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Surfside Bungalow
Comes of Age

A tiny summer camp with incredible views becomes a comfortable year-round home.

Design:
D Neil Parent
General Contractor:

Kent Murphy, Inc.
Text & Professional Photography: Roe A. Osborn

When you think of Nantucket architecture, images of small cottages with steep roofs, silvery grey cedar-shingle siding and white washed trim are usually the first that come to mind. So “Nantucket bungalow” may seem like a contradiction in terms. But in 2005, that’s just what owners, Bill and Sue Carlson presented to architect D. Neil Parent, as a renovation project.

Humble house with priceless views

The Carlsons had owned the property for almost 20 years. Built in 1925, the original cottage was used mainly as a landing place for beach goers. Bill and Sue wanted to turn the little bungalow into an updated and roomier year-round home.

The long, narrow lot descends gently to Surfside Beach. A narrow plank walkway winds through the dunes dotted with rugosa rose and small scrub pines. Conservation restrictions limit the buildable part of the lot to the extreme northern end, which also happens to have the best views of the dunes and water.

The remodel turned the original single-story bungalow into a two-story house, with the first floor mainly for entertaining and family activities, and the bedrooms on the second floor. A large deck on the first floor expands the public areas to the outside.

Parent replaced the original detached garage on the east side of the house with an attached garage that blocks the noise and hub-bub of the nearby Surfside Beach parking lot. On the west side of the house, an outdoor shower and mudroom shield the public areas from nearby houses. These buffers also help to focus attention on the amazing views.

Upstairs, Parent squeezed in three bedrooms. A small private deck extends the living space of the master bedroom, which has the best views in the house. Each of the four bedrooms in the house has its own full bathroom with unique tile schemes finished beautifully by Housefitters & Tile Gallery of Nantucket.

Raising instead of razing

In most areas of the country, the original bungalow would have been considered a ‘tear down’—it would have been easier (but more wasteful) to destroy the house and start from scratch. But this humble little cottage was listed as an historic house on the island. ‘Tear down’ was not an option.

The first step was getting the old house on a new solid foundation. Parent commented, “With space being at a premium, a full foundation was a must.” But with no place to put the house while installing the foundation, the builders, Kent Murphy, Inc., had to have the original house lifted. With the little bungalow flying high in the Nantucket breeze, excavation and forming took place below. The house then landed back on its feet and rebuilding commenced.

Old bones in a new body

“That old bungalow had good bones,” quipped Parent. But with the footprint of the house expanded slightly and a second story added, those bones were about all that could be saved from the original house. To add the support for the second story, the old interior wall finish had to be removed and the framing exposed.

The Nantucket Historic District Commission (HDC) dictated that new exterior should have the same “flavor” as the original house. Parent arranged the main sections of the house roughly in an ell, as was the original structure. But he used multiple roof planes to deftly disguise and blend additional volume in a nod to the shingle-style homes from the last century.

The covered front porch is another classic bungalow feature, as are the tapered columns supporting the porch and garage. Parent maintained the same shallow roof pitch and wide eaves to foster the bungalow feel. The HDC allowed the same red roof as on the original. Murphy’s crew did a masterful job finishing the exposed rafter tails and beadboard sheathing on all the overhangs. In the end, the remodel actually ‘out bungalow-ed’ the original house.

A house that lives small

“It was a refreshing challenge to design a house with small spaces,” said Parent after completing the Carlson project. “With today’s houses routinely topping 10,000 square feet, it was fun fitting everything into a space under 2000 square feet.”

Parent used bungalow elements inside to make the house feel bigger. He kept the public spaces on the first floor wide open, so that even the office area in the back of the house is graced with ocean views. A living room, kitchen and dining room round out the first floor areas, with finished ceiling beams defining each area visually.

Craftsman-style columns support the ceiling beams that flank the dining area in the center of the house. Matching half columns run alongside the doors to the deck. Outside the deck posts carry the rhythm further and create a visual bridge between the interior and exterior.

The spatial challenges were even greater upstairs. Parent created visual space, but saved actual space by having the bedrooms open onto a stair landing. To keep the outside rooflines low, roof planes carry through to the bedroom ceilings. In two of the bedrooms, Parent turned the spaces under the roof planes into closets. Between the closets, he created window seats for an added note of intimacy in bedrooms already cozy because of their limited size.

Finishing off

Bold use of reds, blues and greens on the upstairs bedrooms’ walls add richness to the compact spaces, while white ceilings make the low ceilings seem higher. Interior designer, Jill Evarts, fashioned colorful cushions and pillows that harmonize beautifully with the wall colors. In the master bath, deep blue walls contrast and complement the natural stone tile.

The color schemes on the first floor are reversed. The walls are light and muted while dark blues lower the living room and dining room ceilings for a more cozy atmosphere on those stormy Nantucket days. On sunny days it’s almost impossible to stay inside as the white sands and blue water beckon with breathtaking vistas from every window.

Project Overview : Budget: $1.2 Million

• Add second story to 1925 bungalow

• Completely remodel first floor to create open floor plan

• Add multiple decks to ocean view side of house
• Maximize small living space with multiple built-ins

• Pour new full foundation

Visit our Where to Buy Section for information on purchasing products from this project.