This classic cottage, a few houses down from the beach, captures the epitome of what a casual beach cottage should be, open, warm, and inviting – with nothing so precious that you need worry about it as the kids run through the house. When the owner’s approached Laidlaw Schultz architects, they asked that we keep the feeling of the home but wanted it to suit their family’s needs – a few memorable bedrooms for the kids, a great master suite that captured the views to the ocean for the adults, and a living space that was easy and casual for all ages. The trick to the program was how best to expand the structure but keep the feeling of the original cottage, not an easy task. Ultimately the design landed on creating a two-story element which could house the master suite and garage but had the ability to step back from the street so it remained in scale with the original home. A porch off the suite helped to emphasis the breezy feeling they were after. The kid’s rooms were a simpler feat to tackle; the simple addition of a loft space for the kids opened up the bedroom and also created a memorable hideout, while a bright summery palette kept the feeling alive. Finally, the living space, largely untouched, was then furnished with a casual ensemble of furniture, giving the home the feeling of being decorated over years.
