the magazine of splendid homes and gardens july/august 2014 new england seaside romance

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1 the magazine of splendid homes and gardens july/august 2014 d e s i g n new england seaside romance

2 large containers of scaevola, Victoria blue salvia, Silver Falls dichondra, and gomphrena embellish the curved stonework of the front terrace (facing page), which is framed by the two wings of the house and trimmed with hydrangeas, roses, and boxwood. bestof both views 110 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM JULY/AUGUST 2014

3 ARCHITECTURE NICHOLAEFF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE KATHERINE FIELD AND ASSOCIATES A QUAINT HARBOR ON ONE SIDE AND A PRIVATE POOL AND LUSH GARDEN ON THE OTHER MAKE A CAPE COD HOUSE A SUMMER S DREAM Written by Courtney Kasianowicz Photographed by Eric Roth JULY/AUGUST 2014 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM 111

4 There s a certain ease to summer on Cape Cod waking up to ocean breezes, riding a bike to the beach in a leisurely way, being barefoot all day. Schedules become almost nonexistent. Having spent many such summers on the Cape, a Massachusetts couple dreamed of building a second home where they could enjoy that relaxed, unhurried pace with their two young children. They wanted a family summer home, says architect Doreve Nicholaeff of Nicholaeff Architecture + Design in Osterville, Massachusetts, who designed a three-bedroom getaway with garage/guesthouse, tennis court, pool, and pool house set in a landscape of lawn, shrubs, and flowering beds on a 1½-acre lot overlooking a quaint Cape Cod harbor. The project delivers beauty, character, and an interesting dichotomy of views: The front lawn looks out to the picturesque harbor, while the backyard is a private hub of activity wrapped with exquisite gardens. The house is more formal and expansive in the front, says a wall-mounted console in the entry (above left) was custom-made by Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers in sapele, a lustrous African wood, with pomelle grain. It is finished with polished nickel accents. The stairway (above right), which leads to the lofted second floor, is illuminated by a chandelier made of cascading cast-glass pendants connected with braided steel coaxial cables by Bocci of Vancouver, Canada. Along the path to the house s main entrance (right), shade-tolerant pachysandra and grasses offer visual interest, even in winter. The backyard (facing page) is a private space with a pool and pool house framed with hydrangeas, veronica royal candles, hibiscus, and a Japanese maple. 112 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM JULY/AUGUST 2014

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6 Nicholaeff, who designed the 5,597-square-foot main house as two not quite symmetrical two-story wings set at a 90-degree angle to a central 1½-story core with a curved exterior wall. The configuration helps break up the structure s massing and creates a sense of enclosure around the front limestone terrace. The back gets looser, but in an ordered and harmonious way. Inside, everything gravitates toward the kitchen, which sits at the home s core. The house is designed around it, says the husband. It s the focal point. Two banks of curved cabinets and shelving flank the center island, making the space feel contained yet alive to the rest of the house. A double-height ceiling rises to the loft-like upstairs hallway that wraps three sides of the room. A cutout above the sink opens to a rear corridor and allows a view straight through to the backyard and pool. It is a design that gives the hexagonal space sightlines to nearly every interior part of the house and to prime exterior vistas. the kitchen (facing page and above) is a hexagonal 1½-story space at the core of the house that is open to the lofted hallway and office on the second floor. A multitiered island, with Caesarstone on the lower tier and hammered bronze on the top, is at the center. Two freestanding banks of curved cabinetry and shelves offer storage for extra glassware and dinnerware. The living room (right) is a casual space with sliding doors to the front terrace. 114 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM JULY/AUGUST 2014

7 first floor 1 entry 2 mudroom 3 stair 4 living room 5 hall 6 kitchen BUILDER Stoltz Building covered porch 8 powder room 9 pantry 10 den 11 dining room 12 screened porch design decision Defining Cabinets Working on a project with architect Doreve Nicholaeff means that the house is going to have dramatic and determinative geometry, says Paul Reidt of Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers of Stoughton, Massachusetts, whose plan for this 1½-story hexagonal kitchen, located at the core of the house, reflects that. This kitchen was so centered in the home that it is always going to be present, he says. We wanted to make it worthy of its location and its exposure, with a strong enough geometry on its own to stand up to the house. Configuration and materials played key roles in making the space feel contained yet open. A multitiered island is at the center. Behind it, the cabinets are designed around the refrigerator, range, and sink. Two separate banks of cabinets act as transitional elements between the kitchen and the dining room on one side and living room on the other. While the units are rectilinear and flat on the kitchen side, the base cabinets are curved on the sides facing the living areas to create a softer, more furniture-like look, says Reidt. Glass panels and open shelving keep the space airy and light. Anigre, a medium-toned, closed-grained wood, is used for the cabinetry because of its refined surface. I didn t want it to look like a utilitarian kitchen, says Reidt. For a final stylish note, hammered bronze was used to top the raised section of the island, creating a visual segue to the walnut table where the family enjoys quick meals and casual dining. JULY/AUGUST 2014 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM 115

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9 Outside, an uninterrupted front lawn of lush grass accented with hydrangeas creates the iconic summer view, says landscape architect Katherine Field of Katherine Field and Associates of Newport, Rhode Island, whose careful garden design is both magical and classical. Flowering roses, lavender, and day lilies frame the pool and the pool house, which is outfitted with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace, and plenty of places to lounge. For a woodsy perimeter, Field and project manager Charlie Page chose hostas, hollies, and broad-leaved evergreens. Beyond that, to provide optimal privacy between neighbors, there is a screen of juniper, spruce, and arborvitaes that merges with the natural landscape. One area that required special attention involved three linden trees that together formed a single canopy, making it impossible to remove one without damaging the others. So Field, Nicholaeff, and just beyond the dining room, the screened porch (above) offers a quiet spot to relax. Red cedar lines the walls and doors open to the south side of the terrace, where steps lead down to the lawn. The symmetrical design of the back of the house (facing page, top) relates to the symmetry of the pool house (facing page, bottom), which features a fireplace and outdoor kitchen. Hydrangeas grow near the house, while a mix of sedum and lavender runs along the pool. for more details, see resources Page decided to work around them. Beneath the lindens, existing rhododendrons inspired the planting of more rhododendrons as well as ground-cover plants mostly shade-tolerant evergreens that provide visual interest, even in winter, along the path to the main entrance to the house. The laid-back interiors were a cumulative effort between Freya Surabian Design Associates of Winchester, Massachusetts, for the color scheme and furniture, and interior designer Karen Quinn of West Cornwall, Connecticut, who says she came in as the project was finishing up to do the frosting. While the views are the main artwork, says Quinn, she did add special accents such as stylish chandeliers and a sleek fl oating console in the entry. A handsome master suite has its own balcony facing the harbor, while the two bedrooms in the other wing share another balcony, also with a water view. A third balcony at the top of the stairs overlooks the backyard and pool. As the boats dock and the sun goes down, the family simply chooses between relaxing on the front terrace and watching the activity of the harbor or withdrawing to the backyard and indulging the children in those precious moments before bedtime with a dip in the pool. Or maybe doing both. JULY/AUGUST 2014 DESIGNNEWENGLAND.COM 117