Houzz Tour: Breezy and Fuss Free in Cape Cod
http://www.decor-ideas.org 06/22/2014 23:13 Decor Ideas
“This couple is all about kids and family time, and they simply wanted a great place to hang out,” says interior designer Kelly McGuill. Her clients were ready to open the dark warren of small rooms in their 1940s Cape Cod–style vacation home. “They wanted a spot where they could completely relax and not worry about anything; everything is kid-, dog- and wet-bathing-suit-proof,” she says. Drawing on her own experiences of summers on the cape and armed with gallons of paint, reclaimed floors, beadboard and low-maintenance fabrics, she transformed the space into a breezy, no-fuss home.
Photography by Eric Roth; photo styling by Tracey Parkinson
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with 4 kids and a dog
Location: Lower Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: 2,500 square feet (232 square meters), 4 bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
A large screened-in porch was a key part of the renovations. “Outdoor living is such an important part of time spent on the cape,” McGuill says. “The porch has almost as much space as the entire first floor.” It has several different seating areas and a large table at the other end.
“Everything in here looks better the more you beat it up,” McGuill says of the low-maintenance floors and furniture. Guests are welcome to bring their dogs to stay.
The vintage basket seen here was once used to ship items like wine and has a ton of room in it for beach toys, flip-flops and anything else that needs to be picked up.
American flag: Pottery Barn
Windsor chairs, bench, table: Craftsman Tables
“Growing up going to the cape, I had memories of everyone gathering around a big table for eating and talking for hours,” McGuill says. “I told my clients they had to get a big table that could fit everyone, and it needed to be inside for rainy-day activities.” Instead of doing a typical living room in here, McGuill ordered up the oak table and bench and Windsor chairs from a talented local craftsman.
A rustic plate rack displays glass containers holding samples of elements from the beach.
This fireplace is in the dining room. It originally had a dark and ugly combination of different colored bricks; McGuill brought out the white paint and added a very simple and inexpensive mantel.
The mirror was a Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show find. McGuill had the panes replaced with mirror. The scale of the piece is just right for the tall chimney.
In the cozy family room, a leather sofa the family has always had stands up to anything they throw at it. “It’s not a typical choice for a beach cottage, but it’s great; it just gets better as they beat it up, just like a leather bomber jacket,” McGuill says.
The brass floor lamp was a fantastic HomeGoods score and adds a nautical touch. The armchairs are slipcovered in a simple linen that can take a beating. The red ticking pillows are made from vintage fabric that McGuill scored at the Brimfield Antiques Fair in Massachusetts; she uses them all over the house.
The kitchen received a light cosmetic touch-up. The wood cabinets are now white, and a new farmhouse sink, faucets and a sandy granite countertop spiffed the space right up. Part of the renovation included ripping down a wall between the kitchen and the family room.
How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets
The downstairs powder room houses the washer and dryer. “This vanity is so great because it looks pretty from the side as well as the front, and keeps an open feeling in a small room,” McGuill says. “The clean lines of the sink add a little bit of modernity too — I love the contrast between the wood and the white.”
Vanity, medicine cabinet: Restoration Hardware
In the master bedroom, McGuill broke from the all-white walls, adding a light and sandy hue to warm things up. The red ticking pillows make an appearance in here, and vintage plates add subtle interest over the bed without distracting from the views.
The rug is a low-maintenance indoor-outdoor piece. “You literally can hose it down to clean it,” McGuill says.
Bedding: HomeGoods; rug: Dash & Albert; blinds (all through the house): Bass River Blinds
Playful vintage lifesavers punctuate this bedroom’s walls, as does the numbered sign. Both were Brimfield scores. “It was great — my client just told me if I saw something I thought would work to pick it up,” McGuill says.
The Ikea coverlets have proved indestructible. The clients requested that the woven Roman shades be backed with blackout liners so the kids can sleep as late as they want.
In one of the two full baths, the ticking stripe comes in via the hand towels. The floor is an earth-colored porcelain tile that contrasts the Carrara marble vanity top. The claw-foot tub is a reproduction.
Vanity, sconces: Restoration Hardware
The one TV in the home is in the playroom’s armoire. “This family doesn’t watch a lot of TV, but sometimes after days at the beach, they’ll watch something at night,” she says.
Bedding, wicker baskets: Pottery Barn Kids
Beadboard, tongue and groove paneling, and blue paint on the floors give the bunk room a coastal, lofty feeling. Typical of Cape Cod homes, this area over the garage maxes out how many can sleep over. “They have a ton of cousins who come visit, and my clients call this ‘the flophouse,’” McGuill says.
With all of the beds in the flophouse (there are more on the other side of the room), McGuill estimates that the house sleeps 13 without even putting people on sofas or air mattresses.
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