Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form.
—Alvar Aalto
Sitting atop a bluff with the sea nearby and less than a mile from where one of its owners grew up, this contemporary cottage has been transformed into a harmonious blend of purpose and form. “Having recently graduated with degrees in business from the same university and flush with common interests, energy and goals, Tom and I launched a determined search for an existing home that possessed the right combination of space, light and potential, elements for us to create a bright and clean-lined contemporary cottage,” notes owner, Michelle. “When we came upon this sixty-year-old structure we looked beyond ‘now’ and envisioned ‘then’—agreeing on what we needed to do to accommodate the day when not only the two of us, but our children, would call this place our home.”
The herringboned brick walkway is surrounded by a carefully crafted landscape filled with drought-resistant foliage and airy trees and leads to a welcoming eave-covered entryway. Michelle notes, “Our intent was to provide a clean, Nantucket-like feel to the property and with the grey acid-washed shingles exterior we have accomplished that goal. In fact, the sea has an impact on the exterior as well as interior. While I was growing up, my Dad was passionate about sailing and it had an impact on the whole family. He saw it as an ideal way to stay healthy and youthful and to connect with nature and sea life in all its forms. In a way our design sensibility is a homage to that unforgettable childhood.”
“Our home has a traditional look driven by a nontraditional layout. We inherited a 1,200-square-foot space that we have expanded to 3,000 square feet with the addition of a second floor—larger by nearly a factor of three yet warm, open, light and inviting,” says Michelle. “We kept to the spirit of the original floor plan but improved the flow between rooms, including the removal of one wall on the first floor to make way for an open kitchen that looks into a bright and fresh great room. Being a design purist, I built upon a neutral redesign complemented with clean lines, understated hardware, traditional millwork, white marble and modern lighting.”
“The floors are French oak. The walls were painted with Benjamin Moore’s ‘China White.’ Contrast is found by way of colored and striped textiles, textured floor coverings, sturdy vintage tables, textured window coverings, vintage paintings and a pair of well-worn leather chairs.”
Custom pendant lighting hangs above an informal dining area that looks through to the formal dining room.
The contemporary wood stools are designed to offer a bold complement to the Benjamin Moore “China White” interior.
Michelle’s favorite reading nook is completed with custom fabric indigo pillows from the Juxtaposition Home collection.
The French oak hardwood floors extend into the kitchen and provide a vintage contrast to the contemporary kitchen cabinetry.
Michelle is an admirer of the Astier de Villette collection from France.
The cabinetry is contemporary as well as finely crafted to fit into the newly designed kitchen area.
“To add a sense of surprise, one of the bedrooms is done in shiplap and another is painted a bold navy blue. I grew up in a house where the rooms were identified by their respective colors and I wanted to bring a bit of that tradition into our home.”
Michelle concludes, “When I share with others the meaning of ‘cottage’ it is not as a design concept or expression of style but a reflection of family, growth and tradition.” With Highlands Cottage it is clear that Michelle and husband, Tom, have achieved in their home a harmony of both purpose and form.
Michelle and Tom, with careers in real estate and finance, make full use of this small work area—efficient and yet understated so as not to detract from the main purpose of their cottage, which is living with family and entertaining friends.
Michelle has chosen to decorate her cottage with carefully chosen wall pieces including black-and-white photographs.
With new architectural changes to the cottage came an abundance of shelving upon which to feature collected pieces and family heirlooms.