural dhurrie rug.
The kitchen, a study in black and white, is a classic gathering place for family and friends. A custom table/island that works for both food prep and casual gathering is surrounded by two kinds of counter stools and illuminated by industrial-chic hanging lamps.
An artful vignette features a 1950s Wormley cabinet and a vintage Fritz Schlegel wingback chair.
The dining room’s wide windows complement the originals while ushering in more light; the custom dining table, surrounded by Eames molded plastic chairs, has a modern farmhouse feel.
The rear of the house has a more classically symmetrical look.
A spacious circular porch with idyllic views sits off the master bedroom.
The broad back porch offers plenty of room for an outdoor dinner party.
Mirrored nightstands lend the master bedroom a touch of glamour.
The great room’s furniture is a bold take on classic seaside style.
The dining area’s contemporary concrete-topped table, abstract art, and another stunning light fixture play beautifully against traditional architectural details.
Timeless, yet contemporary, the pristine white kitchen sports silvery gray accents in the Caesartone counters, stainless-steel appliances, and a knockout polished-nickel light fixture above the island.
The designers searched out unique lighting, including the hanging sculpture by Doug Johnston in the long gallery that separates the entry from the living room.
In keeping with the home’s bayside location, the family room takes on a nautical flair with beachy colors and a cleverly designed barrel-vault ceiling.
Architects Arthur Hanlon and Joseph Goncalves designed a house that presents the classic Shingle style in a refreshing new way. Unexpected elements include the asymmetry of the front facade, upper windows with muntins only above eye level, and a projecting tower to hold the main staircase.
Bright pops of color and ethnic patterns bring a youthful feel to a bedroom.
The white lacquered drawers and door of a vanity in the master bath tuck into an alabaster frame.
The study features darker colors and materials and a bold, graphic rug.
The first-floor powder room’s mahogany vanity and wood veneer–clad walls are examples of the home’s eclectic design.
The master bedroom draws from a lighter seaside palette of colors and textures for a serene look and feel.
The sunken living room’s expansive windows frame the drop-dead view.
The kitchen continues the beach tones in the rich blues of the granite countertops and the back-painted, glass-tiled backsplash.
A curvy drive meanders through a wooded lot, ending at the entrance to the classic Shingle-style home, never letting on that spectacular water views await within.
The front hallway is punctuated with bold blue ocean hues.
A wood and rattan side table, topped by a 1940s painting, is a classic touch in the contemporary setting.
The sloping lot offers extensive views of the bay beyond from the home, from its many terraces and patios, and from the deck surrounding the infinity pool.
The pool house is an architectural nod to the main house.
Local fieldstone visually links the house with the terrace areas.
Pale shades of sand and sea reflect the home’s location.
An elegant but relaxed design scheme is evident in the living room and the dining room beyond.
An environmentally protected coastal bank provides a natural buffer between the pool and the bay.
Boats on the wall, windmills on the custom rug, and dogs on the sofa—the study is an engaging mélange of motifs.
A grouping of Italian furnishings makes an appealing vignette alongside the window.
The existing master bath was gutted and enlarged to make way for the spacious marble-tiled shower.
The plant-filled patio speaks to the owner’s passion for gardening.
Twin sheds and a shade-lending pergola anchor the pool area and complement the house.
“Soft melon and cream are colors the owners have always preferred,” says interior designer Richard FitzGerald, referring to the pastel-hued living room.
French doors in the kitchen’s sitting area (once a porch) open to the garden. The cheery cushions on the rattan furnishings and woven Serena & Lily counter stools are in keeping with the stunning color of the La Cornue range.
Details often found in the classically inspired work of Royal Barry Wills Associates include the quoining along the corners of the main block of the house and the full-length shutters that flank the first-floor windows. Traditional plants such as tailored boxwood and blue hydrangeas complement the elegant architecture.
The owners covered the entry’s original brick wall with meticulously painted and glazed woodwork; light wood and a big mirror make the small space appear larger.
Builder Craig Ashworth rescued the corner cupboard from another home and installed it here, much to the owners’ delight, where it houses a growing collection of fragile oyster plates.
Lustrous antique silver lends character to the refined dining room.
The master bedroom features a number of antiques, including a gleaming highboy—the ideal staging area for an assemblage of blue and white porcelain.
A patterned coverlet in the master bedroom evokes mussels that wash up on the beach.
The penny-round tile in the master bath is the gray-blue of the ocean on a cloudy day.
Exposed beams installed atop the insulated walls make the structure look like an old-time beach house.
The outdoor furniture is pale in tone and unadorned, to blend in with the sand and beach grasses.
The living room coffee table was custom made from a fallen Martha’s Vineyard tree. Bursts of hot pink add vibrancy to the color palette, and exposed beams draw attention to the fourteen-foot ceilings.
Spring-fastened stools at the kitchen island allow diners to bob gently, evoking the feeling of the waves beyond these walls.
Driftwood accents, sea blues, and local artwork bring the beachfront vibe indoors.
Interior designer Mary Rentschler chose a dining-area chandelier that, while substantial in feeling, is made of thin wire so as not to block views of the water.