This Cozy Cape Cod Cottage Has "Nooks and Crannies Galore"

For interior designer Meghan Shadrick, the real challenge of renovating this Cape Cod–style cottage was knowing when to go all in and when to hold back. Parts of it needed a full gut reno (like the second floor), while other areas needed just cosmetic work (the family and living rooms). Some of these changes were made for the kind of unsexy practical reasons that give homeowners and contractors headaches: Shadrick, architect Joe Fournier, and builder Mike Pierce of Pierce Building Company discovered rotten floorboards, support beams sawed three-quarters of the way through, and ancient DIY solutions to structural problems. “There was a new curveball every week for many weeks once demolition started,” Shadrick says. “At one point, the builder said, ‘We’re lucky this house didn’t fall down on us.’” Luckily, the rest of the changes were the fun kind.

It was common for homeowners to do work on their Cape cottages back in the day. We were confronted with quite a few surprises behind the walls!

FAMILY ROOM

The aesthetic is cottage quirky with youthful additions.

“In this room, we married a beachy, vintage vibe with modern appeal,” Shadrick says. She also improvised: Where there wasn’t enough room in the wall to wire and install new lighting, Shadrick sourced plug-in sconces.

LIVING ROOM

The comfy leather sofa was a steal.

This room is “cozy, dark, and moody for snuggling in during the harsh winter months,” Shadrick says. The woven rush chairs add warmth and texture and match the whiskey-colored sofa.

KITCHEN

They splurged on custom cabinets.

The kitchen is where the homeowners made their biggest investment. “They are really into entertaining and cooking, and wanted the kitchen to be a workhorse hub of the home,” Shadrick says. “The cabinetry is custom, and we selected wire-brushed cerused white oak for the hood surround and island. “It really stands out in the space.”

Her biggest challenge was to work a range hood into the design despite a low ceiling height (it's 6'10") without making it look squat and puny. “That took some finessing,” she says. “We elongated the whole design and connect the flanking cabinets in the same finish to draw the eye out and around.”

DINING NOOK

This small space needed to seat a crowd.

“Banquettes work wonders when the dining area is small area and interferes with traffic flow in and out of space,” Shadrick says. Setting it off-center allows for a banquette and clears the way through the room.

BEDROOM

The low ceilings inspired Shadrick to get creative.

Upstairs, Shadrick describes the rooms as “a hodgepodge maze” of small bedrooms with low ceilings and a sloping roofline. “Nooks and crannies galore,” she says. “With rooflines, dormers, and many ins and outs, we created what feels like a nook for the bed setup.”

GIRL’S ROOM

Pattern drenching makes it feel bigger.

In a different house, this “pocket-sized” bedroom would have been a walk-in closet, but Shadrick put it to work as a charming child’s bedroom. “We decided to get into the weeds on details to make it feel intentional and special.” The width perfectly fit a built-in twin bed with a pull-out for overnight guests.

Shadrick is particularly pleased with the decision to paper the walls and ceiling. “It was the first time I used the same pattern on both, and I’ve since done this on other projects with great effect,” she says. “I think it works especially well in this house because it distracts the eye of the low ceiling height.”

BATHROOM

They wanted a tub and shower.

The zero-clearance shower is just a couple of feet away from the soaking tub, which essentially makes this bathroom one large wet room.

MUDROOM

The newer spaces needed patina.

This space, which is in a more recent addition, got a complete overhaul to make it feel consistent with the older parts of the house. The paneling was copied from the “irregular” built-ins in the family and living rooms. “I think it really lends a nostalgic feeling,” Shadrick says. “These are features that help tell a story of time and place, and it is usually what I’m trying to create in a new home.” Wallpaper on the walls and ceiling also helps this space feel taller.