At Home on Nantucket Harbor

To take advantage of this site’s expansive views of Nantucket Harbor, architect Robert Dean designed an “upside-down” house for longtime clients. In this floor plan, the bedrooms are on the ground level and the communal areas, such as the living room, dining room, and kitchen, occupy the second story.

Inspired by plants native to the site, LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects embraced the rugged beauty of Nantucket and incorporated species such as bayberry, summersweet, arrowwood viburnum, scrub oak, little bluestem, and switchgrass.

According to Dean, the shingled structure is meant to “recall the simplicity of Nantucket design, with deliberately spare details.”

Dean is particularly proud of the staircase, which boasts “a very elegant rail that snakes up around the stairs,” he says.

In the living room, custom seating in durable performance fabrics allows the view to take center stage. “The client loves fun, sculptural art and chose this metal shark by Vincent Mock to provide a nice lightness against the casual basket lighting from Gervasoni,” says interior designer Jim Gauthier.

On the opposite side of the living room is a wall of shelving displaying collected items including found driftwood, old National Geographic magazines, bottles filled with lobster rubber bands, and tableware.

The living room is open to both the kitchen, dining area, and a cozy reading nook beyond. An ethereal brass pendant by Gervasoni—which moves in the wind and recalls a clam or a stingray—hangs above a Loki Custom Furniture dining table.

An upholstered four-poster from Ethan Allen commands attention in the primary bedroom.

The en suite bath contains neutral finishes with pops that include a painting by Sarah Hinckley and a patterned floor tile from Marble Systems.

The mudroom features a vintage chest, a vintage chair, and a collection of eel forks assembled as wall decor.

The pool house is divided into two structures: one with a kitchen, outdoor shower, and guest suite, and the other with a game room, laundry room, and another guest suite.

In between these two structures is a covered outdoor living area complete with a stone fireplace.

The spa-and-pool area is lined with lounge chairs from Harbour.

When longtime clients tasked architect Robert Dean with designing a year-round vacation home on Nantucket, one thing became abundantly clear: The view of the harbor should take top priority. As such, Dean set out to envision an “upside-down” floor plan, with the bedrooms and a family room on the ground level and the main living spaces above.

“This is meant to maximize both the views and the natural light,” explains Dean. “We wanted to deliver bright, airy living areas despite the fact that the house faces north, and the sun isn’t coming straight in.”

The 6,500-square-foot residence features six bedrooms—including a large bunk room—and a lofty open-concept upper floor complete with a cozy reading nook and a gracious terrace for dining alfresco (three additional terraces serve the primary suite, the living area, and the front facade). The interior is clad in crisp boards that recall the cabin of a boat, while the shingled exterior is clean and minimal. “We wanted to stay true to the simplicity of Nantucket design, so there are no fussy details,” says Dean.

Outbuildings include a boat barn, a kiteboard shed, and a pool house, which boasts two guest rooms, a game room, a kitchen, and a covered outdoor living area with a fireplace. “This is a very social, athletic family who loves to entertain,” says Dean, noting that the Connecticut-based clients always have their grown children, extended family, and dogs coming and going. “The home is designed around the ebb and flow of activity. It functions just as well for the couple as it does for a large crowd.”

This emphasis on flexibility, in addition to the vistas, drove the interior design. “It needed to be user-friendly with nothing too precious,” says interior designer Jim Gauthier. “The interior architecture itself feels modern, with minimal moldings, yet there are references to traditional paneling.”

The simple interior finishes, coupled with a mostly neutral palette, “allow the view to pop.” A few splashes of blue and orange, client-culled artwork, vintage and antique rugs and accessories, and unique lighting inject just enough spice. “We like our work to feel unexpected, fun, eclectic, and playful,” says Gauthier, “but first and foremost, it needs to function.”

Perhaps the most critical component of the project was getting the initial siting right, and Dean collaborated closely with LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects. The 5.8-acre property encompasses meadow, marsh, wetland, and woods, and multiple elevation changes. “We actually moved the driveway to capitalize on the grade change,” says landscape architect Keith LeBlanc. “The land rises up, then descends down to the house. There’s a moment along the drive when the view of the water is unveiled.”

The actual planting scheme centers on species native to the site. “There’s an interesting sequence of existing conditions, with upland plants transitioning down to wetland plants,” explains LeBlanc, who also worked with an environmental consultant to restore the aforementioned marsh. “The goal of this project,” says Dean, “was to capture the austere beauty of the site as well as the inherent elegance of traditional Nantucket structures.”

Project Team
Architecture: Robert Dean, Michele Van Steinburgh, David Reilly, Robert Dean Architects
Interior design: Jim Gauthier, Susan Stacy, Gauthier-Stacy
Builder: Ron Winters, Thirty Acre Wood
Landscape design: Keith LeBlanc, John Haven, LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects