CAPE COD CHARMER
See how this New England coastal cottage stays cozy and warm all year long.
Second homes are hard to make as cozy and layered as primary residences, but for interior designer Katie Rosenfeld, who worked on the remodel of a beach house in West Dennis, Massachusetts, that was a welcome challenge. “My client is a single professional from Manhattan. She has a very big family, and wanted to create a place where her many siblings and their kids could gather year after year. She wanted it to be efficient and functional for large gatherings, while conveying a layered, collected vibe.”
THOUGHTFUL FOUNDATIONS
First, the four-bedroom house, which was built in the 1950s and purchased in 2015, was gutted. In collaboration with local architect Sarah Jane Porter and builder Paul Bannon, Katie, who is based in the Boston area, partook in all design decisions, from selecting flooring, surfaces, hardware and finishes to overseeing the layout and completion of the kitchen and bathroom remodels.
“She had wanted a gray kitchen,” recalls Katie. “I encouraged her to go more blue. In the setting, where two bodies of water (Scargo Lake and the Atlantic Ocean) are visible from the home, gray would’ve felt drab. We picked a cheerful and brighter gray-blue, which has a nice Northeastern coastal vibe.”
In addition to simple Shaker-style inset paneled cabinetry, the kitchen also has warm gold hardware, a nice eat-in island and a large stovetop perfect for preparing big family meals.
The new flooring throughout is mostly white oak, and the cottage’s main floor plan was completely opened up in the extensive remodel, which included renovating and updating the home’s bathrooms.
COLLECTED STYLE
“She is an avid traveler, so she wanted the home to feel global, as well as to be true to New England. I went with American-style painted furniture and all-American antiques and reproductions, but paired that with ethnic block-print fabrics for a global feel,” Katie says.
To keep the house from looking too beach like, Katie upped the palette from blues and whites, and integrated reds and yellows. These warmer hues, which include coral and raspberry reds, also added instant warmth and coziness.
In addition to simple Shaker-style inset
paneled cabinetry, the kitchen also has warm gold hardware, a nice eat-in island and a
large stovetop perfect for preparing
big family meals.
“My philosophy is to start with a neutral backdrop for larger furniture and use pattern in less committal things, like pillows, drapery and small furnishings, which are easy to reupholster or switch out,” she says of her measured approach to layering patterns.
The house combines the homeowner’s existing antiques, like the brass bed in one of the guestrooms, with newer stained or painted wood reproduction furniture. Much of the painted furniture is blue. All the art belonged to the homeowner, and the vintage accents are a mix of hers and pieces that Katie sourced. The effect is layered and gathered over time.
Quite possibly the most fun was adding the global block-print fabrics and wallpapers used throughout, bringing in pops of color and interest. All the bathrooms have wallpaper, and the formal living room is covered in a textured grasscloth.
“I try to bring disparate patterns together that have a relationship but don’t match,” says Katie of her pattern-play mastery. “I also like to throw things off a little with something unexpected, whether a different scale of pattern, a piece of art or something outside a given room’s color palette,” she adds.
The resulting home has plenty of places for visiting family to sit, sleep and lounge; plus it has an unexpected warm feel that isn’t too “beach house.”“It really came together to convey collected, layered living,” Katie adds.
“My philosophy is to start with a backdrop neutral for larger furniture and use pattern in less committal things, like pillows, drapery and small furnishings, which are easy to reupholster or switch out.”