The homeowners of this waterfront site aimed to create a family compound, serving as a summer getaway for both older and younger generations. Complete with boat dock and ample space to spread out, their desired retreat, comprised of two primary structures, flips the typical orientation of the main house and guest house, with its smaller “Bluff Cottage” built directly on the view.
The main house is dedicated to entertaining an extended network of family and guests. Four “primary” suites extend to the corners, while a great room, kitchen and sitting room are centrally located with access to the main level pool deck. The life room includes a large, vaulted ceiling with asymmetrical “saltbox” roof form and two-sided fireplace opening onto the screened porch. Across the lawn, the cottage was re-imagined as a detached primary suite, granting the homeowners both autonomy and immediate engagement with the sea beyond. “Bluff Cottage” provides everything the homeowners might need when they are visiting alone or retreating from the day’s activities, while the main house provides amenities of a boutique inn, with large spaces for cooking, gathering, work and celebration – all with the privacy and convenience of its adjacent location, as well as access to activities along the shoreline, where an existing boathouse was refurbished to provide yet another layer of waterfront hospitality.