130_SUM20

Serenity Now

Cape Cod Home  /  Summer 2020 /

Writer: Brenna Collins / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

Serenity Now

130_SUM20

Cape Cod Home  /  Summer 2020 /

Writer: Brenna Collins / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

With the design plans in place, Mike Nardone, owner of MJ Nardone Building & Remodeling, stepped on as builder. “I was there throughout the project, ensuring that the concept that the architect envisioned and the design that the interior designer created came together smoothly. It was a great job all together,” Nardone says. “Initially, getting those pilings in to lift the home was actually a great process. It is all engineered and set out with a perfect plan, it just takes some time,” he adds.

Irina MacPhee, President of Pastiche of Cape Cod, and Adin Weatherley, co-designer, joined as interior designers just after the framing was complete. Collaboration between the team was key throughout the process. As they perfected every corner, they joined forces to select the best materials, hardware, and finishes. “The proof is in the product,” Jeff Robinson says. To any beholder, the result is a perfectly scaled, expansive dream, thanks to the extensive planning and forethought.

For Tolley, it is the exterior that stands out. “For me, I love what we were able to do with the outside. Nobody would know we were limited to this small footprint when we started. I’m particularly proud of the way we were able to treat the outside by breaking up the massing and adding such detail. There’s stone and different siding materials, we used clapboard and shingles all the way around, and glass railings on the decks. It’s a little bit of everything, and it all came together to produce a really nice final product,” Tolley comments. From the beach, the expansive windows and decks on the first two stories, as well as the ‘port hole’ windows up top, establish the home as inviting, bright, and spacious. In the front, the combination of siding materials is a visual masterpiece.

For the interior, Pastiche of Cape Cod created a serene, coastal atmosphere, aligning with Nancy Robinson’s vision. “I knew I wanted it light and airy, almost like a spa feeling with very calming colors. Irina worked her magic coming up with all of the colors I had envisioned. Every room is so calming and soothing. Of course, the view is too, but so are the colors that we chose,” Nancy comments.

Aside from color selection, the interior design process involved scaling the spaces for that airy feel. “They were into the open-concept living. We really translated how they live, their personalities, and what they wanted. It was a very collaborative effort with the architect and builder. Architects design from the outside in, and we design from the inside out. When you really embrace that and collaborate, it turns out just lovely. We wanted it to feel spacious and to accommodate a lot of people. That was a challenge for us because every inch mattered and scale is very important. We had to be careful that the rooms didn’t feel crammed. We wanted to ensure we kept the integrity of the place and what they wanted out of their spaces, so scale and storage were very important. We designed all of the built-ins and closets for that reason,” Irina notes. 

On the main floor, one space seamlessly flows into the next, with a wall of windows and sliding glass doors letting in the view and brightening the space. The grid ceiling adds texture and luxury, carrying the home’s blue and white hues upwards. Wrapping the entire space, wide plank wood floors create an easy, coastal feel. “I definitely love the whole open-concept of the eating area, the great room, and the kitchen. It is really wonderful,” Irina notes. Custom cabinetry lines the back walls, covered in Benjamin Moore’s beloved “White Dove”. The double  drawer French door refrigerator also blends with the cabinetry. Grounding the kitchen, an oversized island with a quartz counter looks out to the view. To artfully conceal the electrical, it was placed beneath the island counter and within pop-ups in the windows.

Brenna Collins