“If you build it, they will come.” Borrowing from the oft-quoted line in Field of Dreams, the phrase perfectly captures this renovated Nantucket beach house, designed with one purpose in mind: gathering friends and family for effortless summer fun. The homeowners had enjoyed a more stately, family-friendly residence on Nantucket for years when the husband spotted a fairly remote property for sale on the island’s south-central coast. It scratched an itch. “I believe that he had always had this dream of a camp-style, classic, no-fuss beach house,” says Joe Paul, architect and co-owner of BPC Architecture with his wife, Irina. Initially less enthusiastic than her husband, the wife eventually embraced the idea and “really liked the vision of a beach shack in the dunes,” Joe adds. From that point forward, the direction was clear. Joe and Irina teamed up with builder Jeff Paul (Joe’s brother), his wife, Rachel, and interior designer Jayme Kennerknecht and her team, to create the ultimate summer entertaining retreat.
Perched atop a high bluff with sweeping 180-degree ocean views, the home sits at the end of a long, bumpy dirt road. Though it’s only a 10-minute drive from their primary Nantucket house, “they may as well be on different islands; they feel so different,” comments Joe Paul. Conservation land borders one side of the property, while only a scattering of neighboring houses can be seen in the distance on the other. The residence, originally composed of a main house and barn, was expanded to include a series of new indoor-outdoor destinations. The former barn was transformed into an ocean-view bar complete with a sink, refrigerator, ice maker, and fully stocked custom liquor cabinets. Together with a fully equipped outdoor kitchen and patio, the bar sets the stage for everything from casual gatherings to catered parties, both of which occur regularly whenever the weather invites outdoor entertaining.
A separate outbuilding with uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean was added as a private home-office retreat. Traditional wooden boardwalks connect the weatheredshingle-clad structures, while swaying beach grass completes the quintessential summer scene. As Kennerknecht points out, it is “a very layered home that has a lot of thoughtful destinations. It could be this grand-scale entertaining spot, but also there are great moments for little, private sanctuaries.” Inside, “the design goal was to reimagine the coastal vernacular; take it away from the traditional beach-house look, and bring it up to a sophisticated, high-capacity estate,” explains Kennerknecht. To underscore that vision, she notes that above the family-style dining table in the central double-height space, she “intentionally chose a Lindsey Adelman chandelier from the Knotty Bubble collection,” which combines hand-blown glass globes with looping, rope-like forms. “It is meant to serve as functional jewelry,” says the designer.
Despite the high-end interior elements, maintaining a relaxed atmosphere was essential. The intent was for guests to feel immediately at home. “The palette was meant to be easy on the eye,” shares Kennerknecht. “Riffing off the more traditional, expected vernacular, the finishes and materials are all this beautiful, weathered color—one we all understand to be coastal.” The first-floor primary suite sits adjacent to the dining room, while upstairs, two bunkrooms—mirror images of each other in oak and blue with black accents— comfortably sleep six guests apiece and include en suite bathrooms. Two daybeds positioned just outside the bunkrooms accommodate additional overnight guests. The palette here, says Kennerknecht, is “a little cheekier, with a little splash of color.”
Before the renovation, the second floor was one large open space that offered little privacy. Each of the new bunkrooms feature a floor-to-ceiling glass wall designed by Joe and Irina that allows borrowed light to filter through or, when curtains are drawn, separation from the rest of the second floor. “We added the two bathrooms on the second floor, and rotated and redid the one on the first floor,” explains Jeff Paul, who notes that the furnace and mechanical systems were also relocated to the basement to free up space for a powder room. A laundry room and two outdoor showers were added as well. “The only parts of the house that didn’t change much were the kitchen and island.”
Oddly enough for a house facing the ocean, the original second floor had no windows, doors, or decks overlooking the water, and the first floor offered only limited glimpses of the view. To strengthen the connection between indoors and out, the team added an observation deck accessed from the upstairs bunkrooms and hallway, along with new dormers that capture ocean vistas. On the first level, a previously open porch was enclosed to become the living room—a comfortable three-season space with glass panels along the front façade that can be opened to the breeze. “Even inside the dining room and kitchen you can look through that space and see out to the water,” says Joe.
The homeowners’ vision, paired with a talented team to bring it to life, transformed a funky beach bungalow into a one-of-a-kind property designed for hosting and entertaining. “We’re really happy for this client because it seemed like he was fulfilling a dream or childhood memory,” says Joe Paul. “I think he would agree with that, and he would add that he tries to impart that same memory on all the people he invites to share this space with him and his family.”
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