The Case for Colorful Coastal Rooms

A woodsy green stands in for the expected white on the kitchen cabinets. The existing stone countertops, with their subtle green undertones, were retained.

A mix of color and pattern animates the seating area, from the basket-weave chaise to Lee Jofa-upholstered swivel chairs.

Cabinetry flanking the fireplace picks up the same green used in the kitchen, reinforcing the great room’s cohesive palette.

The built-in bar that anchors the dining room sports a deeper shade of green.

Green Coastal Kitchen

In a Chatham house where the natural default might be coastal blues, this great room instead embraces green, using the landscape as palette rather than backdrop. “So many Cape houses go with blue and white,” says designer Laurie Gorelick. “But when you look out, you see trees, grass—all the colors of nature.”

Here, cabinetry in two earthy shades of green—Benjamin Moore’s Homestead and Backwoods—sets a foundation that carries through upholstery and art. “The homeowners love primary colors,” Gorelick adds, “so we built that into the furniture rather than the architecture.” A Kravet chaise in a multicolored basket weave, Lee Jofa swivel chairs, and a CR Laine ottoman bring in reds, blues, and yellows.

The layout works just as hard. Clear-glass pendants from Visual Comfort & Co. preserve sight lines to the television, a must for the family’s football-heavy gatherings, while a live-edge dining table from the homeowners’ previous house adds continuity. Wrapped in durable Cowtan & Tout vinyl grasscloth, the space feels practical and quietly exuberant, an “anti-Cape” that feels entirely at home.

Project Team
Interior design: Laurie Gorelick Interiors
Photography: Greg Premru
Styling: Karin Lidbeck Brent

The slender proportions of the wrought-iron mirrors balance the weight of the Christopher Peacock cabinetry.

Clad in Calacatta Manhattan Gold, the shower is composed of full marble slabs, allowing the veining to read uninterrupted. Subtle tones of gray and beige soften the overall effect.

Scalamandré’s Pondicherry wallpaper sets the tone, its historic pattern lending depth without feeling overly traditional.

Beautiful Blue Bathroom

Blue may be expected on Nantucket, but this primary bath sidesteps cliché with a palette that feels both storied and freshly tuned. “We left the footprint as it was and changed everything within,” says designer Carolyn Thayer. “Once we chose the wallpaper, it led us to the stone.”

That paper, Scalamandré’s Pondicherry, sets a lyrical tone, its historic pattern balanced by the quiet drama of Calacatta Manhattan Gold marble, whose gray veining reads as blue in certain light. Slabs from LeaMar in Hyannis wrap the shower in a continuous surface that is at once crisp and enveloping. “It’s dramatic, but the beiges and soft whites keep it warm,” Thayer notes.

Custom Christopher Peacock cabinetry in a serene white hue anchors the room, while satin-brass fittings from Gessi’s Inciso collection repeat like a refrain. Overhead, wrought-iron mirrors from Enkasa Designs in Mexico hang from the ceiling, their subtle brass flecks catching the light. Even the existing tub—reglazed in high gloss—feels newly considered. The result is a room that honors tradition without dwelling on it.

Interior design: Carolyn Thayer Interiors
Builder: Twig Perkins
Photography: Greg Premru

Existing trim and moldings were preserved, allowing the updated palette to settle naturally into the home’s original architecture.

The office space in a pretty blush tone offers a place to work or unwind.

Quadrille’s Persepolis drapery and bench fabric makes the perfect companion to the wallpaper. The distinctive bed came from the husband’s home when the newlywed couple combined households.

A Bedroom with Pink Shell Grotto Wallpaper

In this Nantucket retreat, pink is less a statement than a sensibility that threads through a primary suite designed for ease, light, and a certain island irreverence. “The client wanted something feminine, and luckily her husband was on board,” says designer Haley Pearson, who partnered with her mother, Karen Pearson. “We leaned into that but kept it balanced.”

In the bedroom, Schumacher’s Shell Grotto wallpaper casts a soft glow, especially at sunset, when its pattern seems to deepen and recede. “It’s a small-scale pattern, but it reads larger because of the variation,” Pearson says. A Quadrille floral repeats on draperies and bench, while a handwoven rattan fixture from Soane Britain adds texture and a hint of informality. The effect is layered, not precious.
The office, with its glossy ceiling and walls lacquered in Benjamin Moore Milk Shake, incorporates custom cabinetry to supplement the adjacent dressing room. A blue floral sofa adds a lively counterpoint.

Anchored by soft-underfoot fique-fiber rugs and accented with darker pieces, like the mahogany-finished desk, the pink never tips into
sweetness, holding instead a sense
of ease and confidence.

Project Team
Architecture: S.M. Roethke Design
Interior design: JP Interiors
Builder: Main Street Construction
Photography: Heather Talbert
Styling: Matthew Gleason