Photo by Dan Cutrona

To further create a connection between the house and its seaside surroundings, a large deck, a three-season screened porch with a second-story deck, and several Juliet balconies were installed. “There are plenty of outdoor places to enjoy the views and summer air,” notes Smith. An in-ground pool is surrounded by a bluestone patio. The two-story pool house also offers Oyster River views and a stairway was added down to the river, allowing easy access to the water for swimming, kayaking, and sailing.

To create a more open floor plan, spaces were designed to easily flow into one another. A spacious living room with a barrel vaulted ceiling and eyebrow dormer access a large deck—perfect for summer dining. The gourmet kitchen and formal dining room share a double-sided fieldstone fireplace. American cherry floors run throughout the first floor, imbuing warmth and a sense of timelessness. To keep a traditional Cape feel in the home, the dining room offers Colonial Revival touches such as wainscot paneling, crown molding, and built-in benches. The room’s walls are finished in a robin’s egg blue and the formal dining chair floral upholstery plays off that color. The kitchen accesses an open deck through a set of French doors. An outdoor gas grill, just off the deck, affords another cooking option when the weather permits. Smith explains that he wanted the kitchen to have an early 20th-century feel so he chose an “unfitted” approach. “All the cabinets appear as though they are freestanding much like they would have been in your great grandmother’s house,” he notes. A large center island with a sink offers ample space for preparing meals for a crowd. The kitchen cabinets are painted butter yellow while the island and pot rack above are finished in rustic blue.