Shor Sophistication

A Provincetown condo’s interior by Shor Home Furnishings combines an ambiance of relaxed fun with seaside flair.

Photography by Eric Roth

When Rob McBride and Scott McCoy purchased a charming little house in the new Herring Cove Village community in Provincetown, they needed some guidance on how to transform the bare interiors into their personal space. “Rob and Scott walked into the shop and were looking for wallpaper for their master bathroom,” recalls Herbert Acevedo, owner of Shor Home Furnishings, a home furnishings and interior design shop on Commercial Street in Provincetown. “We began looking at a few selections, and during the process, they asked if I could help with the outfitting the rest of the house,” he says.

Herbert and his new clients decided on a paper called “Sand Shells” from the Thibaut Boathouse Collection, which was fitting for the house’s seaside location. A simple trip to choose bath wallpaper turned into a much more extensive endeavor for the couple and Herbert. After choosing the paper, Rob and Scott asked Herbert to design the rest of the interiors spaces in their rather empty getaway home. Herbert soon came to see the rest of the house.

“The new single-family townhouse is part of a condominium community, and its design follows the vernacular house style of the region—there is even a cupola,” notes Herbert. “It has great bones, is well constructed, and has good finishes.” The house is compact and vertical  with three floors. The main open-plan living space consists of the kitchen, dining area, and living room, centered around a soaring cathedral ceiling and fireplace. French doors lead to open-air porches off the living and master bedroom spaces.

Photography by Eric Roth

Once Herbert got the lay of the townhouse, he interviewed Rob and Scott on their lifestyle, finding that they love to entertain, cook, and watch movies on rainy days. The couple wanted to create a weekend house that reflected their lifestyle—a place that was relaxed and casual but with a crisp sense of style.

“They are very social and want to make friends and family feel welcome in a place where you can come and put your feet up. Along with a relaxed vibe, they also wanted a pulled together look for the interiors,” notes Herbert. “They didn’t want stark modern rooms, but rather a collection of contemporary and vintage elements to give the house a distinct personality.” The central idea was to create practical interiors with a little sense of drama in the mix. Herbert also worked with couple’s favorite colors and materials. “They definitely wanted fabrics that were easy-care,” the designer notes.

Once he had a strong idea of what the couple wanted, Herbert went to work selecting a sampling of paint colors, fabrics, wall finishes, and accessories to present to the client—many of which came directly from his shop. “Provincetown is a historic seaside town and I like to keep that historical perspective in mind when designing interiors—I want the rooms to reflect a sense of place,” says Herbert. “We chose a natural earthy palette, and subtly introduced hints of the sea in the way of accessories, artwork, and patterns.”

For the living room, the interior decorator washed the walls in “Limestone” paint by Benjamin Moore. Above the fireplace, he chose an accent paper by Paloma Picasso called “Gazelle.” The custom contemporary bench sofas are easy-care, faux ultrasuede in a deep brown. A hint of the coast is given with the sea grass cubes in the center of the sitting area. Crewel turtle accent pillows grace the couch.

To give the home a sense of fun and flair, Herbert combined interesting pieces and textures together. “It really depends on what look the client is going for in the house,” he says, “but it is always fun to bring in an element of surprise.” The small-mirrored and nickel-plated “Martini” table offers a reflective surface and harkens back to the 1920s art deco era.

Photography by Eric Roth

The builder had installed cherry kitchen cabinets, so Herbert played off that color in the dining and kitchen area. Pendant lighting also chosen by the builder was left intact. The decorator chose an imported elm dining table and surrounded it by woven sea grass chairs. Vintage Chinese stools found at WA in Provincetown are set under the kitchen island for a more casual dining experience.

The same “Limestone” paint color is carried through to the kitchen and dining area. The house also has great natural light that floods the living spaces through French doors and large windows. To maximize on the sunlight, Herbert opted not to introduce window treatments into the main living spaces. “We wanted to keep the look clean and simple—not too fussy,” he explains.   

In the more intimate spaces, Herbert maintained an earth-tones color palette. The master bedroom is painted two-tone above a crisp white chair rail. Herbert chose the same “Limestone” shade as in the main living area, cooled down on the lower portion of the wall with a subtle taupe. The duvet, pillow shams, and the casual café curtains are a handsome check and crème brulee pattern on linen. A rug by Delos has a breezy yet subtle pattern of sand dollars, reflected in the bedroom’s soothing artwork. A serene water scene hangs above a club chair, while an image of starfish and sand dollars hangs above the bed.

The guest rooms are painted in “Eucalyptus leaf” and “Limestone,” continuing the earthy, comforting ambiance of other interiors. Seaside touches continue throughout such as on the duvet in the larger guest room with a sea creature’s motif. Whimsical barnacle lamps also play into the subtle sea theme. For a touch of fun and flair, mirrored side tables also reflect the Art Deco era found in the living room Martini table.

“Rob and Scott were great to work with—they knew what they wanted for their vacation house and just needed help executing it all,” says Herbert. Today the couple visit as much as possible, knowing when they arrive they will be surrounded not only by the beauty of Provincetown and its sandy beaches but also by their relaxed and soothing—yet sophisticated—second home.