If houses could talk, this little antique beauty in Bay Head, New Jersey, would have a bundle of stories to tell. The two-story cottage, built in 1894, had been a testament to generations of families when Trish and Rick Lynn purchased it 12 years ago as a summer home. Since then, the couple has overseen five gentle renovations, growing the house to suit their family, which includes three daughters. With each renovation, the home becomes dearer.
“Every renovation was for our growing family,” says Trish Lynn, the founder of Colette Interiors in Chatham, New Jersey. “I would ask myself, first thing, are we maintaining the integrity of the original house? I want it to feel authentic to what it is.” When the couple purchased it, the cedarshingled house had a bathroom on the first floor and another bath on the second floor but with just a clawfoot tub. The couple borrowed space from a large adjacent bedroom to enlarge the room and add a shower. Another renovation added a screened-in porch. This turned out to be the best thing they could have done for their family. “It really expanded our living space; we spend practically all our time there,” Lynn says.
Other adjustments included repurposing what was a formal dining room and expanding the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a small guest room with glass French doors, a bath, and a mudroom. A quietly elegant staircase, which leads to three bedrooms and the bath upstairs, starts at the home’s front entrance, offering what Lynn calls an “entry moment.” It is just one of the many places that reflect Lynn’s artistry in creating interiors. Lynn’s experience operating her interior design firm—her clients have homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut—shows throughout the home. Woven through her work is a special love of architectural drawing; she spent time in Spain in a study abroad program, where she drew classical architecture, a time she fondly remembers.
Creative and cozy, the home’s interiors have a sublime mix of modern and classical notes. “I wanted to take a cue from the original house,” Lynn says. “I also took a lot of cues from the ocean influence.” The interior’s style includes a foundation of neutrals, with generous swaths of wood including oak, ash, and walnut, crafted into tongue-and-groove walls and beadboard, a hint of the boats in the bay. Floors are primarily limestone and marble. In the upstairs bath is a gleaming ceiling of Zellige Moroccan subway tile.
Reaching into the local community gave the family important direction. Before launching the first renovation, Lynn connected with two local experts: PDR Architecture and Baine Contracting, both in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It was essential, she says, to work with experts in old homes and local building codes. Lynn’s expertise is front and center in the home’s furnishings. Most of it is new furniture, including a custom sofa by Verellen and a pair of woven swivel chairs by Palecek in the living room. Special antiques blend in beautifully: a vintage rocker in the guest room, side tables in the family room. In the kitchen, the eye goes immediately to the cabinetry, built by Wydian Kitchen in a subtle color that Lynn calls “greige”—a blend of beige and gray.
The interior’s color palettes are finely wrought shades just nontraditional enough to catch the eye. “It’s mostly an organic aesthetic,” Lynn says, “with a bit more color than I sometimes do.” The children’s rooms have swaths of plum and peach shades; calming palettes of blues and greens pop up throughout the home. Here and there are paintings by local artist Theresa Losa, and special pieces of pottery by Source and Tradition Pottery.
The most important room for the family is a screened-in side porch, which looks over the green yard and is anchored with an L-shaped sofa in a blue shade. With a TV, kitchenette, grill, and dining space, the space is an ideal place to gather in warm weather. “We spend all our time here,” Lynn says. “The frequent southern breeze off the ocean makes it very cool.” The street-facing front porch offers another comfy escape, with beautiful wooden rocking chairs and a swinging porch bed, all by Serena and Lily. The floor is durable ipe wood (Brazilian walnut).
Through five renovations over a timespan of 12 years, the home continues to retain its comfort and artful air; as Lynn says, she was aiming for a “carefully collected interior.” “It was a challenge, but something I thrive in,” Lynn adds. And she and her husband are not quite finished. They are beginning another project: turning the garage into a small cabana house. Says Lynn, “it will be a place for the kids to spend time.”
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