Inspiration in bloom

Peter and Marsha Malone at their Harwich Port home on Sea Street. Photo by Paige Biviano

Inventive touches to a Cape Cod home lead to a successful business

Twenty years ago, Peter and Marsha Malone were like many young families who looked forward to the occasional weeks and regular weekends when they could escape to their small cottage on the Cape. Peter, who at the time was a financial executive at a high-tech company in the Boston area, and Marsha, who was busy raising three kids in South Natick, could never have envisioned the journey their life would take over the next couple of decades. It all started on a wintry Sunday as the Northeast braced for a snowstorm. Marsha, filled with wistful visions of warm Cape Cod days, made a call in response to a real estate ad for a Harwich Port house within walking distance to the beach. That call resulted in the purchase of an old sea captain’s house on Sea Street in Harwich Port.

Little did Peter know, the updates and improvements he made to their Sea Street home would lead to a new career. One of the first tasks involved replacing all of the windows in the home with larger ones to capture the spectacular view. Peter stood back and remarked to Marsha, “Something is missing. Windows need shutters.” Marsha was bemused, but Peter retreated to his wood shop in the carriage house at their home in South Natick and crafted a full set of shutters for their new Cape home. Once again, he stood back and considered his project. The shutters still felt unfinished. With a little ingenuity, Peter crafted a Cape Cod catboat to adorn the panel of each shutter. Finally he was content.