Owners of a thriving Nantucket construction company create their own dream home resulting in a showcase of luxury and craftsmanship.

Nestled among the serene coastal landscape of Nantucket, this luxury home stands as a testament to hard work and commitment to family. Constructed by the husband/wife team and owners of Bessey Construction, Inc., J.D. and Laura Bessey have created a residence where every facet has been thoughtfully designed with their family and friends in mind. And they’ve done it before. 

The powerhouse premier building team that are the Besseys have created this particular home design on island before—each time tweaking and evolving the home’s character—and each time, someone falls in love with what they have built and purchases it. Laura Bessey laughs, “Who wouldn’t want to buy the builder’s home?” This time, the home they’ve created is located in a newly developed area of Surfside, with close proximity to Nantucket’s south side beaches, bike paths, and popular island shopping and dining venues, making it a coveted locale. With no detail spared, from bespoke finishes to the state-of-the-art features that focus on wellness and leisure, the Bessey home combines elegance with a retreat style that allows them to enjoy the fruits of their hard work. 

The family is no stranger to hard work; Laura Bessey, raised on Nantucket, was in the Marine Corps when she met her husband, J.D. who grew up in Maine. She recalls, “I didn’t have a college education and J.D. had gone to trade school. Our work ethic is extremely high. I still had family on the island and we knew we didn’t want to live in Maine where we would have to take time off from building in the winter due to cold weather, so I convinced him to come here.” Her background as a Marine wouldn’t allow her to observe without getting fully entrenched in the business so J.D. put her on job sites where she learned how to build. “I was in the field for about 15 years, building homes with him and the crew and then I would go home at night, cook our kids dinner, put them to bed, and do all of the office work for the business,” she remarks. Now that their three children are grown and having children of their own, (the Besseys are grandparents to one grandchild and one is on the way) they are slowly but surely handing over the business to them. One daughter works in the company’s field operations while the other daughter handles interior design for the team, and their son is a builder, like both of his parents. 

In Sometimes Think of Me: Notable Nantucket Women Through the Centuries by Betsy Tyler, Nantucket historian and poet Mary E. Starbuck, “recognized the Nantucket tradition of independent women pursuing their own interests, writing, “Women did what they saw fit to do, and whatever it was, it was accepted without comment.” So too did Laura Bessey saying, “We have worked hard seven days a week, 24 hours a day, for years now, doing what we can do—and we’ve done well.” And with hard work comes the reward of being able to design a home for her growing family that reflects the common goal of making cherished memories.

The luxurious home features a network of tunnels (yes, tunnels) connecting its various extraordinary amenities—including a pool cabana outfitted with a complete kitchen, an elaborate gym, a steam bath, and a movie theater—the latter mostly for the grandkids to enjoy. “My home is designed for the purpose of well-being,” Laura Bessey states. Generous to a fault, the choices Bessey and her husband made for the home were chosen with their expanding family in mind, as well as their friends, and the year-round crew they employ, many of whom have been with them for decades. “It just made sense,” Bessey says matter-of-factly, “If we made something that size, it’s only right to share it. The gym, for example, is on the other side of the house so it has a separate entry that can be accessed from the outside. If my daughters and their friends want to come over and use it, they can.” 

With six bedrooms, one bunkroom, seven bathrooms and two half baths, the home truly is an “island retreat.” Designed with both leisure and wellness in mind, and Laura functioning as the interior decorator as well as a key member of the building team, the home seamlessly integrates convenience and comfort throughout. Laura’s aesthetic leans more toward a Bohemian style with natural elements and colors that embrace bringing the outside in. With an inherent eye for design, she begins with a focal point that is meaningful to her, “In one room I selected William Morris wallpaper that I love and then I mix textures and fabrics around it,” she shares. Whereas in another room which prominently displays a gold framed painting of what she calls a “grumpy bird” she chose bold colors of orange and green that play off that special piece that never fails to bring a smile to her face. Oftentimes island homes boast a coastal palette, whereas Laura prefers a more organic and unconventional path, selecting tilework, paint colors, patterns and artwork that speak to her and lead back to the overall feeling of comfort and wellbeing. 

On the lower level, her office is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass walls so she has a 360° view and can be aware of everything even while she is still working; another trait picked up from her time in the Marines she says. The design was also born of her love for the city of Boston. She says with a sigh, “I always wanted a loft in the midst of Boston—I love all the old brick and beams and industrial look. So I created this for myself.”

Every friend group has the home that is the landing spot, the one where it is an obvious choice to host parties and special events, and this home has certainly earned that special distinction. It’s as if the Besseys thought of everything—from outfitting each bedroom with an en suite, a coffee bar with a built-in Gaggenau coffee and espresso machine and accessories that your local java shop would, a sports bar-like area in the basement, sumptuous seating in the home movie theater or the five-star gourmet kitchen—to the unparalleled outdoor space that combines elegance and functionality. 

The fact that everyone wants to congregate at the Besseys is no more evident than in the showpiece that is the outdoor space. In the center of the backyard surrounded by natural stone, sits the custom built, 22’x50′ heated saltwater pool that has a separate 20 person hot tub, while off to one side of the beautifully manicured yard sits a pickleball/basketball court. A sunken cushioned seating area with a fire pit spares you from windy days and invites you to view a portion of the pool, aquarium style, through a glass wall. Bessey says the outdoor cabana with a full kitchen is utilized year-round. She shares, “We probably use it more than the kitchen in the main house!” With a Big Green Egg charcoal grill, a pizza oven, several commercial fixtures and covered outdoor seating, it only makes sense to gather outside and enjoy the fresh Nantucket air. 

Recently Bessey hosted a baby shower at the home and was able to watch her guests from a different perspective, she says, “I could observe where everyone congregated and how people spread themselves out in the space. Some were playing pickleball on the court and some were scattered around the pool. I had the glass doors wide open and it made me so happy because everyone used the different spaces. Nobody was stuck in one spot. We hosted people for the whole weekend and I loved how some would get coffee at the bar and find a space to read a book or others sat together and talked. It’s a family home and it’s to be shared with family.”  

Leslie Hatton is the assistant editor at Cape Cod Life Publications.