The finest coastal design gives the sea the final word.
RECENT PROJECTS
Gambrel Carriage House
An exercise in classical form
Exterior
The directive was straightforward: take an underutilized barn and transform it into a fully capable, four-season extension of the estate. We approached the exterior with a respect for its New England vernacular, maintaining the historic gambrel roofline and introducing a circular drive of local pea stone to ground the structure. Relying on a traditional palette of Eastern white cedar shingles, Polo Blue carriage house doors, with historically accurate shutters and holdbacks, the building stands at the entry point of the estate, extending a warm welcome.
Interior
To provide the utility of both a workshop and a fitness space, the interior inspiration draws from the craftsmanship of early American carpentry workshops and collegiate gymnasiums. We clad the walls and ceilings entirely in locally milled, tongue-and-groove pine, and deployed a multifunctional lighting plan to draw out the natural warmth of the wood. Now, the space functions seamlessly both as a highly capable workshop and fully-equipped fitness space that is deliberately grounded by a selection of centuries-old antiques.
Infrastructure
Securing this level of performance required a total replacement of the underlying infrastructure and exterior envelope. We began by regrading the site and burying the power lines to permanently protect the coastal sightlines. The structure itself was fortified with a standing seam metal roof, heavily insulated walls, and high-efficiency windows and doors. Operationally, the carriage house is entirely self-sufficient, featuring full climate and electric control, an independent solar array, and a commercial-grade standby generator supported by remote systems monitoring. The result is a model of quiet self-reliance that requires nothing of its steward but their presence.
The Aerie
A Seaside Sauna Sanctuary
Our aim was to create a wellness space that enhanced the experience of Maine winters. Perched on one of the highest elevations on the Cape, the structure needed to capture the sweeping Atlantic views, while seamlessly blending into its natural surroundings and the local architectural vernacular. Clad in eastern white cedar shingles and capped with a western red cedar roof, the structure assumes a quiet, resilient posture against the Atlantic.
As you step inside, you are welcomed into an interior lounge with soaring ceilings and a skylight that floods the room with natural light. The restorative space transitions seamlessly to a covered deck, where you can breathe in the ocean air with uninterrupted views. The sauna hot room is designed with architectural precision to the traditional Finnish standard. The warmth of thermo-Aspen millwork stretches across the entire space, with tempered glass windows placed deliberately to capture light and shadow. A remote-controlled infrastructure system quietly powers the climate, ventilation and lighting, affording you the ultimate convenience and peace of mind.
The Aerie is much more than just another outbuilding on the property. It transformed the estate from a summer retreat, to a sanctuary that can be fully embraced throughout every season.
Navy Washroom
Daily rituals anchored in blue
A coastal-inspired bath should not rely on nautical aesthetics alone; a proper washroom is also designed to embrace moisture. We pared the room down to the studs and rebuilt it with this guiding principle in mind.
Engineered to manage the realities of water and steam, it operates as a highly capable environment designed to withstand decades of use with grace. Deep shades of blue drench the walls and ceiling, contrasted by classic white beadboard to create a pristine architectural shell. Herringbone stretches across the shower, fitted with polished nickel plumbing. A beveled mirror is illuminated by weathered zinc harbor sconces. An antique colonial side table provides warmth and character, inspiring daily rituals that balance pristine modern performance with a sense of deeply settled calm.
Antiquarian Office
focus through architectural restraint
A creative professional requires a workspace that doesn’t compete for attention, so we approached this renovation with restraint. We grounded the space with wide-plank walnut flooring, coated the walls in classical tones of white, and treated the windows with textural bamboo shades. This palette provided a quiet canvas for the owner's art and antique collection to take precedence, and created maximum flexibility for the display of future acquisitions.
The space now functions as a high-performance workspace, integrating an automated standing desk seamlessly among centuries-old antiques. Illuminated by unlacquered brass fixtures and dimmable, recessed spotlights—the environment commands focus.
Office With A View
Investing in perspective
Perspective is born from a balanced environment and a still mind. This renovation focused entirely on the psychology of the workspace, designed to meet the demands of a high-functioning investor.
We opened the architectural envelope by installing two extra-wide awning windows to erase the boundary between the interior and the coast, making the unobstructed ocean view the room's undisputed focal point. Wrapped in custom cabinetry, high-gloss beadboard, and unlacquered brass hardware, the office exudes confidence in the simplicity of its classical canvas.
It's a space that feels entirely resolute–a pristine atmosphere for high-level execution and quiet reflection.
Seaside Potager Garden
Starting from the ground up
We transformed a passive lawn into a classical potager garden, designing the landscape to serve the main house with heirloom vegetables and fresh cutting flowers.
We brought architectural order to the natural landscape by establishing a strict geometry of symmetrically disciplined beds and pathways, complemented by swaths of native perennial plantings and fruit trees. Hand-built cedar obelisks and pea fences lend agrarian utility and structure that evolve through the seasons.
We rebuilt the soil's biological health using seaweed harvested from the seashore, and organic compost made on the property. The garden is supported by remote-sensored irrigation and a discreet electric perimeter fence to ensure a self-sustaining yield with invisible precision.
