Dreamy Cape Cod Shingle Style Home

On a waterfront lot in Buzzards Bay, part of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Dewing and Schmid Architects designed the most amazing home.

The family wanted a compound and they created a perfect retreat. A main house has five bedrooms with a two car garage and apartment above the garage, as well as a pool and pool house/guest house.

Every room has direct views of the water and the shingle style house is designed with a wonderful abundance of porches to capture the spectacular views. Notice the covered porch on the second story to the right.

Here is a closer look. What an amazing view of the ocean!

Interior Designer, James Radin choose the gorgeous muted color palette. Soft blue accents in antique glass seltzer bottles and glass buoy floats compliment the blues of the ocean views. I love the step down dining and living areas.

Dewing and Schmid Architects are masters at creating wonderful nooks to capture views and provide an oasis for quiet moments of reflection, like this built in desk with porthole window.

Bathrooms are equally muted relying on the beauty of marble to speak for itself. Notice the curve of each vanity – almost as lovely as the ocean view.

No family compound is complete without a stunning pool/guest house. Again designer, Radin, keeps the palette soft and neutral so as not to compete with the lovely architecture or the views.

Finally a view of the pool – I know you'll agree this home adds to the beauty of Cape Cod. To learn more about this house click HERE. To see more of Dewing and Schmid Architects click HERE.

(all photos Dewing and Schmid Architects – Content property of Willow Décor and not to be copied with out permission)

Traditional Minimalism

Recently Traditional Home interviewed James Radin, an interior designer and set designer for the popular movie "Something's Gotta Give". They discussed his idea of "traditional minimalism." Here is what he had to say:

The key is to start with the interior architecture — cabinetry, moldings, the physically immovable part of the whole thing. A lot of great old houses were very rich in wall and ceiling paneling, interesting floors. Even the pantries would have great detailing like beautiful tiles. Get the interior architecture right, and then fill in with comfortable furnishings.

That restricted sort of palette is conscious. The initial impression is that it's plain, but it's a house that slowly reveals itself to you — so it stays interesting when you live there. There are a lot of subtle variations in textures and colors — mostly blues, whites, beiges — and lots of different patterns in the fabrics, the rugs, the spongeware. That's what saves it from blandness and makes it come to life. Often when people decorate with the blue-and-white look it fails, because it's just blue and white. It's like dressing all in black. It works if there's black patent with black silk with black wool...the subtle variations that I mentioned
The main thing was that they wanted comfortable, easy, usable rooms. Nothing formal. In the living room, we have elegant wood paneling, but an eclectic mix of furnishings — all slightly mismatched — to take away any stuffiness. You'll see that the master bedroom has a touch of formality to it. We were after a crisper, dressier effect there. It's a little fancier than anything downstairs because it's more private, so things could be more fragile.

All photos Traditional Home

The clients wanted the look of an old-fashioned country kitchen, so we used old-style lights, bead-board on the ceiling, elaborate crown molding. I've done this kind of kitchen 50 times, and one day I asked myself, 'What is it that makes it work?' And I think it's about the underlying quality — the nickel faucets, the Carrara marble, and so forth. Each thing is so carefully considered. And it's also about the simplicity. It's very controlled, not tchotchked-up.

Thanks James Radin -what a lovely home!