Exterior of the home at dusk, nestled into the wooded hillside with warm interior lighting

Modern Cape Retreat

LOCATION

Truro, Massachusetts

SERVICES

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Industrial steel staircase with cable railing beside a chartreuse accent wall

It began with an introduction at a gallery opening in Ptown. Former clients had good friends who owned a tiny summer cottage in Truro, with intentions of building a new home on the same site for year-round occupancy; something modestly scaled and attentive to the unique challenges of a site in a hollow, surrounded by national seashore land. The program was unique to the typical Cape home: 2 bedrooms, with a first-floor layout that accommodates aging-in-place for one of the client’s parents and for themselves many years down the road. A screened porch, an open steel stair, and a comfortable, functional kitchen were on the needs list from day one. As with all our designs, creating spaces that feel large while keeping the overall square footage as low as possible was also of utmost importance.

Although the site seemed sufficient, a steep slope coupled with existing structures, setbacks, and septic, made for a very tight set of parameters for building placement. In using the grade to our advantage, the dining space and guest wing are anchored into the hillside to the south, while the living space hovers above the ground to the north. With all but the master suite on ground level, the program allowed for playful building shapes and connections; Gentle metal roofs slope to open the spaces within, allowing light and a variation of open and compressed volumes.

The kitchen and screened porch became the heart of the home, with spaces radiating from that central point. The two-story dining space incorporates the desired celebratory stair and allows southern light from the second level to permeate into the building. Outdoor connection spaces are plentiful, including a west-facing deck, patio, master suite balcony, and a west-facing breakfast patio off the first-floor office/bedroom.

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Kitchen with wood cabinetry, blue island, and yellow-painted lower shelving lined with cookbooks
Kitchen island with blue cabinetry, wood countertop, and three wood-and-black bar stools
Open kitchen with a gray island, wood cabinetry, and a wall of windows overlooking trees
Open kitchen and living area with blue cabinetry, chartreuse armchairs, and a staircase beyond
Living room with a wood-burning stove, chartreuse chair, and a glimpse into a sunlit hallway
Open kitchen and dining area viewed from an industrial metal staircase
Living room with a gray sectional sofa, chartreuse armchair, and patterned area rug
Sunroom sitting area with a green armchair, black desk chair, and built-in bookshelves
Bedroom with a green rug, wood-paneled ceiling, and large windows overlooking trees
Bathroom with a freestanding tub, dark tile shower, and double vanity
Screened porch with a blue loveseat, patterned cushions, and folding glass doors to the kitchen
Exterior patio with wicker furniture and colorful cushions beside the home's shingled addition
Exterior of the home viewed across a gravel motor court, showing its stepped rooflines
Side exterior of the home with a shed roof and deck, set into a wooded hillside
Exterior of the home's upper level with a wraparound deck, set against a sandy hillside
Exterior of the home from the wooded hillside, showing its stacked massing and deck
Exterior entry of the home with a covered porch and gravel path
Exterior of the home showing its shed-roofed upper level and covered entry
Exterior of the home at dusk, nestled into the wooded hillside with warm interior lighting
Rear exterior of the home at dusk, showing tiered decks, a spa, and illuminated windows
Rear exterior of the home at dusk with lit interiors, tiered decks, and outdoor lounge seating

Project Highlights

  • Sited the home within a tight building envelope defined by a steep slope, existing structures, setbacks, and septic constraints
  • Anchored the dining space and guest wing into the hillside to the south, while the living space hovers above to the north
  • Designed gentle metal roofs to slope open the spaces within, allowing light and a variation of open and compressed volumes
  • Incorporated a celebratory steel open stair into the two-story dining space to bring southern light deep into the building
  • Structured the first floor from the outset to accommodate aging-in-place for the homeowners’ parents and eventually themselves
Screened porch with an orange chair, woven seating, and a wood-paneled ceiling overlooking the woods