Mill Pond House

by Joseph B Lanza Design + Building

For this house overlooking a salt water pond, my clients wanted a cozy little cottage, but one with an open floor plan, large public rooms, a sizable eat-in kitchen, four bedrooms, three and a half baths, and a den. To create this big house in a small package, we drew upon the Cape Cod tradition with a series of volumes stepping back along the edge of the coastal bank. From the street the house appears as a classic half Cape, but what looks like the main house is only the master suite. The two “additions” that appear behind it contain most of the house.

The main entry is from the small farmer’s porch into a surprisingly spacious vaulted stair hall lit by a doghouse dormer and three small windows running up along the stair. The living room, dining room and kitchen are all open to each other, but defined by columns, ceiling beams and the substantial kitchen island. Large windows and glass doors at the back of the house provide views of the water.

Upstairs are three more bedrooms including a second master suite with its own fireplace. The extensive millwork, trim, interior doors, paneling, ceiling treatments, stairs, railings and cabinets were all built on site. The construction of the kitchen was the subject of an article in Fine Homebuilding magazine.