Room of the Day: Quiet Moments in a Seaside Sitting Room

Manhattan designer Matthew Caughy and his husband love to host friends and family at their Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, vacation home, where they can walk to the water and browse the historic town’s plentiful antique shops. And when they need a break from their guests, the artistically curated sitting room next to the second-floor master bedroom is where they go to unwind in style.

Sitting Room at a Glance
What happens here: Designer Matthew Caughy and his husband relax in private
Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Size: 231 square feet (21 square meters); 11 by 21 feet (3.4 by 6.4 meters)

This private sitting area was once part of the home’s unfinished attic. In converting the space, designer Matthew Caughy faced a challenge with the sloping ceiling and the single window. To make the space feel bigger and brighter, he installed white V-groove paneling on the ceiling and walls. He installed the panels vertically on the ceiling to make the room seem taller and horizontally on the walls to make it feel wider.


Caughy found the beach-scene oil paintings at a local art gallery. But he has yet to learn the real identity of their maker, who painted them under the pseudonym Willie St. James. Caughy says the painter is reportedly a well-known artist who wants to make affordable art for the average person.

Sofa: Restoration Hardware; wicker basket: Pottery Barn; rug: Williams-Sonoma Home


The vintage rattan chair and ottoman, local antique store finds, were re-covered in a bright floral fabric. Caughy created the abstract sculpture behind them by randomly connecting wires and attaching them to the wall with nails.

Rattan chair and ottoman fabric: Carnival, Christopher Farr Cloth; floor lamp: Ralph Lauren Home


The vintage Edward Wormley bench is a design Caughy has long admired. “With the long and narrow dimensions of the room, I knew the bench would make a great coffee table for the space, so I finally had my justification to buy it,” the designer says.


One of Caughy’s favorite pieces in the room is the midcentury walnut credenza with inset brass hardware. “It adds weight to the wall opposite the sofa and really anchors the space,” he says. A faux fur throw was added to a vintage hoop chair, because even summer nights can get chilly with the ocean breezes. The striped rug adds width to the narrow space, as well as a nautical touch.


Two polished coal bookends, one a perfect cube and the other missing a big chunk, are among several accessories on the credenza. “I dropped [the broken cube] while unpacking it, but I think it’s one one of those happy accidents — it has more character now,” Caughy says.


An old painted gray desk that Caughy’s husband has owned for years fit well in a corner of the room, accompanied by an outdoor wicker bistro chair. “It’s great to have a little writing space to put down your thoughts, make a list or correspond with friends and family,” Caughy says.

Captain’s mirror, BDDW


Caughy’s sketch of a cluster of leaves from one of the magnolia trees surrounding the house is framed in acrylic on the desk.

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