Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Coastal Home Revamp Preserves Childhood Memories
The granddaughter of the original owner enlisted the help of an architect to update a beloved Massachusetts island home
After making many fond memories with her late grandmother in this house on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA, the owner was ready to turn it into a holiday retreat for her own growing family. Over the years, the home had undergone small renovations and one major one that had transformed the upper floor into a separate rental apartment. Now the granddaughter wanted to reclaim that space for bedrooms and asked LDa Architecture & Interiors for help.
The tight plot didn’t leave much opportunity to expand the house. To gain more headspace on the second floor, Kyle designed four dormers (two are seen here, and two are on the other side). “The dormers capture more light and headroom upstairs, as well as adding a bit more architectural character that the house was lacking,” he says.
Another way he expanded the space was by creating a new dining porch where an unsightly bulkhead to the cellar used to be. The deck has a trapdoor that replaced the bulkhead, allowing the homeowners to store kayaks down there. He also added an outdoor shower – an island must-have – just to the right of the porch.
Local company Wild Violets installed new landscaping, which seems as if it has been growing here all along. It has a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard look, complete with hydrangeas and otherwise mostly native plants. The step between the porch and the outdoor shower is a rock from the island.
Find a garden designer in your area.
Another way he expanded the space was by creating a new dining porch where an unsightly bulkhead to the cellar used to be. The deck has a trapdoor that replaced the bulkhead, allowing the homeowners to store kayaks down there. He also added an outdoor shower – an island must-have – just to the right of the porch.
Local company Wild Violets installed new landscaping, which seems as if it has been growing here all along. It has a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard look, complete with hydrangeas and otherwise mostly native plants. The step between the porch and the outdoor shower is a rock from the island.
Find a garden designer in your area.
The original enclosed front porch also serves as a guest bedroom thanks to a versatile daybed. Kyle insulated and heated the porch, so the Boston-based family can use it during year-round visits. He also removed the flat ceiling and vaulted it up to the roofline.
Because of previous renovations, the house had a hotch-potch of woodwork that wasn’t worth preserving. For a more cohesive look, Kyle used shiplap with quarter-inch reveals between the planks in strategic spots around the house, including the ceiling and walls here.
“The spaces in the house are small, so we avoided the use of layered materials, as that would have made the rooms feel confined,” he says. “However, the one layer of shiplap works well – when used strategically – to give certain key spaces a sense of identity, something they didn’t have previously.”
Because of previous renovations, the house had a hotch-potch of woodwork that wasn’t worth preserving. For a more cohesive look, Kyle used shiplap with quarter-inch reveals between the planks in strategic spots around the house, including the ceiling and walls here.
“The spaces in the house are small, so we avoided the use of layered materials, as that would have made the rooms feel confined,” he says. “However, the one layer of shiplap works well – when used strategically – to give certain key spaces a sense of identity, something they didn’t have previously.”
The home’s original heart pine floors run throughout the main level. Some had been covered up with linoleum, and the porch floor had been covered with AstroTurf.
“My client had a childhood memory of a floor painted baby blue out here,” Kyle says. When the team ripped up the AstroTurf, dark green floorboards were revealed, except for one corner where the original baby blue paint peeked through. Kyle was able to match it to bring that memory back to life.
Where needed, Geoff Kontje of 41 Degrees North Construction wove in pieces of heart pine salvaged from the second floor. Then he replaced the flooring on that level with fir.
“My client had a childhood memory of a floor painted baby blue out here,” Kyle says. When the team ripped up the AstroTurf, dark green floorboards were revealed, except for one corner where the original baby blue paint peeked through. Kyle was able to match it to bring that memory back to life.
Where needed, Geoff Kontje of 41 Degrees North Construction wove in pieces of heart pine salvaged from the second floor. Then he replaced the flooring on that level with fir.
Kyle had these two original interior windows, which open onto the porch, restored on the island. “They have that great old wavy glass we were glad to be able to save,” he says.
In the kitchen, the architect repeated the front door’s Naval colour on the island, adding a subtle nautical touch. The rosewood-topped island contains a wine fridge and a microwave. The cabinetry is crisp and classic Shaker-style, and the perimeter worktops are leathered Jet Mist granite that resembles indigenous stone found on the island.
Clear light fixtures maintain a visually uncluttered space, while the bamboo blinds and wooden bar stools add beachy textures.
“The homeowner had wonderful memories of baking with her grandmother,” Kyle says. “She allowed us to remove a large walk-in pantry that brought back memories of this to allow for a larger kitchen, so we created a baking station in the cabinetry where she could continue that tradition with her own children.”
Cabinetry, Crown Point Cabinetry.
Clear light fixtures maintain a visually uncluttered space, while the bamboo blinds and wooden bar stools add beachy textures.
“The homeowner had wonderful memories of baking with her grandmother,” Kyle says. “She allowed us to remove a large walk-in pantry that brought back memories of this to allow for a larger kitchen, so we created a baking station in the cabinetry where she could continue that tradition with her own children.”
Cabinetry, Crown Point Cabinetry.
Shiplap reappears in the kitchen as a backdrop for pot rails. “The shiplap is not a one-trick pony. Not only does it create an identity of the space itself, but the material plays a role in stitching together a sense of place as you move through the house,” Kyle says.
This photo shows the relationship between the kitchen and the new dining porch. The door on the left swings out for easy access, while the three doors on the right fold accordion-style to create a wide opening between indoors and out.
Although the house now has air conditioning, Kyle set up the windows and doors so the family can cool the house with island breezes as often as possible. The opening has a screening system by Centor – it pulls open from side to side and slides into wall pockets when not in use.
Although the house now has air conditioning, Kyle set up the windows and doors so the family can cool the house with island breezes as often as possible. The opening has a screening system by Centor – it pulls open from side to side and slides into wall pockets when not in use.
A barn door on the dining porch slides over to enclose the outdoor shower.
“We wanted to create a special moment that gives the outdoor shower a bit of character, but also makes it easier to pile in a bunch of sandy little kids for a hose-off,” Kyle says.
“We wanted to create a special moment that gives the outdoor shower a bit of character, but also makes it easier to pile in a bunch of sandy little kids for a hose-off,” Kyle says.
In the indoor dining room, an existing corner cabinet had sentimental value to the homeowner. The back of the corner cabinet and a dining room bar cabinet (not shown) are two other places where Kyle worked in the Naval paint.
The chandelier is a vintage find that nods to the home’s age.
The chandelier is a vintage find that nods to the home’s age.
This bathroom on the first floor serves as the powder room and guest bathroom. The team kept the finishes simple, with metro tiles on the walls, dark grey hexagonal tiles on the floor and Carrara marble, a homeowner favourite, on the top of the vanity unit. Shiplap turns up again as wainscoting.
Thomas Paul’s Moby shower curtain is a fun reference to the animals that swim around the island and were such a large part of its Native American and Colonial history.
Thomas Paul’s Moby shower curtain is a fun reference to the animals that swim around the island and were such a large part of its Native American and Colonial history.
The stairwell is also covered in shiplap. The reveal around the top of the newel post echoes the reveals in the shiplap.
A new oval window lets natural light into the stairwell.
The first floor had served as a separate apartment with its own entrance and kitchen. Now it contains three bedrooms and one bathroom. In the new floorplan, the architect also designated a spot for a ship’s ladder that could transform the attic into a sleeping loft should the family need it in the future.
The first floor had served as a separate apartment with its own entrance and kitchen. Now it contains three bedrooms and one bathroom. In the new floorplan, the architect also designated a spot for a ship’s ladder that could transform the attic into a sleeping loft should the family need it in the future.
“My clients wanted a ‘made on the island’ look for their vanity unit,” Kyle says. It’s fir topped with Carrara marble. Shiplap serves as the splashback. The floor tiles are from Porcelanosa.
This photo also shows the additional headspace added by one of the new dormers.
Takeaways
Tell us…
What did you love about this summer home? Let us know in the Comments section.
This photo also shows the additional headspace added by one of the new dormers.
Takeaways
- Gain space underneath a roofline with dormers.
- Look for clues that reveal original details about a home. They may be hidden underneath linoleum, AstroTurf or layers of wallpaper or paint.
- For a cohesive look, repeat details such as a colour or texture throughout a house.
- Salvage original flooring from other levels. Attics will often have the same wood boards as the other floors.
Tell us…
What did you love about this summer home? Let us know in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A young Boston family when on holiday
Location: Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
Size Three bedrooms and two bathrooms; 1,500 sq ft (139 sq m)
Architect Kyle Sheffield of LDa Architecture & Interiors
Photos by Sean Litchfield Photography
The original exterior was charming, and the family wanted to preserve the look. The new exterior improvements included energy-efficient windows and doors, western red cedar shingle cladding and an architectural shingle roof. The front door sports Naval paint by Sherwin-Williams, a detail that project architect Kyle Sheffield carried into the house in several key spots.
Inside, little charm remained due to past remodels, but Kyle kept what he could during this down-to-the-studs renovation. Saving the original heart pine floors, two original interior windows and a corner cabinet that had sentimental value helped maintain the wonderful spirit of the house.
Hire a local architect on Houzz.