Big Ideas for a Small Space

Cape Cod Home  /  Autumn 2015 / ,

Writer: Mary Stanley / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

Big Ideas for a Small Space

Cape Cod Home  /  Autumn 2015 / ,

Writer: Mary Stanley / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

A resourceful architect builds his own home on a challenging Osterville space by thinking outside the box and making the most of nature’s whims.

Photo by: Dan Cutrona

The large French doors at the back of the home directly across from the front entryway not only create a spacious feeling in the home, but also allow for cross breezes to blow through, offering cool relief on even the warmest July day. “When designing the house, I thought about how I wanted to experience things,” Bereznicki says.

The exterior of the octagonal bay window with the cupola at the top gives the appearance of a lighthouse, offering a charming nautical element, while the interior of the window brings a feeling of spaciousness to the room. The second level of the bay window in the master bedroom, along with the vaulted ceilings in the cupola, slightly mimics a ship’s prow.

Another design element that is as functional as it is beautiful is the stone chimney. Built by Lew French, who Bereznicki refers to as “the mason to the stars,” the stone structure is an impressive exterior piece of sculpture, which also happens to serve as the home’s chimney.

Mary Stanley

Mary Stanley worked as the sales and marketing coordinator for Cape Cod Life Publications from 2013 to 2016, writing advertising pieces as well as feature articles for both Cape Cod HOME and Cape Cod LIFE magazines. Prior to that, she was the senior reporter for Sandwich Enterprise Newspapers. She currently works as the public relations and marketing coordinator for New England Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.