USA Houzz Tour: A Martha’s Vineyard Renovation Preserves Memories
The granddaughter of this home's original owner enlisted an architect to update a family's beloved island holiday house
After making many fond memories with her late grandmother – the home’s original owner – in this house on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, USA, the owner was ready to transform it into a holiday retreat for her own growing family. Over the years, the home had undergone small renovations and one major one that turned the upper floor into a separate rental apartment. To reclaim that space for bedrooms, she enlisted the help of LDa Architecture & Interiors.
The region’s comparatively tight lot didn’t leave much opportunity to expand the house. To gain more headspace on the second floor, Sheffield designed four dormer windows (two are seen here, and two are on the other side). “The dormers capture more light and headroom upstairs, as well as add a bit more architectural character that the house was lacking,” he says.
Another way Sheffield expanded the space was by creating a new dining porch, with cedar posts and beams, where an unsightly bulkhead to the cellar used to be. The deck has a trapdoor that replaced the bulkhead, allowing the homeowners to store kayaks beneath the deck. He also added an outdoor shower – a must-have for an island getaway – just to the right of the porch.
Local company Wild Violets installed new landscaping, which looks as though has been growing here all along. The garden has a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard look, complete with hydrangeas and otherwise mostly native plants. The step between the porch and the outdoor shower is a rock from the island.
Another way Sheffield expanded the space was by creating a new dining porch, with cedar posts and beams, where an unsightly bulkhead to the cellar used to be. The deck has a trapdoor that replaced the bulkhead, allowing the homeowners to store kayaks beneath the deck. He also added an outdoor shower – a must-have for an island getaway – just to the right of the porch.
Local company Wild Violets installed new landscaping, which looks as though has been growing here all along. The garden has a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard look, complete with hydrangeas and otherwise mostly native plants. The step between the porch and the outdoor shower is a rock from the island.
The original enclosed front porch also serves as a guest bedroom thanks to a versatile daybed. Sheffield insulated and heated the porch so the family could use it during year-round visits. He also removed the flat ceiling and instead, vaulted it up to the roofline.
Because of previous renovations, the existing house featured a hodgepodge of carpentry work that wasn’t worth preserving. For a more cohesive look, Sheffield used shiplap with six-millimetre reveals between planks in strategic spots around the house, including the ceiling and walls here.
“The spaces in the house are small, so we avoided the use of layered materials, as that would have made the rooms feel confined,” he says. “However, the one layer of shiplap works well – when used strategically – to give certain key spaces a sense of identity, something that they didn’t have previously.”
Find an architect near you on Houzz to discuss your home renovation
Because of previous renovations, the existing house featured a hodgepodge of carpentry work that wasn’t worth preserving. For a more cohesive look, Sheffield used shiplap with six-millimetre reveals between planks in strategic spots around the house, including the ceiling and walls here.
“The spaces in the house are small, so we avoided the use of layered materials, as that would have made the rooms feel confined,” he says. “However, the one layer of shiplap works well – when used strategically – to give certain key spaces a sense of identity, something that they didn’t have previously.”
Find an architect near you on Houzz to discuss your home renovation
Throughout the main level are the home’s original heart-pine floors. Some had been covered up with linoleum, and the porch floor had been covered with AstroTurf.
“My client had a childhood memory of a floor painted baby blue out here,” says Sheffield. When the team ripped up the AstroTurf, dark green floorboards were revealed, except for one corner where the original baby-blue paint peeked through. He was able to match it to bring that memory back to life.
Where needed, Geoff Kontje of 41 Degrees North Construction wove in pieces of heart-pine floorboards salvaged from the second floor. He then replaced the flooring on that level with fir.
“My client had a childhood memory of a floor painted baby blue out here,” says Sheffield. When the team ripped up the AstroTurf, dark green floorboards were revealed, except for one corner where the original baby-blue paint peeked through. He was able to match it to bring that memory back to life.
Where needed, Geoff Kontje of 41 Degrees North Construction wove in pieces of heart-pine floorboards salvaged from the second floor. He then replaced the flooring on that level with fir.
Sheffield had these two original interior windows that open to the entry porch restored on the island. “They have that great old wavy glass we were glad to be able to save,” he says.
In the kitchen, the architect repeated the front door’s Naval colour on the kitchen island, adding a subtle nautical touch. The rosewood-topped island bench contains a wine fridge and a microwave. The cabinetry is crisp and classic Shaker-style, and the perimeter benchtops are leathered Jet Mist granite that resembles indigenous stone found on the island. Clear light fixtures maintain a visually uncluttered space, while the matchstick blinds and bar stools add beachy textures.
“The homeowner had wonderful memories of baking with her grandmother,” says Sheffield. “She allowed us to remove a large walk-in pantry that brought back memories of this to allow for a larger kitchen, so we created a baking station in the cabinetry where she could continue that tradition with her own children.”
“The homeowner had wonderful memories of baking with her grandmother,” says Sheffield. “She allowed us to remove a large walk-in pantry that brought back memories of this to allow for a larger kitchen, so we created a baking station in the cabinetry where she could continue that tradition with her own children.”
Shiplap reappears in the kitchen as a backdrop for pot rails. “The shiplap is not a one-trick pony. Not only does it create an identity of the space itself, [but also] the material plays a role in stitching a sense of place as you move through the house,” says Sheffield.
This image shows the relationship between the kitchen and the new dining porch. The door on the left swings out for easy access, while the three doors on the right fold accordion-style to create a wide opening between indoors and out.
Although the house now has air conditioning, Sheffield designed the home’s windows and doors so the family can cool the house with island breezes as often as possible. The opening features a screening system by Centor that pulls open from side-to-side and slides into wall pockets when not in use.
Although the house now has air conditioning, Sheffield designed the home’s windows and doors so the family can cool the house with island breezes as often as possible. The opening features a screening system by Centor that pulls open from side-to-side and slides into wall pockets when not in use.
A barn door on the dining porch slides over to enclose the outdoor shower.
“We wanted to create a special moment that gives the outdoor shower a bit of character, but also makes it easier to pile a bunch of sandy little kids in for a hose-off,” says Sheffield.
“We wanted to create a special moment that gives the outdoor shower a bit of character, but also makes it easier to pile a bunch of sandy little kids in for a hose-off,” says Sheffield.
In the indoor dining room, an existing corner cabinet holds sentimental value for the homeowner. The back of the corner cabinet and a dining room bar cabinet (not shown) are two other places where Sheffield worked in the Naval paint.
The chandelier is a vintage find that nods to the home’s age.
The chandelier is a vintage find that nods to the home’s age.
This bathroom on the first floor serves as both the powder room and the guest bathroom. The team kept the finishes simple, with subway tiles on the walls, dark grey hexagonal tiles on the floor and Carrara marble, one of the homeowner’s favourites, on the vanity’s benchtop. Shiplap turns up again here in the form of wainscoting.
Thomas Paul’s Moby shower curtain is a fun reference to the animals that swim around the island and were a large part of its Native American and Colonial history.
Thomas Paul’s Moby shower curtain is a fun reference to the animals that swim around the island and were a large part of its Native American and Colonial history.
The stairwell is covered in shiplap and contrasts with the plasterboard to the right. The reveal around the top of the newel post echoes the reveals in the shiplap.
A new oval window lets natural light in over the stairwell.
The second floor had served as a separate apartment with its own entrance and kitchen. Now, it contains three bedrooms and one bathroom. In the new floor plan, the architect also designated a place for a ship’s ladder that could transform the attic into a sleeping loft, should the family need it in the future.
The second floor had served as a separate apartment with its own entrance and kitchen. Now, it contains three bedrooms and one bathroom. In the new floor plan, the architect also designated a place for a ship’s ladder that could transform the attic into a sleeping loft, should the family need it in the future.
“My clients wanted a ‘made on the island’ look for their vanity,” says Sheffield. It’s fir-topped with Carrara marble. Shiplap serves as the backsplash.
This image also shows the additional headspace added by one of the new dormers.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature of this renovated home? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More on Houzz
Fancy a peek inside another amazing home? Be inspired by this Singapore Houzz Tour: How Danish Design Inspired a 3-Bedroom Unit
This image also shows the additional headspace added by one of the new dormers.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature of this renovated home? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More on Houzz
Fancy a peek inside another amazing home? Be inspired by this Singapore Houzz Tour: How Danish Design Inspired a 3-Bedroom Unit
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young family based in Boston, USA, holiday here
Location: Vineyard Haven in Massachusetts, USA
Size: Three bedrooms and two bathrooms across 139 square metres
Architect: LDa Architecture & Interiors
The original exterior was charming, and the family wanted to preserve the look. The new exterior improvements included energy-efficient windows and doors, western red-cedar shingle siding, and an architectural shingle roof. The front door sports Naval paint by Sherwin-Williams, a detail that project architect Kyle Sheffield carried into the house in several key places.
Inside, little charm remained due to previous renovations, but Sheffield kept what he could during this down-to-the-studs renovation. Saving the original heart-pine floors, two original interior windows and a corner cabinet that had sentimental value helped maintain the wonderful spirit of the house.