Staying Home

The Hajjar family puts down roots in Edgartown, all while honoring their children

Raising a family can be a bit like tending a garden. It starts with the careful planting of seeds in a prepared environment. And as the roots begin to take hold and the tender shoots venture into the sunlight, a dedicated gardener takes care to protect them, nurture them as they develop, and finally support them as they begin to test their own strength. As they put forth their individual blooms and fruits, only then can the gardener stand back just a bit to admire the independent and singular contribution they are poised to add to the landscape.

For Chuck and Anne Hajjar, the husband-wife team of hoteliers of distinction in Edgartown, their properties are simply an extension of their family—literally. The proud parents of four unique and dynamic children, the Hajjars decided when they opened their first boutique property on the Vineyard in 2015, The Sydney, it would proudly be named in honor of their only daughter. Subsequent properties in the charming village were renovated, constructed and ultimately unveiled with the introduction of The Christopher, an addition to The Sydney and finally The Richard, all honoring the youngest of the Hajjar children. “I would have never imagined my life would include a career in the hotel business,” confesses Anne, who, as a trained mental health therapist, worked with battered women earlier in her life. “But I truly love this work. I am able to indulge my creativity as well as craft a successful business model. And the best part is that my children are witness to the entire process, and I think it has shown them how empowering the combination of hard work and passion can be.”

Hajjar’s creativity and passion are immediately evident upon entering any of the unique properties. While she worked with a handful of interior designers on the various inns, it was Hajjar’s deft touch and interpretation of her children’s personalities through the décor that sets these three destinations apart from all the rest.

“When we acquired The Christopher, we had just returned from a family vacation in St. Barths and I was still feeling the effects of our special vacation. I wanted to create something completely fresh and different from anything else found on the Vineyard,” Hajjar recalls. Once guests push open the massive front door of The Christopher they are immediately transported, just as Hajjar had envisioned. Deep hues of turquoise and indigo, paired with phyletic, tribal-inspired wallpaper, greet visitors with an 18th-century colonialism associated with the islands of the West Indies. “I had the kind of global traveler who was used to a cosmopolitan sophistication in mind when we came up with the design,” Hajjar explains. 

Working with Boston designer Annsley McAleer, principal of Annsley Interiors, Hajjar was able to immediately distinguish the property from the usual and expected New England beach vernacular found throughout the island. Hand-blocked prints, Ikat patterns, and saturated color pairings ground the space of the antique 15-room inn and provide the true getaway Hajjar had envisioned.

When transforming the original eight rooms of The Sydney on North Water Street (formerly the Fallon Inn and now known as the Captain Charles Williams Fisher House at The Sydney), Hajjar teamed up with Hingham designer Robin Pelissier to apply the delicate and feminine persona of her youngest child and only daughter. The sophistication that defines everything Hajjar touches is still evident, but unlike The Christopher, The Sydney (whose name translates to Jewel of the Island) just seems lighter on its feet, in the same way a gathering of adults is suddenly lightened when a young ballerina, oblivious of serious discussion, dissects a cocktail party before toddling off to bed. A newly constructed building, designed by Patrick Ahearn, FAIA, was built behind the Captain Fisher House in 2018 and completes The Sydney’s offer of 14 additional guests rooms with private baths, all graced with the dulcet and convivial touches evocative of its namesake; this time with the design credited to Boston-based designer Rachel Reider.

Next on Upper Main Street, The Richard was born. True to established precedent, this 16-room property is a personification of the unique characteristics of its eponym, a name long associated with royalty. “My son Richard is a very unique individual. And he certainly knows what he likes,” explains Hajjar. “He enjoys the finer things, and always has a bit of bling, so The Richard is a strong, regal property. And Rachel and I added the bling!” Grays, blacks and other neutrals provide a traditional background while silver and brass metallic accents spark the energy to keep the overall design from being overly strong or imposing.

Marla and Juliana Accursio-Gibbs are the capable couple that oversees the operations for the Hajjars. Since they have been the resident innkeepers at The Christopher from the beginning, (they have been involved with each of the renovations and new construction of the other two properties) they reiterate the successful embodiment of the children’s personalities as applied to the separate inns. “The Richard definitely has a different vibe than the other properties, and it stands out just like Anne and Chuck’s son,” says Marla with a twinkle. Marla and Julie not only oversee much of the operations of the properties, but they also fulfill a sort of fairy godmothers’ function, not only for the family—who they consider to be like their own—but also for the lucky guests that spend their precious vacation time with them. As soon as you enter The Christopher, a wave of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (to rival any that might otherwise be famous, including Amos and Mrs. Fields) fills your senses. The cookies seem to always be present (more of that fairy godmother magic) and will often be tucked into a guest’s satchel as they leave for a bike ride.

“The girls are a godsend!” effuses Anne. “I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. I head over to the inn on a daily basis with a list of things to accomplish, and before you know it, the time has flown by as we find ourselves laughing and dishing about everything and anything.” Hajjar also speaks with great regard about the symbiotic synergy inherent to her relationship with Lark Hotels. Lark is a hospitality management group that emphasizes a world-class philosophy of customer care and service for every guest that experiences one of their properties. Their claim of offering boutique hotels for today’s traveler barely seems to scratch the surface. As Hajjar explains, “They just have very high standards, and as a property owner, it is great to find a corporation that prioritizes the quality of a guest’s experience as much as we do.” The Accursio-Gibbs exemplify the caliber of staff Lark sources to oversee their properties. In fact, the Hajjars’ experience has been so profound that they have recently acquired two new properties in Newport, RI from Lark themselves. A third property was also recently independently acquired. Anne will oversee the renovation of the properties, and Lark will provide their expertise in the operational support.

Hajjar is proud to offer distinctive hospitality to the Vineyard. She feels the newly renovated and constructed properties provide value to the local community. “I know that many people might balk at the thought of more visitors to the island,” she says, “but I think these beautiful hotels attract visitors who will stay and get to know  the community at a much deeper level than a day tripper. I know that it can be controversial for some, but I truly believe in what we are doing.” 

Indeed, Hajjar has transformed the landscape in the quaint village of Edgartown with the immaculate inns and will continue to, as her latest acquisition includes the storied Edgartown Inn. A favorite of many locals for decades, Hajjar’s vision for this property is less transformative, and with the help again from Rachel Reider, she intends to honor the history in subtle ways. The community will have to wait until the second half of 2019 to see what she has up her sleeve.

This gracious hostess has much to be thankful for, but she says there are two things that she hears from her guests that make her infinitely happy. “I love it when people tell me they feel like they are staying in their own home. And when they say they can’t wait until they return the following season.” 

And, as far as the fourth child of the Hajjars, by no means was he forgotten. Chuck and Anne’s initial foray into the hotel business began years ago in Boston with the Charlesmark Hotel, named of course, after their first born.

The post These inns on Martha’s Vineyard are a must-see appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Charting a Course for Color

With just the right touches, a historic sea captain’s home in Barnstable is given a fresh start

Is more always better? Not always, as evidenced by this reimagined old sea captain’s home in Barnstable. With the right people behind the project and considerate attention to detail, what’s small in size now feels abundant in charm.

When the homeowners approached interior designer Katie Rosenfeld to redecorate their summer home after she designed their main home, she was ecstatic, not only because she loves working with them, but also because of what she was given to work with. With low ceilings and tiny rooms, Rosenfeld was ready to get creative with the space. “I love decorating small spaces because they are so cozy,” says Rosenfeld. “Big spaces require so much layering to make it feel cozy, and it never feels like they’re completely done.” The plan for the redesign was not an entire redesign at all, rather more of, as Rosenfeld calls it, “a really nice cosmetic facelift.”

To provide the skeletal integrity of said facelift, the talents of local builder E.J. Jaxtimer Builder, Inc. were brought to bear. For Project Manager Jonathan Jaxtimer, it was about “giving more flow to the house structure.” The E.J. Jaxtimer crew working on this house was in familiar territory, as the company had previously renovated the home for another homeowner. Getting to revisit the home was fun, says Jaxtimer, but he also admits there were additional challenges with this redesign that balanced preserving the history of the home while utilizing construction materials and techniques to subtly bring the residence into the modern age. 

The collaboration also extended to the unique visionaries inherent to the Boston firm of Patrick Ahearn Architect, LLC. Managing principal Michael Tartamella, AIA, headed up their involvement and brought his expertise to the simple design augmentation of the home’s transformation. Changes like the widening of entrances that connect the rooms, windows that allow more of the Cape light to collect in the living space, and subtle architectural design elements all contribute to the newer, fresher aesthetic found throughout the home.

Because of the owners’ love for the original structure of the house, only subtle improvements were made to the bones of the home in order to make the historical, small rooms feel a bit larger. “Instead of having doors between the rooms, we changed them into cased openings,” says Jaxtimer. “These are open entryways that have a frame design around them. Through cased openings you can take a two-foot door and change it to a five-foot opening.”

Rosenfeld’s mission was to create a unified and fun feeling throughout. Working with this client, a veterinarian, the needs of her busy family—that include three active boys as well as countless animals, some permanent members of the household, some just along for a brief stay—dictated what Rosenfeld calls a “keep it real” approach to the interior design. The budget was not to be spent on custom furniture, but rather focused on textiles and fabrics that made the simple setup feel customized specifically for this family, this house, and this location. “The goal was to make it cute with extreme utility in mind,” says Rosenfeld. “It involved a lot of both form and function.”

When Rosenfeld came into the project, she was dealing with a completely blank slate that she describes as being “Plain Jane,” adding, “There was nothing. It was empty like a dorm room.” She kept only one piece of furniture from the original home—a black four-post bed, and from there, like a Dutch master, applied layers and depths of texture, pattern and light to create a vibrant and lively backdrop against which the family plays out their Cape adventures.

“The home itself had adorable bones,” Rosenfeld recalls as she describes the exterior of the charming colonial home. “In addition to its crushed shell driveway, it wasn’t hard to make cute.” One will notice that this is not a typical Cape Cod home, cloaked in blue and white throughout, and that is intentional. Rosenfeld wanted to do something slightly different with the interior while still meeting the client’s desire for a beach home. “Everybody loves blue, who can’t love blue? But I didn’t want it to be another blue Cape house,” she says. Rosenfeld’s favorite part of the project, and her hardest sell, were the canary yellow drapes in the living space off of the dining area. “When I suggested the yellow curtains, the homeowner was like, ‘Seriously?’ but I told her she had to trust me,” Rosenfeld recalls. “To me, the yellow was the deal-maker.” 

Rosenfeld says that as she approaches projects, she tends to work from the window treatments down, and that is exactly what she did here. To start, she chose colors found in the tropical patterns of the yellow curtains and highlighted them throughout the home, thus tying the rooms together, while also giving each its own distinct character. “You’ll notice that one room is almost entirely blue, and one is almost entirely red. That was sort of the compromise so that the client could get her blue, but I could also make it a bit different,” Rosenfeld explains. The window treatments, in classic New England hues, are complemented by colorful patterned throws and pillows, which further serve to enhance the understated, low-maintenance furniture. Rosenfeld notes, “Anyone can buy these couches,” referring to the popular catalogue finds, but it is the pops of color strewn like clues in a treasure map that connect elsewhere in the various rooms that make the home feel special. “This home now has an identity and a personality,” says Rosenfeld. “Before it wasn’t anything.” 

The kitchen’s modest makeover is most evident in the new backsplash, a nod to the use of brick on the fireplace in the family room and on the floor of the mudroom. The use of brick is often deftly and subtly incorporated into many Patrick Ahearn design programs, perhaps due to the immediate historic and emotional response it can elicit in most people. 

Outside, Tartamella successfully contributed to the challenge at hand with a design that reworked an old stone wall  into a Bernice Wahler landscape and alongside a new pool cabana. As a family with three boys, the homeowners wanted to make the space very kid-friendly, and they called on Tartamella, who had also worked with them in the past, to make it happen. Like the inside of the house, the backyard is tight, and Tartamella had to contend with the challenging grades of the topography. He designed the cabana to include a loft just for the boys, with a ship’s ladder leading up to it, and for the adults there’s a bar and gas fireplace inside. “Rather than expanding the house, the cabana creates an additional gathering place as it extends the living opportunities and bookends the outdoor living space,” say Tartamella. The cabana also features a Marvin bi-fold wall of French doors, which allows the outside and inside spaces to be opened up to one another.

Thanks to the freedom she was given, Rosenfeld says this project came together incredibly smoothly. “It was easy. One-two-three done,” she says. “We did the whole thing in about four months.” To Rosenfeld, who calls the homeowners her “dream clients,” this coastal home is now one that is joyful, and the new décor reflects the “happy and smiley people who live there.” 

The post A historic Sea Captain’s home in Barnstable gets a new, colorful life appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Al Sorbello · Sorbello Landscaping

As Al Sorbello sees it, life is to be tackled head on. Like when he started his own landscaping business, just mere months after he and his wife had their first child and bought a new home. Sorbello smiles as he recalls his first year in business, lugging around a 21-inch Honda mower and the rest of his equipment in his 1998 Isuzu hombre pickup. Thirteen years later, those days in the Isuzu are far in the rear view, as Sorbello Landscaping has become one of the leading full-service landscape design, installation and maintenance firms on the Cape. What continues to guide Sorbello is a commitment to keeping promises, and going above and beyond for his clients.

CCH: How did you originally get into landscaping?

AS: I got an opportunity to work with some friends of mine who were older that were in the business, and I fell in love with it. Even back then—I think I was 14, 15 when I started—it came naturally. I love being outside. I love Cape Cod. I’ve been in the industry for over 25 years at this point. It’s been a lot of trial and error and the school of hard knocks along the way. I’ve always been huge on going to trade seminars and taking courses to improve as I’ve gone along, trying to learn every aspect of landscaping, including aspects of design, and surrounding myself with the right people who know more. One of the things I love most about what I do, in all honesty, is that people pay me to show up when they have something they’re not happy with, and for me to take my mind’s eye and be able to project and give them options that will literally change the way they live on Cape Cod—when I can make their window of time here in the summer that much better and they can share that with their family and friends, that’s fantastic. I love that, and that’s what really keeps me going.

CCH: In an industry that is increasingly competitive, how do you stand out and continue to find success?

AS: There’s one thing I really pride myself on: If you call Kerida, our operations manager, at the front desk, and there’s an issue of any kind, my goal is to be on the property personally within two hours. That personal touch and commitment to my clients has been the key to being successful. I call them clients but honestly there are friendships that are built over the years with those people, and a lot of trust. They know I’m going to see things through—not just through the initial design phase, not just during the installation, not just for the basic maintenance immediately after, but also for the long-term I commit myself to my clients. I strive to set myself apart by being the absolute best possible option for someone who knows they need landscaping, doesn’t know exactly how to go through the process, and wants someone to take them from A to Z and beyond. There’s always room for improvement, and that’s a big part of it too—every year I try to improve both myself and our company and be more progressive. We’re at the cutting edge of the trends.

CCH: What’s currently on your radar as far as emerging trends?

AS: One thing that’s huge in Europe and on the West Coast and in Florida is living walls. An entire interior wall becomes live plants. We’re actually starting a whole new division called The Living Room. There’s a concept called biophilia—it’s that innate connection we have to nature. You know how when you’re in the woods you just feel really good? Well, we’re bringing that to people on the inside of their homes and bringing the outside in.

CCH: How do you approach creating the high-end gardens and hardscapes your clients are seeking?

AS: At every facet of the process, from the design phase through the installation, we do a ton of consulting with our clients. I meet them as many times as they want. My job is to reach into their mind and ask a lot of well-thought-out questions so I can pull from them what direction they want to go in. Everyone has an idea of what they want, but sometimes they have no idea how to get there. It’s about asking the right questions, and bringing them to the site throughout the process. At the end of the day, my clients are going to have exactly what they want, and there are no surprises at the end.

CCH: What do you think distinguishes your company’s projects?

AS: People are looking for a classic Cape Cod look, and we do a phenomenal job of delivering that Cape and Islands experience to their homes. Not only when you pull up to the front of the house do you have that cozy cottage, secret getaway look, but also in the backyard, especially around the patio. We’re known for fine, high-end gardening, and that separates us. We have a state-certified horticulturalist on staff that we put through college to get her credits to get to that point—we love building from within.

CCH: That idea of “building from within”—how key has that practice been to your success?

AS: It’s huge. I have several employees that have been with me for over 10 years. On the Cape, where the labor market is such that people are so quick to dollar shop or look around, to be able to build loyalty is one of the things I’m most proud of. And our clients have come to know our core people, and they’ll ask for Val by name, Dana by name, Justice by name; they’re on a first-name basis with a lot of my guys and girls. It’s nice for me to have the confidence to let them take care of things and give them that authority to make decisions. I like to see them feel that empowerment and then have the satisfaction of having accomplished something successfully on their own. That makes for a better company.

CCH: What advice do you have for fellow young professionals looking to succeed here in this industry?

AS: This applies to anyone in any business on the Cape: Look to resources and consultants that know what they’re doing. Keep educating yourself for your field in terms of not just scholastic accreditation but also what other professionals in your trade specifically are doing. And staying current or ahead of the latest trends is massive.

CCH: So I understand you have a pilot’s license—what else do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

AS: One thing I’m really passionate about—and this is a big part of my love for the Cape—is boating. I love being out on the water, there’s nothing like it. Now that I have two kids (a boy and a girl), it’s not so much, “Hey, let’s go hop on the plane and fly around for the afternoon.” It’s more like, “Hey kids, let’s go hop on the boat and go over to the Vineyard or Nantucket, or go into the bay and look at the right whales.” We’ve had some amazing experiences as a family being able to do that. A lot of people say “I love my job,” but I really do love my job because it allows me to experience the beauty of the Cape, and that goes a lot further than just being on land. I’m looking at people’s homes as I’m boating along the coast, and it gives me a lot of ideas.

The post Meet the face of this local landscape company appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Whether you are working with an endless expanse, or a small patch of possibility, a border garden can be the path that sets you free

In the 18th century, just as the American colonists were envisioning a new republic here in the states, across the ocean in their former homeland of Great Britain, a young and talented landscape gardener named Lancelot “Capability” Brown was embarking upon what would become a much-beloved style of gardening. Brown achieved the nickname “Capability” since he was often heard telling his clients that their gardens had great capabilities. His revolutionary vision balked at the formality previously prevalent in the English landscape and encouraged a less formal and restricted application of plant material. His style incorporated breaks in trees and shrubs to capture and frame a specific view, all the while achieving a more casual and flexible environment. Thus was born the concept of the border garden.

Most gardeners, whether they consider themselves to be novice or accomplished, have considered the capabilities that exist in their own landscapes. The luxury of space is perfect for the English style of the carefree, controlled chaos that defines a border garden, but a small, compact corner that is nestled at the stoop of a back door is also an ideal spot to indulge an inclination for a harmonious mass-planting of perennials. Wherever you decide to make the commitment, a border garden will delight, distract and distinctly define your passion for flowers.

Maria Hickey, owner of Maria Hickey & Associates in Falmouth, has been designing beautiful landscapes for decades, and says border gardens are one of her favorite elements to incorporate into her clients’ spaces. Each decision she makes in a space is marked by the thoughtful intention of a seasoned gardener and the passion of someone who truly enjoys transforming an outdoor space. A garden in North Falmouth is one shining example of her skills as both designer and gardener, with an outdoor space being revamped into an oasis for an ocean-loving homeowner.

“My motto is do it once, and do it right,” says Hickey. “If you have to hire someone to take care of your space, or when you sit down to relax all you can think about is the things that need to be fixed or taken care of, it defeats the purpose of a garden. So most of what we do is low-maintenance, because the whole goal is for people to enjoy their space.” While Hickey’s designs may be low-maintenance, they maintain a level of elegance and charm that in every way enhances the ease and comfort of the gardens she creates. This ability, and, more importantly, willingness, to harness the potential of a garden space certainly rivals that of “Capability” Brown. 

Hickey’s foremost inclination is to work with rather than against nature, enhancing instead of manipulating its original beauty in a way that complements the space she is working with. Her gardens often incorporate elegant curves and natural plantings. At this North Falmouth home, conservation efforts were at the forefront of the design. “Sometimes people are intimidated by conservation laws and the use of mitigation plants, but I work in curves and incorporate a lot of native perennials. It makes it more fluid,” explains Hickey, who worked with native perennials and low-growing shrubs to add natural pops of color to a sprawling landscape and a framework for a spectacular ocean view.

“A garden should make you feel you’ve entered privileged space—a place not just set apart but reverberant—and it seems to me that, to achieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into something nearer poetry.”

Michael Pollan, “Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education”

Hickey explains how she carefully chose native plants to complement not only each other but also the home. “This project required approval by the town’s conservation board, often a daunting undertaking for most homeowners, but I believe we were successful because we were thoughtful in our plan,” she says. “We offered a combination of native plants, shrubs and perennials to provide an aesthetically pleasing as well as functional wildlife habitat. The ‘understory,’ or native shrubs, provide habitat restoration for nesting songbirds.”

The property boasts a breathtaking view of the sunset over Buzzards Bay, and the colors of each night’s stunning display are only enhanced across the sparkling reflection of the ocean. Those colors are also prevalent in Hickey’s design, which curves—much like the crest of the waves beyond—along a pathway to the beach. At the bluff’s edge, Hickey added sand and beach grass for a seamless, natural look, that also serve to mitigate the offset required for the construction of the home. “We also incorporated these large rocks into the landscaping for watching the sunset over the water,” she says. “The sunsets here are just absolutely spectacular. 

At the base of the house, hydrangeas provide a pretty border around the elevated home. From the deck, the view of the border garden, and the handful of natural trees dotting the lawn, stretches out to the beach, where the gorgeous colors continue into the crashing waves of Buzzards Bay—waves that even during violent nor’easters have failed to uproot this garden from its precarious position. “It’s just so Cape Cod,” says Hickey of the project. The bordered pathway culminates in two beach chairs, side-by-side, looking out at the ocean—the perfect spot for an afternoon tan with a tantalizing novel or an evening spent under the stars. “Everything about this space invites you to sit, relax and enjoy yourself,” she says.

A complete transformation of your existing landscape is not necessary to achieve the subtle, Old World English charm of a border. Hickey says that utilizing existing shrubs, trees or structure as a backdrop to the border makes it feel naturally established. “It’s all about making it feel like something that’s been here forever,” she explains, and here on Cape Cod, maintaining the natural, historic charm of a landscape isn’t hard to do. 

Thomas Edison once said, “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” It’s something that “Capability” Brown ambitiously understood, and it’s something that Hickey has grasped as well through imaginative design and undeterred passion, implementing it every day across her beloved home of Cape Cod and showing exactly what this region is capable of.

Maria’s recommendations for border gardens

-Have a plan! 

-Add 50% compost and 50% loam to each hole to provide essential nutrients for continuous, long-term delivery of critical nutrition for strong roots, foliage and blooms

-Use low-maintenance, drought-resistant pollinator plants

-Add mulch to suppress weeds and hold moisture

-Combine horizontal and vertical flower shapes for visual interest (ex: Agastache and Echinecea)

-Repeat patterns to create a flowing border

To create a functioning wildlife habitat to attract nesting native songbirds, bees and butterflies, consider planting:

Perennials

• Agastache

• Monarda

• Echinecea

• Sedum

• Liatris

• Achillea

• Phlox Paniculata

• Geranium

• Leucanthemum

Annuals

• Lobularia

• Supertunia

The post Stuck in a gardening rut? Try this trick! appeared first on Cape Cod LIFE.

Reimagining History on
Pleasant Bay

Patrick Ahearn and Platemark Design conceive a narrative of familiar and fantastical in redesigning this Chatham home

Dawn erupts in a lava flow of oranges, pinks, reds and purples across Pleasant Bay. Viewed from the western shore, the colors pour across this watery canvas, igniting the morning. Gray shadows in the slight undulations of waves appear as reflections of the gossamer altocumulus clouds. According to the old saw, sailors should take warning on a day like this—the early warmth and high humidity portend later thunderstorms—but in these ephemeral moments as the moon clings to the vanishing night, as the sun showers the eastern shoreline and the outline of Fox Hill Island with its tangerine, fuchsia, magenta and lilac hues, caution can wait. If there’s a looming price for these minutes soaked in such a palette, then let the rains pour, let the winds squall.

There are safer places to build houses than the coastline, and Chatham is no stranger to shifting sands and mercurial weather. The possibilities of hurricanes landing in late summer always linger, and the near-certainties of nor’easters in the winter underline the risk. Yet courageous homes stand willing to brave the elements, primarily for their owners to experience the uninterrupted beauty and colors of the sea and heavens. Acclaimed architect Patrick Ahearn, FAIA, recently reimagined such a dwelling in an extensive rebuild of one Pleasant Bay Overlook. Due to conservation codes, the building team was constrained to the footprint of existing buildings on the property, but the finished home encapsulates once distinct structures into a unified family compound.

As with all Patrick Ahearn projects, the Pleasant Bay Overlook begins with a story. Having designed over 200 homes and buildings in Edgartown alone, Ahearn and his team specialize in “historically motivated” architecture and interior design. Within this unique design philosophy, his projects include historic restorations and the creation of new buildings. The true wizardry of his work, however, is that, as he says, “People can’t tell our antique renovations from new construction; you can’t tell a 300-year-old house from one that we built five years ago.” In order to accomplish the goals of these projects, Ahearn and his team turn to historical narrative; design decisions come about through an understanding of the ways that a home organically develops and takes on character over the years, the ways that it evolves to meet the needs of its inhabitants. The story of the Pleasant Bay Overlook also reflects some of the history of Chatham, and it goes something like this:

In 1656, William Nickerson purchased a parcel of Monomoyick land from its tribal sachem, Mattaquason, for a shallop, cloth, several kettles, axes, knives and wampum. The town was originally called Monomoit, but upon official incorporation into Plymouth Colony in 1712, the name was changed to Chatham. Soon thereafter, Nickerson’s grandnephew Thomas arrived from England and settled on the shores of Pleasant Bay, on a point that would later become known as Nickerson’s Neck. Here, he floated two small houses by barge across the bay. One would serve as the family’s primary residence, where Thomas lived with his wife Ada and their first five children, while the other would shelter their fishing shallop through the bitterest of winter months and double as a sail loft. Nickerson faced both structures south-easterly for maximum exposure to the sun. In addition, he and his sons constructed a shack close to the beach, which they used for shellfishing. Thomas stored the various tools and rakes necessary for oystering, clamming and scalloping inside; he also created a work area where he sorted his catch for market. As the family grew to nine children, the eldest son, Randall, moved into the sail loft and renovated it into a small home for his own family. 

Thus the compound remained through subsequent generations until the mid-1800s, when Leonard and Ruth Nickerson, staunch abolitionists, became active in the Underground Railroad. Fugitive slaves would arrive by schooner in Chatham, and Leonard and Ruth would house them for a time before arranging transport to larger hubs within the system, such as New Bedford and Fall River. They added a bunk room in the shellfishing shack, and sometimes men would stay to help out with the oystering business, putting away some money before resuming their journeys to freedom. 

“People can’t tell our antique renovations from new construction; you can’t tell a 300-year-old house from one that we built five years ago.”

Over the ensuing century, the size of the family ebbed and flowed. At one point, the compound expanded to eight separate buildings, but vicious storms claimed a few of these. In the aftermath of the hurricane of 1938, the family rebuilt in a way that connected the boat shed directly with the main house. Sons and daughters answered calls to adventure out West and of enterprise in cities; in 1972, the Nickersons decided to sell everything to a land developer. The developer subdivided most of the 27-acre property but kept the main house, the adjoined boat shed, and the shellfishing shack/bunk room. He updated the home to fit the disco sensibilities of the time, and so it remained—somewhat classic, somewhat garish—until 2016, when the new owners contracted with Ahearn, Whitla Brothers Builders of Chatham, and Platemark Design of Boston to “lovingly restore” the property and to fulfill its original potential. 

Or so one is meant to believe—something akin to the above story, anyway. 

Because here’s the twist: While a few of the details are true, and a couple of things even happened, most of the Pleasant Bay Overlook’s story is made up, an elaboration based upon fragments from Patrick Ahearn’s script for the project. This slant on design hinges on a concept that he calls “implied history,” rather than one of real-life events. Surely many Thomas Nickersons have lived on the Cape, and maybe someone in the family ran an oyster company at some point. Outlying buildings like the shellfishing shack and the boat shed are nearly ubiquitous, and many families do connect their structures under one roof. Says Ahearn, “It’s a fairly complicated design approach—to satisfy the history of the town and the goals of the clients.” Thus, because of the attention to detail, both in Ahearn’s script (which this tale only resembles) and in the actual architectural design, the compound reads as a work of historical fiction. Because of its non-fictional setting within a 1970s subdivision, it needed to plausibly answer questions. As Ahearn explains: “When you pull into the motor court, you have the feeling this was the original land in the neighborhood, the original house, and that the owners sold off the surrounding property. It’s new history. There’s a sensibility that the storyline is believable.” 

In fact, the area called Nickerson’s Neck was first developed during WWI, when the U.S. Navy commissioned an air base here. A massive hanger housed dirigibles and airplanes; at its busiest, in 1918, the base was home to 600 men and has the distinction of serving as a key refueling point for the first airplane to cross the Atlantic, in 1919. The base closed in 1922, and by 1938, the final structures would be dismantled. A golf course and neighboring homes sprung up, in some cases upon the actual foundations of the airbase. Then, in the 1970s, further housing development took root, including a rather nondescript home with a large garage overlooking Pleasant Bay, replete with typical design characteristics of its time such as aluminum sliding glass doors.

To complete the Pleasant Bay Overlook project, Ahearn and Whitla Brothers, who have previously worked together on several Chatham projects, faced some significant challenges and opportunities. Three separate structures already existed, and the plans called for a pool cabana that would double as a garage where the owner’s vintage Porsche could winter. Because of zoning and conservation restrictions, tearing the buildings down and starting afresh was not an option. Likewise, the addition of the pool had to be sited close to the house to avoid encroachment upon wetlands. To address these concerns, “We reoriented the hierarchy of the house so the front door faces the street by making programmatic changes inside,” Ahearn details. “We improved the circulation pattern by establishing a primary spine along the water-facing side of the home, seamlessly connecting the three structures and nearly doubling the livable square footage and increasing water views, all within the existing footprint.” The fictional shellfishing shack at water’s edge is now the master bedroom; the made-up boat shed, once an actual garage, has metamorphosed into a grand living room framed by the kitchen and a fireplace constructed of reclaimed stone. 

Upon arrival, guests first encounter the pool cabana, which behaves as a vignette, a “folly building” that, along with the pool itself, previews the house proper and the bay beyond. This miniature connects thematically with the way that the front door opens directly into the living room and its windows to the seascape just beyond the fringes of the lawn. The interior has a 1790s, almost Shaker style; the balustrade is a replica from an older home. The reclaimed antique flooring, the timbers and beaded board, the materials, and the finishes combine to evoke a bygone era. “All the things you touch and feel convey a different time,” says Ahearn. “The use of post and beam seems like an original feature.” While the interior of many traditional Cape homes contain, in Ahearn’s words, “a rabbit warren” of tiny chambers, the Pleasant Bay Overlook “lives the way people want to live today.” The overall plan is much more open, the ceilings much higher, and there’s far more natural light than what one would find in Chatham homes of even the 19th century. So here’s another plot twist in the story of the Pleasant Bay Overlook—despite the attention to antiques, Ahearn says, “The historical exterior hides a modern interior.”

While the owners of the Pleasant Bay Overlook sought vintage, classical and traditional Cape qualities in their new home, they wanted to punctuate these features with bright and unique color choices. Craig Tevolitz, principal at Platemark Design, says: “The owner was adamant about not wanting the blue and white ubiquitous coastal scheme. That was absolutely off the table. This was refreshing to me, because it’s interesting as a designer to not do the same thing everyone else is doing on the Cape.” Instead, Tevolitz brought in the colors of the dawn sky. “What helped was the couple wanted the space to feel ‘happy and joyful.’ Using vibrant colors brought that energy into the home,” he says. “As well, fashion-forward fabrics, like Missoni and Pierre Frey, brought in a contemporary vibe to upholstered pieces and window treatments, which imbue an overall lightness to the home.” One of the most dramatic pieces in the living room is a double-tiered iron chandelier that hangs in complement to the stone fireplace. Isolate these two features, and they could appear at home in a luxury hunting lodge. Yet here, they dwell amongst patterns of vivid oranges, lavenders, and greens. “The chandelier is undeniably grand,” Tevolitz says. “But the room takes it in as naturally as the ocean view. Such is the brilliance of Patrick’s architecture—making it all look so effortless that a massive chandelier reclaimed from a New England courthouse can casually step into the room and not set it off balance.”

The Pleasant Bay Overlook is the first project Patrick Ahearn and Craig Tevolitz have collaborated on, and Ahearn says, “The transformation of this house is really significant.” The approaches of the two firms aligned like the elements of fiction. Where the former laid out the premise and plot of the home’s “implied history,” the latter developed its characters. While there’s overlap between these elements, Tevolitz explains: “My approach is very empathetic. I’m not necessarily telling a story; I’m discovering the clients through the interior, really figuring out how they live, their style; getting into their heads and figuring out all the moments and opportunities for them to live in different ways.” Ahearn relies upon “non-ego driven architecture,” which is where his narrative approach really comes to bear. “It’s all about scale,” he says. “We need to look at context and history so that the home fits and stays quiet. This is all part of ‘the greater good theory.’” 

A paradox of storytelling is that humans dislike the unoriginal, but they love mythic structure, what Joseph Campbell termed “The Hero’s Journey.” Audiences relate to the hero’s call to adventure, to the road of trials, and to dark moments along the way, for inside each person resides a Luke Skywalker or a Katniss Everdeen, a hero working to achieve that next goal, to gain some measure of success and happiness. And yet, people want their stories to feel just as unique as they are familiar. Critics and audiences alike scorn books and movies that seem to pander, to wallow about in cliched ideas and characters. If a story feels too derivative, we discard it. Such is the mastery of the Pleasant Bay Overlook. Here is a work of art at once classic and known while simultaneously utterly fresh and original—just like the sunrise that the home invites inside each dawn.

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Living Under the Deep Blue Sea

Just like the sea’s many colors, this Siasconset home is a prismatic homage to the creative convergence of a designer and homeowner

The ocean has many colors. One day it’s blue, the next green, and in no two places is it ever the same. But in this fluidity is where it finds its beauty. In Malibu the sea is often turquoise—an ever-present reminder of warm days when the sun’s pleasant embrace is like that of a dear friend. On the East Coast, the waves are often a deep, wintery blue—a tribute to the natural beauty present throughout the seasons. And on Nantucket? There’s nothing quite like it. Christopher Paolini once wrote: “The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can’t.” But no one ever said that the beauty of the deep blue sea couldn’t be captured by design.

“When you walk in, the first thing you see is this surfboard hanging from the ceiling, and it immediately sets the tone that this is a fun, beachy house,” says the proud owner of a colorful Siasconset house designed by Nina Liddle of Nina Liddle Design. The vision for this project was a wonderful intersection between classic Nantucket style and Malibu beach color. “My vision was a modern edge with clean lines and a lot of white contrasted with bright, colorful accents,” explains the homeowner. 

Having worked for years on Nantucket, bringing color and excitement to this island home was a task that Liddle was more than fit to handle. “She really captured what was in my head,” says the homeowner, “and she did it in a way that was clean, contemporary and grounded in organic elements.”

“The homeowner was involved every step of the way,” says Liddle. “It was a very collaborative process and she had this unique, punchy design that we were able to pull together with lots of blues and oranges.” The first-floor guest bedroom is Liddle’s favorite. With an orange and pink quadrille fabric headboard, it’s easy to see why. That eye-catching color is carried over to another bedroom with a matching orange vanity in the adjacent bathroom. These fiery orange accents are a fitting contrast to the calming blues that adorn the rest of the home—a nod to the classic relationship between fire and water, fierce heat and soothing coolness.

“It was important that we keep the design both cohesive, with all the bright colors going on, and also relaxed,” explains Liddle. “This family has a lot of house pride, and I wanted to honor that and make sure that they have a place they can escape to.” As a family home, it was important to both Liddle and the homeowners to create that joyful, happy feeling of a summer escape and really capture how the family lives and exists together in the space. 

“Right when you walk in, I wanted the statement to be, ‘This house is all about fun.’ You walk in through the mudroom—because the front door is too formal,” says the homeowner with a laugh, “and the surfboard sets the tone, hanging from the ceiling. You know that you’re in this fun, casual place. We have games all over the house, a fire pit, and we even turned the garage into a crossfit gym.”

The vibrant colors, and indeed vibrant personalities, that fill this home and turn it into a true island retreat are balanced against crisp, white tones throughout the home, bringing the design back to those clean, modern lines that the homeowner first envisioned. In the kitchen, deep blue Oomph light fixtures mirror the shimmery blues of Nantucket Sound and hang in beautiful contrast to the white marble countertops and cabinetry in the space. In the bathroom with the orange vanity, the atmosphere of the room is softened by white walls, counters and floors. The kelly green and turquoise banquette—practical for this active family in that the material is all indoor/outdoor—stands next to a beautiful white table. In this way, Liddle creates a colorful sanctuary that isn’t overwhelming: a space for both relaxation and fun, vibrant gatherings and tranquil Nantucket beach days—a space where the most intense shades of blues, oranges and greens can all coexist beautifully.

As with any beloved family home, the details are really what bring this space to life. “Nina was really great at understanding the scale that all of the different elements needed to be,” explains the homeowner. “She could just look at a space and know what would work.” A prime example of this is the fantastical lighting fixtures throughout the home, such as the Oly ball chandelier in the dining room, large enough to make a statement but not so big as to be overwhelming in the room.

“One element that was special to both myself and the homeowner was this hallway bookcase,” says Liddle. “We wallpapered the back of it with this navy vinyl wallpaper.” What better way to add creativity and personality to a space? That unique flare continues to the powder room, which features dynamic blue Phillip Jeffries wallpaper, and on to the living room, which boasts a dark-blue and purple coastal art piece that inspired the color palette for the rest of the room.

“When you walk into Nina’s design studio,” explains the homeowner, “she has all of these vision boards. I would come in and she’d have my house front and center with different vision boards for each room, each with different versions of ideas that she’d created from my suggestions.” It’s that attention to detail and ability to collaborate with the homeowner, involving the family in each aspect of the project, that makes Liddle such a successful designer. “There are all these layers of pieces that make it feel like a home, and she did a great job layering things in a way that makes the space feel really warm and beautiful. I just love it,” boasts the homeowner. 

“What I love most,” the owner continues, “is that the home has this Malibu, beachy vibe while still using these organic elements that make it feel natural.” The home is pretty, colorful and modern while still maintaining a respectful appreciation of the ‘Sconset area. “I didn’t want it to be so modern that it feels cold,” and cold is certainly not a word that could be used to describe this vibrant space. In fact, it is quite the opposite—bursting with color and warmth that makes it very clear the type of fun summer adventures that will be had and lasting memories that will be made here in this island paradise. A unique, modern twist on the classic tale of an island beach home, this home is where the ocean comes alive in the deep-blue lanterns in the kitchen, in the plum colors of the living room, in the teal banquette and on the walls of the powder room. It captures all of the emotion of the sea and the vibrancy of life on Nantucket.

Anthony Doerr writes about the sea: “It contains so many colors. Silver at dawn, green at noon, dark blue in the evening. Sometimes it looks almost red. Or it will turn the color of old coins. Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it, and patches of sunlight are touching down everywhere. White strings of gulls drag over it like beads. It is my favorite thing, I think, that I have ever seen. Sometimes I catch myself staring at it and forget my duties. It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel.” The ‘Sconset home that Liddle pulled together is like the ocean in this way—a place abundant in light and color, an escape to relax and enjoy oneself. Because why would you want to be anywhere else when you could relax in a colorful home in ‘Sconset?

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True Colors

This Provincetown condo is a work of art, capturing the spirit of its vibrant homeowners

Cookie-cutter. That’s a good way to describe Eric Alden and Ian Tzeng’s West Vine Street condo when they first bought it. Not that being cookie-cutter is inherently negative. All-white walls, an all-white kitchen—this clean, bright look is fitting of a Cape Cod summer home.

Still, this house was just too simple, too cookie-cutter. And Eric and Ian are anything but cookie-cutter. They’re fashion-forward, they like to dress boldly, and they love to travel the world—including to Provincetown. What they needed in their own Provincetown getaway was a space just as vibrant as they are, a space that was fun and carefree, and conducive to entertaining their many friends. They needed a space like their primary home in Boston, designed by Evolve Residential.

“You should see our house in Boston they did for us!” Eric quips, laughing, explaining the “eclectic chic” style of the home. “Our master bedroom is bright blue, we’ve got wallpapered ceilings, each stairway has a different color runner—it’s very colorful. I love it, and I told them I wanted Provincetown to feel like an extension of our house in Boston.” Josh Linder and Thomas Egan III, two of Evolve Residential’s three design principals, came up with a design plan that created a dynamic and energetic feel with injections of bold color in every space while maintaining a sense of comfort and usability. Layers of black, white and neutral textural elements are thoughtfully incorporated to ground and warm each room, balancing the moments of color while enhancing visual interest.

“We tried to be as artful as possible,” says Linder. “If you had strong colors everywhere, they might dominate and overwhelm the space, but by selectively and carefully choosing where these strong colors should go, it allowed us to be more vibrant and playful with the strength and depth of color.”

The interplay of color and texture might be most impactful on the first floor in the blended living, kitchen and dining room. What’s immediately striking is the pop of electric blue high-gloss painted cabinetry in the kitchen, set against a scene of black, off-white and gray furniture. “We say it’s like relaxation meets pop art,” Linder notes. The black-painted fireplace also draws one into the space, and adds architectural interest. Window sashes and doors throughout the home are also painted black. (Fun fact: Eric’s brother, Todd Sage, completed all of the painting in the home.) Against the wall opposite the fireplace is a custom, oversized dark-gray wingback. “We added in the pulled string button detail versus a classical tuft, just to add a little bit of artistry, and it’s a nod to the craftsmanship that goes into these pieces—emphasizing the handmade quality,” Linder says. Working within a limited footprint that required multi-use, it was also important to make the living area here feel as open as possible, and the addition of the wingback expands the space—as does the use of a custom light-gray banquette in the dining area. “By giving it the arched back it didn’t block the windows, and by making the bench seat tufted on all sides, it provided dimension and depth,” Linder explains.

A closer examination of the first floor reveals the great extent of textural detail. The ribbon nailhead trim that wraps around the perimeter of the sofa. The sculptural light fixtures above the kitchen island made of seatbelt-like material. The ant figurine atop the dry bar (a playful nod, says Linder, to the endearing quirkiness of Provincetown). These layers of texture, from Linder’s point of view, help to match the excitement created by the statement-making kitchen cabinetry.

Heading downstairs, a porthole-style window within the stairwell offers a sneak peak of colorfully cozy den, and creates the feeling of being transported into the cabin of a ship. As delightful of a gathering space as the first floor is, it’s hard not to want to retreat to the den and curl up on the wrap-around seating nook. Its midnight-blue bases and off-white French mattresses with a ticking stripe pattern promote relaxation, and there’s plenty of space for several guests to sit and chat—it can even be used as a sleeping quarter for an overnight guest. A multi-colored oval ottoman feels like dried paint to the touch, and adding to the artistic flair of this room, above the glossy red-orange desk, are two vividly detailed drawings of bees by London artist Ryan Chadwick. “In our Boston house, up to the sunroom, I had him do about 30 different-sized bees, so I have a whole bee wall. That was our little tribute to him and playing off our Boston house,” Eric says.

On the second floor, the master bedroom has its color moments in the lime-green ceiling and the deep-blue, linen-wrapped chest. A subtle yet well-executed design element here is the use of lines—in the pale-green stripped wallpaper, the woven black-and-white-stripped area rug, the navy flange that wraps the perimeter of the duvet cover, the rope-wrapped desk, the pom-pom trim detail along the leading edges of the drapery, and in the two watercolor wash paintings above the bed. “I love this combination of tailored but still playful,” Linder says.

Another artful nod to Eric and Ian’s Boston house is found along the wall of the stairway to the second floor. This contemporary art installation, by Christina Watka, is similar to one the artist did in the couple’s city home, and it can be interpreted in various ways—Linder sees it as barnacles, to Egan it looks like sea urchins, and Eric describes it as “little black pools.” The installation consists of clusters of ceramic and porcelain black pebbles that are matte glazed, some with an 18-karat gold finish. “We loved the beachy vibe it had for this house,” says Linder. “The motion and movement up the stairs is beautiful,” Eric notes.

Just down the hall is a gem of a powder room. It might seem odd to get excited about a half bath, but this one’s a real attention stealer, with three walls covered in camo-print wallpaper and another wall fully tiled. “It’s a cool combination of matte texture in the blues, and the lighter portions are all in this metallic silver, so it really adds a lot of dimension in the space,” Linder says. The industrial porthole-style mirror here is another play on a ship-like feel, and a reminder of Provincetown’s maritime roots.

No space went overlooked in this house, not even the space at the top of the stairwell leading to the third floor guest suite. Turn around on the third-floor landing and you’ll see leading up to the ceiling a full-length mirror, outlined in red paint and featuring the same nailhead perimeter trim of the sofa in the living room. Linder says he enjoys any opportunity he gets to incorporate dramatic mirrors to create depth of interest, and he found an opportunity again in the guest bathroom—the white coral reef design of this mirror similar to the one in the master en suite. 

The star of the guest suite, though, is the bed itself, conceptualized by Egan and constructed by builder Ellen Rousseau, who completed all of the interior trim work during the project. “What we designed is almost a traditional European or old New England alcove bed,” Egan explains. “It’s really the coolest guest bedroom you’ve ever been in. It’s like climbing up to a little tree house and having this secret canopy bed that you can disappear into.” Linder continues: “We took the same horizontal V-groove detailing in the den and created a whole bed out of it, both on the walls and the surrounding perimeter, and painted that all in dark black. And then there are these burlap curtains to the left and to the right so you can pull them closed and create a beautiful sleeping nook.”

“Creating this small space that’s like a little nook in the guest bedroom, it references the early style of how houses were made,” Rousseau notes. While the design of this condo is certainly contemporary, it was important to Egan and Linder to incorporate elements of traditional design throughout. “Josh and I have a deep respect for tradition and traditional forms,” says Egan. “We rarely do a house that’s ‘traditional,’ but if you look at this space—say the main living room—a lot of it consists of very traditional forms. The wingback chair is a traditional New England chair from the 17th century—we’ve just played with the proportions and the materials to make it into a contemporary chaise. The little banquette next to the front door at the table is kind of like a mini Chesterfield sofa.” Linder adds, “The painting of the sashes in the dark color, that’s a detail you see with historic houses all the time, but in this application it feels quite contemporary.”

Out front, the condo benefits from a generous-size terrace, with bluestone pavers, surrounding greenery and a boulder wall, completed by Megan Spoerndle of Stix and Stones Landscaping. The space feels like a continuation of the interior, with sculptural woven chairs and a sleek Blu Dot outdoor sofa. A perfect spot for entertaining (“Rose in the summertime and some music—it’s quite delightful,” Eric says), it’s also ideal for the couple’s two adorable dogs, Bella and Breaker.

For all parties involved in this project, it was one that left a lasting impression. “It’s been a fantastic journey,” Eric says of working with Josh and the Evolve team, noting how “effortlessly” they were able to translate he and Ian’s ideas into reality. “We were really inspired by working with Eric and Ian because they have such fantastic personal style, and it was really easy to get excited about that and interpret it in this space,” says Linder. 

“I love that so much of the aesthetic of this project is very ‘now,’ yet it keeps in mind that we live in a seaside town,” notes Rousseau. It was Evolve who brought Rousseau onboard the project, and both Linder and Egan couldn’t be happier about that decision. “What we love about Ellen is that you can give her a drawing and some information on how you’d like something constructed, and she, without any oversight, will execute it flawlessly, exactly as we intended,” explains Linder. “Ellen understood our vision immediately,” Egan adds. “She’s the ideal person you want in that position but you rarely get.”

As Eric looks ahead to the upcoming summer season, he plans on spending as much time as possible in Provincetown. “When I open that door, it’s just automatic happiness,” he says. “Being able to provide a space for our friends to enjoy such a magical place with us has been a blessing.”

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