Rhode Island

A mix of prints in cobalt and sky enliven the master bedroom.
The powder room is tiny, but with two different wallpapers on the walls and the ceiling, it packs a mighty design punch.
The family room is a friendly riot of blue and green.
In the mudroom, created where the old galley kitchen once stood, vivid cement tiles inspired the color scheme.
An antique chest and child’s chair in the foyer provide neutral counterparts to the bright colors beyond.
The homeowners fell in love with the three-story circular staircase at first sight.
A plaque on the house identifies it as the the Christopher H. Drowne House, built 1862–1863.
Antiqued-mirror cabinet fronts lend a vintage look with a twist.
Large windows offer plenty of light, but preclude wraparound cabinetry, so window seats do double duty as extra storage space.
Dashes of bright green create a youthful, friendly vibe in the sitting area off of the new kitchen.
Perched above a picturesque cove, the refurbished pool and deck area is a secluded bit of paradise.
Made of durable, mold-resistant Garapa Gold—a South American hardwood—the multi-level decks have lightened to a silvery gray that complements the shingled house.
The dining deck abuts the new addition and affords room for a generous table that’s used frequently. “The sunsets, the fog and mist—it’s all beautiful from here,” Park says.
Park and her husband purchased the painting by Gustavo Aceves in Venice while on their honeymoon.
Park, a master at mixing textures, brings a blue splash into the family room via an African feather hat above the fireplace.
The seating area adjoining the living room provides a peaceful spot for reading on a rainy day.
Waterfall edges sharpen the kitchen island’s silhouette. “We went with laminate cabinets,” Park says, “because of the elements and temperature changes in a home near the ocean.”
Original mahogany details lend punch to the living room, where every piece, from the Le Corbusier steel-legged coffee table to Rina Menardi’s ceramics flanking the door, illustrates good design.
Interior designer Anja Park created a lush landscape including a wisteria-draped pergola to link the handsomely refurbished main residence with the guest house.
The pinstriped gray wallpaper helps scale the master bedroom’s high, slanted ceilings down to comfortable proportions. Deep-pile carpeting and a brace of burlap-covered ottomans warm the space.
The midcentury design favored by the owner is manifest in the gracefully curved desk in the office.
Guests are welcome to lay their heads in an upstairs bedroom that modestly departs from the home’s restrained use of color; a ribbed Lucite rocker and ottoman even flirt modestly with whimsy.
Banquette seating maximizes the relatively narrow space utilized for the dining area, which is further defined by an oversize print of curling surf.
The new fireplace, window seats, and built-in shelves give the living room a strong focal point.
A glass-topped coffee table has a wooden base that suggests rolling waves.
Driftwood edging around a mirror provides subtle hints about the home’s nautical setting.
Textured surfaces breathe life into this downtown Newport home’s living room, with a linen sofa and leather armchairs signaling the designer’s delicate balance between comfort and masculinity.
An opening on the second floor offers a dramatic view of the clerestory that runs the length of the living room. At the far end, a window strategically set into the chimney provides a water view.
In the screened porch, the vibe is casual, inviting lingering on slipcovered chairs and a large circular daybed from JANUS et Cie.
The screened porch on the third floor invites relaxation with swinging daybeds and a bird’s eye view of Quonochontaug Pond.
A view from the mudroom into the tower captures the lighthouse-inspired newel post and the cushioned hideaway beneath the stairs.
White grasscloth woven in a herringbone pattern gives the walls of the master bedroom an understated texture that blends with the mild lemon-yellow and gray of upholstered pieces.
The wife’s love of bold geometry plays out in the living room’s rattan chairs. A piece of art above the fireplace conceals the TV.
In the living room, artwork collected by the client dictated the blue, white, and yellow palette.
Kitchen designer Donna Venegas and interior designer Jennifer Palumbo collaborated on the kitchen, where subtle color gives classic elements a fresh look.
A glassed-in gable and clerestory windows splash sunlight onto a seating area in the “away” room.
Architect Lyman Goff worked closely with the clients to design a moderately proportioned Shingle-style home.
In the front entry, bold artwork and grasscloth wallcovering introduces an interior that’s both edgy and traditional.
Wicker seating and a custom sideboard featuring panels made of birch rounds introduce an organic element into the dining room.
The rails of the floating dock are made of rope.
In a tiny powder room near the entry, streamlined wallpaper, a sleek mirror, and a contemporary vanity keep the space from feeling cluttered.
The gray tones of the master bedroom are complimented by saturated shades of pink inspired by a rag doll the homeowner received from her daughter.
The silvery wall piece is by Providence artist Allison Paschke. An abstract painting by Michael Rich commands the dining end of the open living area.
The kitchen countertops went from granite to modern white quartzite.
Spot, the orange dog, oversees the terrace, where designer Kelly Taylor covered the concrete floor with tile and maintenance-free artificial turf. Featuring a singular chandelier and lively upholstery fabric on the chair backs, the dining room is at once sumptuous and contemporary.
The entry foyer got a shot of drama with a recessed ceiling, the ideal home for a dramatic chandelier.
The cool grays the homeowner loves form the backbone of the living room’s decor, with blue and gold providing harmony and highlights. The sheer draperies at the floor-to-ceiling windows wear banding at the top, where the opaque fabric hides the window treatments’ mechanics.
A raised tub and lots of windows turn the master bath into a lofty oasis.
In the master bedroom, which sits in the original part of the house, a rounded wall of windows offers an almost 180-degree view. On this second floor of the house, the owners kept the original natural fir ceilings.
Designer Andrew J. Paraskos let the view take the starring role in the family room, complementing it with furniture in sandy neutrals and grounding it with a textured rug that has a horizontal pattern to echo the transoms and subtle colors that speak to the water.
The expansive new kitchen has double Caesarstone-topped islands. Rift- and quarter-sawn oak cabinets are a modern interpretation of the Shaker style.
The kitchen’s breakfast area is a sun-washed niche with a wraparound banquette that looks out across the front yard.
Goff designed a sliding barn door that lets the homeowners close off the dining room from the kitchen.
The staircase railing was painted white, allowing the rope-twist newel posts to stand out.
Throughout the first floor, cherry floors were replaced with pale oak and natural fir ceilings were painted white to give the house a more summery feel.
The new porch offers views of Narragansett Bay as well as plenty of space for friends and family to gather.
Plantings around the pool are lush and natural.
Goff pushed the rear of the house out to add the glass-walled family room and the covered porch.
The broad entry allows a view of the sloping front yard, where gentle terracing helps guide rainwater away from the house.
Irregular, rounded stone forms a walkway from the drive to the front door.
Gale Goff, the architect who designed this Jamestown, Rhode Island, house, returned to forge an addition to expand the kitchen and create a family room. The addition, which segues from the enlarged kitchen to the spacious covered porch, was accomplished seamlessly.
The watery motif of the home extends into the spa-like master bath; the custom cabinetry is from Downsview of Boston.
Footballs—each with a personal meaning for the homeowners—heighten the study’s intimate tone. An Urban Electric chandelier and a streamlined coffee table from the Bright Group lend a masculine feel.
The beachy theme takes a softer turn in the master bedroom, with a calming palette of pale blues and cream.
Christopher Peacock Cabinetry of Boston joined forces with Marcuvitz and Arner to design the spacious kitchen and its light-filled breakfast area. Clear pendants by Remains cast a beam on the island without detracting from the architecture. A marine finish safeguards the island’s walnut top, where Hickory Chair stools line up.
The breakfast niche’s walnut table is a delicious contrast to the oak floors, and with a custom banquette and upholstered chairs from Hickory Chair, the setting is as comfortable as it is stylish.
An oil-rubbed bronze Salgado Saucier chandelier lends charm, without too much formality, to the dining room. The shapely chairs by Artistic Frame wear a family-friendly outdoor fabric by Holly Hunt.
Turquoise, Amber’s favorite color, was the ideal choice for the family room’s attention-getting sectional. Accessories in various shades of blue, like the Stephen Gerould lamp and oomph tray, add an additional layer of beachy interest.
Architect Nancy Leslie designed the hardscape, including the basket-weave pool surround.
The columns on the second level have a bamboo-inspired shape. Snazzy umbrellas mark the poolside sitting area.
The columns on the second level have a bamboo-inspired shape. Snazzy umbrellas mark the poolside sitting area.
Coping around the pool and spa combines three shades of blue tile.
A pergola shades the pool house dining area. A pond view is an added bonus in the pretty pool area.
The daughter’s bedroom beguiles with stripes and florals and a romantic palette of blue and lilac.
In the master bath, the husband’s grooming area includes pendants from Visual Comfort, sconces by Robert Abbey, and an antique slipper chair.
Shapely Palacek stools in a zesty fabric add energy to the quiet blue-and-white palette of the kitchen.
The walls of the family room glow with Benjamin Moore’s jewel-toned Ray of Light, a color that celebrates summer in the warm season, yet—especially when the limestone fireplace is lit—feels cozy in winter. The zippy zigzag pattern of the Stark area rug picks up on the texture of the woven Walters Wicker sofas.
Architect Nancy Leslie devised a sightline that races from the front door through the dining room and out to the view. The Dana Creath lanterns above the table “create the feeling of sheltering umbrellas,” says Pelissier.
The foyer reveals an artful tile inlay as well as a staircase with hand-turned newel posts and balusters.
“This project was an unbelievable collaboration,” says builder Stephen Sullivan. “Everybody involved took pride in their work and the owner’s appreciation made it all worthwhile.”
A cedar ceiling elevates the front porch, as do lanterns from designer Robin Pelissier’s home decor boutique, Robin’s Nest.
The wife’s choice of the cadet-blue trim color is just one of the unique touches in this house. The lofty garage holds a second-level guest suite complete with kitchenette. Landscape designer Susan Saunders’s rich tapestry of trees and plantings, including spirea, viburnum, and fragrant clethra, enhances the front entrance.
The industrial feel of the deck’s open metalwork is softened by the spiral staircase to the patio.
At every turn, wide windows and a multitude of doors connect the indoors with the natural environment.
Stone walls, raised beds, low foundation plantings and lush shrubs create a sense of enclosure at the entry of the house.
The kitchen, at the center of the cross-shaped floor plan, extends into the glass-walled breakfast room.
Light floods the home through generously scaled windows, while the barn-like doors, painted in bold shades of yellow and chartreuse, stand ready to slide closed, buttoning up the house for privacy.
A home office is tucked in under the third-floor eaves.
A Restoration Hardware chaise got a new covering of cushy taupe suede.
Conversation (or kicking back) is encouraged, thanks to a custom sectional and reupholstered vintage Italian armchairs.
The homeowners were drawn to the unassuming facade of the house.
An inviting sitting area is grounded by a custom hide rug and leather ottoman.
Keeping the original Craftsman-style paneling in the den and papering above it was another way of retaining the home’s quirky charm. Lots of texture-leather, basket weave, linen, and grasscloth-enhance the room’s coziness. Chiappone found the vintage leather chair at Cottage & Garden in Newport.
A shag rug and a Josh Urso resin coffee table bring a 1970s vibe to the living room.
Chiappone gave the dining room a casual, beachy feel with a floral-inspired chandelier from Roost, painted bamboo chairs, and a sisal rug.
A vintage hand chair is the first thing to greet visitors to the house. An Angela Adams rug picks up on the blues of the Global Views lamp on a West Elm side table.
Black steel ceiling beams help to define interior spaces.
Spaced boards on the stair walls create a nice interplay between open and closed.
Clean lines and modern fixtures define the guest bath.
The wall of the private stair to the third-floor tower incorporates translucent panels that diffuse the light.
While Estes describes the interior detailing as "simple and straightforward," he added interest with the subtle play of shadow lines.
The owner (with input from his sister and mother) chose the modern furnishings.
A glass wall of windows and doors opens the living room to the yard.
Awning windows and sliding doors enhance the relationship between indoors and out.
Architect Jim Estes says he used stone walls, trellis, pergola, and stone paving to "soften the transition to exterior spaces, create outdoor rooms, and blend the house into the site."
The use of local stone connects the house to its surroundings.