My Houzz: Heartfelt Traditional Style Warms a Cape Cod Retreat
Family mementos, cool vintage finds and coastal-inspired touches add just the right amount of cozy to this New York couple’s vacation home
After renting “practically every house in the area,” Tricia and Bob Donaldson decided 11 years ago that it was time to put down roots in the town that held so many memories for their family. They found a traditional Cape Cod-style home in a secluded area of Orleans, Massachusetts, and turned it into an inviting monthly escape from their permanent residence in New York. Tricia, a high school home economics teacher, and Bob, a retired police officer, decorated with a family-oriented outlook in every room. Vintage mementos harmonize with more recent keepsakes, all impeccably incorporated to create an eclectic, welcoming space to enjoy year-round.
A fully functional replica of a London phone booth occupies a corner of the family room.
On top of the mantel is a map charting Tricia’s father’s journey home as a just-released Polish prisoner of war; next to it is one of his vintage maps of Paris.
On top of the mantel is a map charting Tricia’s father’s journey home as a just-released Polish prisoner of war; next to it is one of his vintage maps of Paris.
The family room opens to a new sunroom wrapped with large windows. This space, dressed in ocean-inspired decor, overlooks a beautifully landscaped backyard. The family room and adjoining sunroom are the couple’s favorite spots in the house, and the open flow between the two spaces is perfect for entertaining.
The floor is kept clear so the couple can spread out a play mat for their 9-month-old granddaughter when she visits.
Sea grass chairs and Fibreworks custom color-bound sea grass rug: Pottery Barn
The floor is kept clear so the couple can spread out a play mat for their 9-month-old granddaughter when she visits.
Sea grass chairs and Fibreworks custom color-bound sea grass rug: Pottery Barn
Interior designer Jula Cordeira, Tricia’s longtime college friend, was instrumental in helping with the design choices and decor. “Jula recommended leaving the sunroom walls unpainted, allowing the subtle hue of the ceiling to take center stage,” Tricia says.
While the home’s style isn’t overtly nautical, there are plenty of small coastal touches, such as this bowl of decorative coral, that nod to nearby Nauset Beach.
Ceiling paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore; PB Basic slipcovered sofa: Pottery Barn
While the home’s style isn’t overtly nautical, there are plenty of small coastal touches, such as this bowl of decorative coral, that nod to nearby Nauset Beach.
Ceiling paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore; PB Basic slipcovered sofa: Pottery Barn
Another framed map decorates a sunroom wall, and a Moravian star pendant casts an inviting glow over the entire space.
The Donaldsons affectionately call this central area between the kitchen and family room the “pub room.” It’s ideal for sitting down with a magazine.
Chairs: Suffern Furniture Gallery
Chairs: Suffern Furniture Gallery
The open-concept kitchen fits the family’s lifestyle, allowing guests to congregate during meal preparations.
Pendant lights: Restoration Hardware
Pendant lights: Restoration Hardware
Bob replaced a dated backsplash to give the kitchen a more cohesive look.
Appliances: Wolf; cabinets: Home Depot
Appliances: Wolf; cabinets: Home Depot
At one end of the house is what Bob calls “the man room,” where he likes to spend time in the comfortable leather recliners, relaxing and watching television with his sons.
Portraits of the family’s many dogs past and present cover an accent wall. Bob worked as a police officer in the K-9 unit for years. Riley looks on from the hallway.
Portraits of the family’s many dogs past and present cover an accent wall. Bob worked as a police officer in the K-9 unit for years. Riley looks on from the hallway.
The family named the large clock above the mantel in the dining room “Big Ben” after Tricia’s father, who was nicknamed Ben. It’s flanked by more of her father’s collection of 1940s European maps, including one he saved after a mission he completed during World War II.
Wall paint: Burlap, Benjamin Moore; clock: Ballard Designs
Wall paint: Burlap, Benjamin Moore; clock: Ballard Designs
Portraits of Tricia’s father, Ben, rest on the mantel below the clock, along with one of his cameras.
Behind the dining room, a staircase leads to the top floor. A mounted model ship on a built-in ledge recalls the town’s maritime history. The burlap and lace bow decorations on the railing were part of their son and daughter-in-law’s wedding last summer.
Chandelier: Restoration Hardware
Chandelier: Restoration Hardware
The master bedroom, with its soft red and peach floral decor, is conveniently located on the main floor. Warm vintage lamps illuminate the room at night.
Wall paint: Muslin, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Muslin, Benjamin Moore
The bookshelf wallpaper, left by the previous owners, has become a source of design inspiration for Tricia as she develops the style for the upstairs.
An upstairs bathroom is outfitted in black and white with penny floor tiles and a large vanity with plenty of storage.
Omni mirror: Z Gallerie; wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
Omni mirror: Z Gallerie; wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
In another upstairs guest bathroom, Tricia combined a set of hooks from Home Depot with wall-mounted numbers to create a playful take on a towel rack.
This upstairs bedroom has four single beds and is called “the dorm room.” The couple hope that it will eventually be where all the grandchildren sleep, and a place for them “to jump on the bed and make memories,” Tricia says.
Back in grade school, Tricia made a table out of beverage cans, and it now serves as a nightstand in one of the guest bedrooms.
The storage trunk belonged to Tricia’s mother, who was in the U.S. Navy. Tricia notes that one of the underlying themes she embraced when decorating this home was a tribute to her parents’ military service.
Although the home was only 12 years old when the Donaldsons bought it in 2005, they made a number of renovations to customize it to their liking. “Our good friend Peter Field, a local contractor, had many innovative ideas to help us expand and renovate our home to meet our needs,” Tricia says.
To increase their living space, they converted the crawl space in the basement into a fully finished lower level by hiring a home-lifting company to dig into the ground underneath the home. It now serves as a second family room, with games, a television and a bar.
The pinball machine belonged to their daughter-in-law’s family and was going to be thrown out until the couple claimed it for this space.
To increase their living space, they converted the crawl space in the basement into a fully finished lower level by hiring a home-lifting company to dig into the ground underneath the home. It now serves as a second family room, with games, a television and a bar.
The pinball machine belonged to their daughter-in-law’s family and was going to be thrown out until the couple claimed it for this space.
The bar, which Bob designed and constructed, includes a three-compartment sink bought from a local restaurant and plenty of glassware to serve thirsty guests.
A vintage-style dinner bell is mounted to the wall behind the bar.
The Donaldsons love their close proximity to Nauset Beach, and they enjoy spending time here during the summer. A 12-acre conservation area borders their property, where wildlife in the form of birds, foxes, coyotes and deer provides plenty of natural entertainment.
Tricia, left, and Bob relax with Riley in their new sunroom. The couple hope that the quiet locale and amenities of the home will be ideal for their growing extended family for years to come.
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See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Tricia and Bob Donaldson, and their dog, Riley
Location: Orleans, Massachusetts
Size: 3,122 square feet (290 square meters); four bedrooms, three full baths and two half-baths
Year built: 1993
In the colder months, visitors often sit by the family room fireplace, below, to play games and read books. The plush sofas and ample throw pillows make the space inviting on a winter’s day.
In the summer, the activity shifts outdoors with daily trips to nearby Nauset Beach and nighttime barbecues on the bluestone patio.
Coffee table, floor lamp and sofas: Ethan Allen