The site is at the entrance to a salt water pond that opens to Pleasant Bay and the ocean beyond, yet is sheltered from the fierce Atlantic storms.

Built as a standard Cape in the mid-50's, the plan of the existing house took almost no advantage of the spectacular site and multiple water views.

As we approached this project, we were faced with two disjointed structures to reassemble into a coherent house.

The remnants of the Cape were on one side, a bleak newer two-story addition was attached at an angle, but didn't connect on the second floor, and the first floor was filled with secondary structures such as the laundry, powder room, pantry, closets, cabinets, etc., that obscured the water view.

In subsequent years, it was added to and altered several times. Each alteration left it with more awkward interior spaces and fewer water views.

Keeping to a strict budget we maintained the first and second floor walls and structure, but opened all the spaces so that the water was visible from every room.

The kitchen, living and dining rooms were designed to create an open plan. The heart of the original kitchen was retained at the owner’s request, with a new island and French doors to the pool area.

The Family Room is separated from the main living space to give the children a place to relax and let off steam, but it also opens out to the pool.

The living room of the original house became a cozy den.

Upstairs the former office became a master bedroom with high ceilings, flooded with light.

All of the bedrooms have balconies facing the water.

The tired little guest house over the garage was brought to life with a new deck and railings that help to soften the garage doors. Tall evergreen trees had completely hidden the little cottage from the water.