Houzz Tours
Top Ideabooks
Vacation Homes
Top Ideabooks
Houzz Tour: Cozy and Playful in Cape Cod
Casual comfort meets whimsical architectural features in this Massachusetts vacation home with eye-popping views
Houzz Editorial Staff
Houzz Editorial Staff More »
| Share: |
|
What to do with awe-inspiring lake views? Take advantage of them, of course, by filling just about every room with massive windows and French doors. That's what architect John DaSilva did to a stunning Cape Cod, Massachusetts, vacation home for a family of six. But he didn't stop there. Mixing elements from a 1920s bungalow, a Gothic Victorian and a classic Northeast lake house, the architect was able to nail the homeowners' wishes for a casual, comfortable and whimsical space.
What's more, the revamped house manages to fit comfortably into its surroundings by paying tribute to several different eras of classic Cape Cod architecture. "I'm an architect that prefers evolution rather than revolution," DaSilva says. "It was my hope to evoke historical architectural character, but in a fresh way."
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Lake Wequaquet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Who lives here: This is a vacation home for an active Massachusetts family of 6.
Size: 3,412 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
What's more, the revamped house manages to fit comfortably into its surroundings by paying tribute to several different eras of classic Cape Cod architecture. "I'm an architect that prefers evolution rather than revolution," DaSilva says. "It was my hope to evoke historical architectural character, but in a fresh way."
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Lake Wequaquet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Who lives here: This is a vacation home for an active Massachusetts family of 6.
Size: 3,412 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This Cape Cod home isn't near the ocean; it gets its beautiful waterfront views from one of the cape's largest freshwater lakes, Lake Wequaquet. The back of the house faces south across the lake, and the rooms, including this ground floor master bedroom, are flooded with sunshine and spectacular views. French doors in the bedroom open to a private terrace that leads down to a beach. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The children's rooms take up the entire second floor. There's a wide age range among the four kids, and they wanted their own rooms with extra space for summer sleepovers with friends. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Like the master suite, the children's rooms open to the lake. Windows cover the top and bottom floors on the back of the house — even wrapping around corners — to take full advantage of the view. A single upstairs bathroom was split into two separate spaces so two kids can use the bathroom at once. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| All of the living spaces open to a main terrace overlooking the lake. And a screened-in porch off the dining room and kitchen allow the family to enjoy the outdoors year round. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
DaSilva used the home's unique architecture to create an "air of enchantment," he says. A bridge that winds down from the master terrace to the private beach brings this approach to life with a functional design.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
DaSilva created the terraces to capitalize on outdoor enjoyment in response to the site's sloping topography, which, while it leads serenely down to the beach, kills most of the usable backyard space.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| DaSilva built four outdoor showers with an initial for each of children's names. Nearby access to the mudroom and basement makes it easy to get back into the house without making a mess. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The heavily wooded site and history of the area inspired parts of the home's exterior. Victorian architectural elements, like the Gothic arches on the front entrance, evoke a fairy-tale vibe in the forest-like setting. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| But the home's material palette, including the green shingles for the roof and unpainted weathered white cedar for the other shingles, blends into the environment and feels more like that of a classic Northeast lake house. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The interior, meanwhile, has a distinctly different feel from the exterior. Bright and airy, the open floor plan gains definition through ceiling changes, floor patterns and columns. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The architect designed the overscale and flattened forms of the staircase to add another playful facet. The family chose a ceramic tile instead of hardwood as a durable and easy-to-clean flooring solution.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Since this is mainly a vacation home that often hosts guests, the homeowners wanted a kitchen that could survive big parties. An efficient layout, a big Viking stovetop and plenty of granite counter space make entertaining a cinch. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Multiple nooks, like this one in the living room, create cozy respites in the otherwise open layout.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
In this unique nook, a custom rainbow quartzite fireplace surround makes for a contemporary contrast against the Cape Cod–style beadboard wall.
Ideabook published on Feb. 13, 2013.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
basements · bedrooms · dining rooms · entries · family rooms · garage and sheds · halls · home offices · landscapes · laundry rooms · powder rooms · wine cellars and more.
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Design-build Firms · Fireplaces · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Interior Designers & Decorators · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Landscape Architects & Designers · Landscape Contractors · Specialty Contractors · Tile, Stone & Countertops
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis
http://www.kadrium.ca/
I also grew up around wealthy people, but they lived in homes that stayed the same for generations, and for that reason, did not raise everyone's property taxes. In my hometown on the Cape, most new money families now build these outrageous homes then sell them for something bigger in about 2-5 years. My family is left with an insane tax bill. By the way, I work long and hard too...but will not be able to live where my family has lived for generations because of all this need to have bigger, better than everyone else and the need to show it all off...
@capegirl60 I can understand your feelings. Here in Toronto happens the same thing. My co-worker was devastated that property taxes for her small house were raised according surrounding mansions and soon they could be "squeezed out" of the nice area they lived for many years. She didn't care about re-sale price. Harsh reality, poor people.
Another irony is that even though there is a lot of talk about sustainability, recycling, green initiatives, etc., these homes are a far cry from using resources wisely. I've seen homes that are only a few years old torn down because they aren't big enough, and all the fairly new building materials sent to a landfill. It's incredibly wasteful.
The property tax issue is another huge sore spot, especially here in NY. Even in suburban communites as opposed to vacation areas, residents who've lived here all their lives have to move because the property taxes have gone sky high due in part to the overbuilding. (The other reason is the ridiculous school taxes, but that's another discussion for another day!)