Houzz Tour: 1950s Cape Cod-Style House Gets a Sustainable Update
A designer renovates a Maine waterfront cottage to emphasize energy efficiency, storytelling and vintage charm
Interior designer Stephen Peck doesn’t like to remain idle. A few years after moving from Miami to Maine, he earned his real estate license — just in time for the pandemic shutdown. This meant no networking, no open houses and not many opportunities to use his new license. So he decided to throw himself into a fixer-upper project. He scooped up a 1½-story Cape Cod-style house on the shore of the Presumpscot River in Portland and began crafting the New England story it would tell.
The design concept was to update the structure and focus on sustainability while ensuring the house fit into the neighborhood seamlessly. “The interiors were designed to feel like an older home with pieces collected over time, rather than feel like a new build,” Peck says. Shopping locally, he kept reuse in mind. He bought refashioned vintage light fixtures, went treasure hunting in local thrift shops and antique stores for unique items, sourced a marble remnant for a countertop and thought about how to use and repurpose items left over from the original house and his previous projects.
The design concept was to update the structure and focus on sustainability while ensuring the house fit into the neighborhood seamlessly. “The interiors were designed to feel like an older home with pieces collected over time, rather than feel like a new build,” Peck says. Shopping locally, he kept reuse in mind. He bought refashioned vintage light fixtures, went treasure hunting in local thrift shops and antique stores for unique items, sourced a marble remnant for a countertop and thought about how to use and repurpose items left over from the original house and his previous projects.
After: Peck worked with contractor Dan Kolbert, the co-author of Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes. “The book is about a movement toward smaller, healthier, more resilient, energy-efficient and low-carbon homes,” Peck says. Kolbert helped him figure out how to complete the renovation in a sustainable way. The construction limited waste and the house has a very tight envelope that makes it energy-efficient.
The new facade has Eastern white cedar shingles that will weather to deeper gray hues over time. Peck replaced the home’s windows with triple-pane, low-E2 versions with argon from Marvin. “The windows were sited and enlarged in order to maximize daylighting and minimize the need for artificial illumination,” he says. “This saved energy and has psychological benefits.” The new front door also lets in more light. (It also has a blind for privacy when desired.)
After consulting with Kolbert, Peck learned that rather than adding dormers to the existing roof, it would be best to replace it and extend it a few feet higher. The renovation brought in high-efficiency insulation throughout the house that contributes to the home’s tight envelope.
The landscaping also got a refresh, with a new picket fence that plays off a typical picket pattern. Look to the tops of the pickets to see the variation by Peck, who likes to make subtle changes to well-known patterns. The style adds visual interest and makes you look twice.
Paint: School House White (exterior trim) and Scotch Blue (front door), Farrow & Ball
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The new facade has Eastern white cedar shingles that will weather to deeper gray hues over time. Peck replaced the home’s windows with triple-pane, low-E2 versions with argon from Marvin. “The windows were sited and enlarged in order to maximize daylighting and minimize the need for artificial illumination,” he says. “This saved energy and has psychological benefits.” The new front door also lets in more light. (It also has a blind for privacy when desired.)
After consulting with Kolbert, Peck learned that rather than adding dormers to the existing roof, it would be best to replace it and extend it a few feet higher. The renovation brought in high-efficiency insulation throughout the house that contributes to the home’s tight envelope.
The landscaping also got a refresh, with a new picket fence that plays off a typical picket pattern. Look to the tops of the pickets to see the variation by Peck, who likes to make subtle changes to well-known patterns. The style adds visual interest and makes you look twice.
Paint: School House White (exterior trim) and Scotch Blue (front door), Farrow & Ball
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Inside, Peck furnished the home sustainably with lots of finds from local thrift shops and antique stores. He did so with storytelling in mind. “I altered and transformed the spaces to create a new experience,” he says. “I also wanted to add some New England kitsch.”
One of the themes that carries through the house is “shady ladies.” Peck wanted the home to have a historical feel with ancestors’ portraits on the wall, and he approached the idea with the kitsch aspect in mind. “They aren’t my ancestors, but they are someone’s. And they lend an air of depth, character and patina to the experience,” Peck says. “I tried to find portraits of women who looked stern and maybe a little off, where you could see they had depth and would want to know more about them.” One such lady hangs on the staircase wall. He also named them all — the staircase lady is now known as Edna.
The designer sourced almost all the light fixtures in the house locally from The Lamp Repair Shop. “The owner, Brian [Allen], takes pieces of old lamps, puts them together and rewires them into refurbished fixtures,” Peck says. These light fixtures help tell the made-up story of the home’s 70-year history and lend a layered-over-time look. Among them are the light over the table, which Allen fashioned from two vintage lamps, and the wall sconce by the front door. “You spin the wheel at the bottom to turn that on,” Peck says.
Another layered-over-time element was the use of shiplap in various places. Here, the designer used it to stand up to potential wear and tear along the staircase. Once again, he strayed from the typical pattern. “I used varying board widths to create some visual interest,” he says.
One of the themes that carries through the house is “shady ladies.” Peck wanted the home to have a historical feel with ancestors’ portraits on the wall, and he approached the idea with the kitsch aspect in mind. “They aren’t my ancestors, but they are someone’s. And they lend an air of depth, character and patina to the experience,” Peck says. “I tried to find portraits of women who looked stern and maybe a little off, where you could see they had depth and would want to know more about them.” One such lady hangs on the staircase wall. He also named them all — the staircase lady is now known as Edna.
The designer sourced almost all the light fixtures in the house locally from The Lamp Repair Shop. “The owner, Brian [Allen], takes pieces of old lamps, puts them together and rewires them into refurbished fixtures,” Peck says. These light fixtures help tell the made-up story of the home’s 70-year history and lend a layered-over-time look. Among them are the light over the table, which Allen fashioned from two vintage lamps, and the wall sconce by the front door. “You spin the wheel at the bottom to turn that on,” Peck says.
Another layered-over-time element was the use of shiplap in various places. Here, the designer used it to stand up to potential wear and tear along the staircase. Once again, he strayed from the typical pattern. “I used varying board widths to create some visual interest,” he says.
Before: Now that you’ve had a quick peek inside the front door, it’s a good time to understand the changes Peck made to the floor plan. Previously, there wasn’t much of a flow between spaces, and the route to the dining room, which was at the front of the house, was rather circuitous — you had to go from the living room to the hall to the kitchen to get to the dining room.
These plans also show the existing addition off the back of the house that connected it to the garage. “The way you entered this addition was weird, and it blocked off the views from the kitchen,” Peck says. “There was even an old entry off the left side of the kitchen that led to nowhere, as it had been covered up by cabinets. It was a no-entry entry.”
These plans also show the existing addition off the back of the house that connected it to the garage. “The way you entered this addition was weird, and it blocked off the views from the kitchen,” Peck says. “There was even an old entry off the left side of the kitchen that led to nowhere, as it had been covered up by cabinets. It was a no-entry entry.”
After: Rearranging the floor plan was a shuffle — only the kitchen and bathroom stayed in place. Peck moved the dining room to the front right side of the house where the living room had been. Then he moved the bedroom to where the dining room had been. He moved the living room into the bedroom’s former spot at the back of the house, then created a wide opening between it and the dining room for better flow.
As mentioned, he removed the existing addition and then added a mudroom entry off the back of the house. Removing the addition allowed for a new window in the back left corner of the kitchen and opened up views to the river. Now there’s a direct entry from the driveway to the mudroom and from the mudroom into the kitchen.
As mentioned, he removed the existing addition and then added a mudroom entry off the back of the house. Removing the addition allowed for a new window in the back left corner of the kitchen and opened up views to the river. Now there’s a direct entry from the driveway to the mudroom and from the mudroom into the kitchen.
The large opening seen here leads to the living room. The space on the left is a hall that leads to the bathroom and kitchen. “I had been collecting various photos for this family ancestral wall for a few years to create a sense of history and character,” Peck says. Again, technically they are all someone’s ancestors, just not his!
Another favorite local vendor of Peck’s is Bonny Read, conveniently located near The Lamp Repair Shop. He picked up the yellow chairs and the green tapestry there. The tapestry is by Hungarian midcentury designer Éva Németh. The dining bench is from F.O. Bailey Antiquarians in nearby Falmouth. The rug is jute, and Peck selected it not only for its coastal look, but also because it’s renewable and biodegradable.
Wall and trim paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball
Browse natural fiber rugs in the Houzz Shop
Another favorite local vendor of Peck’s is Bonny Read, conveniently located near The Lamp Repair Shop. He picked up the yellow chairs and the green tapestry there. The tapestry is by Hungarian midcentury designer Éva Németh. The dining bench is from F.O. Bailey Antiquarians in nearby Falmouth. The rug is jute, and Peck selected it not only for its coastal look, but also because it’s renewable and biodegradable.
Wall and trim paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball
Browse natural fiber rugs in the Houzz Shop
Before: This was the bedroom that became the living room. The floors in the house were in good shape; Peck had them refinished in a walnut stain.
After: Peck decided to make the living room a dark and cozy den. He found the lady of the den in an antique shop in Wells and named her Joan. “She’s so handsome,” he says.” She looks over the moody space, which is painted in Pelt by Farrow & Ball. The hue is a deep purplish-black.
The Lamp Repair Shop provided the tin sconces and the reclaimed-wood lamp. The rug came from Bonny Read. Peck found the occasional tables at antique and used furniture stores up and down the Maine coast. The sofa and leather chair are some of the only newer pieces in the house — they were floor models so they had some use in them before Peck bought them. The plaid blanket is from The Tartan Blanket Co. and is composed of 70% recycled wool and 30% recycled other fibers.
The Lamp Repair Shop provided the tin sconces and the reclaimed-wood lamp. The rug came from Bonny Read. Peck found the occasional tables at antique and used furniture stores up and down the Maine coast. The sofa and leather chair are some of the only newer pieces in the house — they were floor models so they had some use in them before Peck bought them. The plaid blanket is from The Tartan Blanket Co. and is composed of 70% recycled wool and 30% recycled other fibers.
The kitchen is U-shaped. Peck removed the upper cabinets to allow more natural light into the room. “I added shiplap and open shelves to make the kitchen feel older,” he says. “Everything on the shelves is vintage, including another shady lady.” (Peck named her Clementina.) The rug is vinyl with a traditional botanical pattern, and the simple cafe curtains add to the vintage vibe.
Once Peck had removed the no-entry entry and the existing addition, he had space to add the window seen in the center of this photo. He donated all the existing cabinets to ReStore. He replaced them with readymade cabinets from local company Kitchen Cove. To keep an open feel, he limited the use of upper cabinets to an interior wall. He used pullouts and deep drawers to maximize storage space in the lower cabinets. One of the subcontractors took the existing appliances to donate to a summer camp.
Just past the dishwasher is a new entry door. It leads from the kitchen to the new mudroom addition.
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Rug: Floral Abigail, Spicher & Co.
Once Peck had removed the no-entry entry and the existing addition, he had space to add the window seen in the center of this photo. He donated all the existing cabinets to ReStore. He replaced them with readymade cabinets from local company Kitchen Cove. To keep an open feel, he limited the use of upper cabinets to an interior wall. He used pullouts and deep drawers to maximize storage space in the lower cabinets. One of the subcontractors took the existing appliances to donate to a summer camp.
Just past the dishwasher is a new entry door. It leads from the kitchen to the new mudroom addition.
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Rug: Floral Abigail, Spicher & Co.
This photo shows the same window seen on the left side of the previous photo. A glass countertop cabinet door reflects the natural light. The adjacent countertop cabinets are for pantry storage, and the refrigerator is located to the left of these cabinets. The countertops are quartz.
“I used vertical shiplap on the walls to be pragmatic,” Peck says. “If one board gets stained, I can just repaint that one board.”
“I used vertical shiplap on the walls to be pragmatic,” Peck says. “If one board gets stained, I can just repaint that one board.”
The mudroom addition measures 8 by 10 feet. The flooring is hexagonal porcelain tiles that look like slate. The shelving came from the original kitchen — Peck cleaned it up, painted it and reused it to keep things organized here. The antique crock is from a shop in Wiscasset.
The mudroom also serves as a small sunroom and is a great place to have coffee in the morning. The glass door and windows preserve the view of the water from the kitchen. Peck reused windows from the former addition.
“I found this wicker table by the side of the road, and it needed some little repairs that I never wound up completing,” Peck says. Instead, he had a glass top made for it. A neighbor was giving away the folding chairs so he snapped them up.
“I found this wicker table by the side of the road, and it needed some little repairs that I never wound up completing,” Peck says. Instead, he had a glass top made for it. A neighbor was giving away the folding chairs so he snapped them up.
In the first-floor bedroom, Peck used leftover wood-look porcelain tiles from another project to create a headboard, then hung midcentury modern C. Jere sculptures over it. He took the four photographs on the wall while on a local schooner trip. New closets create a cozy alcove for the bed and provide places to hang reading sconces.
The previous homeowners had recently renovated the full bathroom downstairs. “Even though it’s not exactly what I would have chosen, it would have been wasteful to replace these new elements,” Peck says. “So I kept the flooring, wall tile and vanity.” The only major change was replacing the existing window with a more energy-efficient one. This is an awning window that cranks open from the bottom.
Cosmetic changes included painting the walls in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath and adding accessories. The artwork is a vintage woodcut print. Peck picked up the used mirror at Cherished Possessions, a favorite local vintage shop. He also added a wall sconce that he had left over from a previous project.
This primary bedroom and a guest bedroom are upstairs. During the renovations, Peck replaced all the existing hollow doors with paneled solid wood doors. Eager to repurpose and reduce waste, he upholstered one of the hollow doors, turning it into this headboard. He used a mattress pad he already had for the bunting, then used part of a striped duvet cover as the fabric. Dark paint helps ground the headboard wall. “I used the rest of the Pelt paint from the living room because there was some left and I’m thrifty,” he says.
He added the two vintage porcelain figure lamps, which he had brought with him from Miami, as reading lamps on either side of the bed.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
He added the two vintage porcelain figure lamps, which he had brought with him from Miami, as reading lamps on either side of the bed.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
This bedroom has a great view of the water, and its sloping ceilings provide a cozy feel. Three vintage bird prints from Bonny Read float above the headboard, nodding to the waterfowl that float along the river outside.
Peck found the chair and ottoman at a local thrift shop. “That is a lacquered bamboo chair, circa 1995,” he says. He used black chalk paint to transform them, then used the leftover duvet cover fabric to reupholster them.
To the right of the bed is one of the generous closets gained by adding the long dormer along the back of the house.
Peck found the chair and ottoman at a local thrift shop. “That is a lacquered bamboo chair, circa 1995,” he says. He used black chalk paint to transform them, then used the leftover duvet cover fabric to reupholster them.
To the right of the bed is one of the generous closets gained by adding the long dormer along the back of the house.
The guest bedroom shows what a difference a dormer window can make. Peck tucked a “falling apart” dresser that he fixed up and painted white into the extra space afforded by the dormer. “I wanted it to look like it had always been there,” he says.
He also thought carefully about using all the space upstairs well. Accordingly, he finished the spaces behind the knee walls, continuing the flooring and drywall inside. Behind all the doors like the one seen in the corner here is nice storage space for suitcases, beach chairs, extra linens and out-of-season clothing.
He also thought carefully about using all the space upstairs well. Accordingly, he finished the spaces behind the knee walls, continuing the flooring and drywall inside. Behind all the doors like the one seen in the corner here is nice storage space for suitcases, beach chairs, extra linens and out-of-season clothing.
The second level had lacked a bathroom. The new dormer across the back of the house provided space for this new primary bathroom. Peck repurposed an antique dresser he found in nearby Kennebunk as a vanity. He used a marble remnant from a local stone yard for the countertop. The mirror is another local antique find. The porcelain hexagonal floor tiles add a modern touch.
While Peck originally thought this project would be a flip or a rental property, he and his husband have enjoyed wintering here. Now they float between this home, their summer home on Goose Pond and their renovated barn-workshop.
Floor tile: Casa Cielo
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While Peck originally thought this project would be a flip or a rental property, he and his husband have enjoyed wintering here. Now they float between this home, their summer home on Goose Pond and their renovated barn-workshop.
Floor tile: Casa Cielo
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Stephen Peck and his husband, John Messer, who winter here and rent it out when they move into their summer home
Location: Portland, Maine
Size: 1,400 square feet (130 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Contractor: Dan Kolbert of Kolbert Building
Before: “I had a vision of a high-performance home, well sealed and insulated,” Peck says. “It begged for improved vistas of the water and better utilization of the second story, which housed two bedrooms but had no real closets or a bathroom. A traditional Cape, it had low ceilings and was dark upstairs.”
The previous owners had added a breezeway-sunroom that connected the house to the garage out back. This addition blocked light and views from the kitchen. Peck wasn’t allowed to add volume to the house, but he knew he could remove the addition and use its square footage for something better. He decided to tear it off and added a small, more functional mudroom. And he created more usable space upstairs by raising the roof and adding dormers.
The designer knew he wanted to make the dark bedrooms upstairs brighter, as well as add a bathroom and closet space. His renovation plans included two dormer windows on the front of the house and one long dormer across the back.
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