Katama Cove

The home’s massing was inspired by the game Monopoly, with house and hotel pieces set perpendicular to each other, joined by a low roof. The “house” contains the basic living spaces (the kitchen, living room, dining room, and three bedrooms), while the “hotel” is composed of multi-functional rooms that efficiently provide the homeowners and their guests spaces to rest, work, or play. At the top of the stairs (for which glass panels offer a modern take on the traditional balustrade), the sun-soaked wellness room is well-suited for yoga or lounging with a book and doubles as additional sleeping quarters for quests. Behind a sliding barn door, a nook offers additional guest accommodations as well as a secluded spot for working remotely. Below the wellness room, the garage was designed to be far more than just a place to park cars and store gear. With a natural cedar interior siding and barn doors opening to the back deck, the “party-barn” functions as an additional entertainment space—a place to play ping-pong or escape the elements on a rainy day. 

The interior aesthetic is intentionally restrained, simple yet elegant—a contemporary beach cottage—that provides the homeowners a sense of escape and restoration. Subtle details enhance the neutral palette: shiplap siding adds coastal charm to the guest rooms, while each bathroom features a different tile that resembles sand in color, texture, and pattern. In one of the more dramatic design moves, the wall separating the “house” from the “hotel” is a striking, multi-dimensional black created through Shou Sugi Ban, a Japanese method of burning wood to preserve its surface.