Warm Welcome: A Chatham Cape Gets a Modernist Addition

FOLLOWING THE HOMEOWNER’S VISION, A TRADITIONAL CAPE GETS A MODERNIST ADDITION, AND THE RESULTS ARE EYE-CATCHING.

BY KELLY CHASE PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN VANDEN BRINK

riving through the Cape and islands, traditional capes wrapped in cedar-shingled jackets abound. While modernist and contemporary homes are harder to spot, make no mistake that they are there. However, a home that’s both traditional and modernist? Now that’s much more unique, unless you happen to be driving through Chatham. Homeowners Janet and Keith’s traditional-meetsmodernist guest house and accompanying social barn are across the street from their Chatham home that they created ten years ago. While the couple’s main house is more classic Cape Cod with contemporary accents, they decided to be a little more experimental when it came to the place where their guests laid their heads at night. “My tastes have changed a little since we did our house,” says Janet. “I like the sleek look, and I had a vision that was light, airy, and open.” Janet and Keith worked with Cape-based integrated architecture and construction firm, Polhemus Savery DaSilva, which also did the couple’s main house. The project included renovating a traditional cape and building a modernist addition, which posed a unique challenge for architect John DaSilva, but one that he was more than willing to take on. “John was really great to work with, and he was very determined to get it right,” says Janet. The original property included a dated but structurally sound 1940s cape with an attached barn. The barn, which had been moved to the property, needed to be completely replaced. Taking cues from the previous structure, PSD designed a barn-inspired addition that includes two guest suites and a large open living room. “The addition is larger than the main house, but because it was designed to look like a barn it works well,” says DaSilva.

To achieve the bright and open look Janet was looking for, a glass curtain wall wraps the addition creating expansive views of the backyard and social barn. The kitchen was renovated, including new larger windows in the breakfast nook, but the homeowners decided they could do without a dining room. “You learn throughout the years what you need and don’t need in a house, especially a beach house,” says Janet. “One big gathering room is important because that’s why you’re there.” Inside the transition from one structure to the other was linked with a cohesive interior design of minimalist finishes and clean lines. Outside DaSilva faced the real challenge of marrying all of the elements together. “There was a careful choreography of where one design style stops and the other begins, so they feel right together,” says DaSilva. “And I think they do.” At the front of the house, the board and batten siding of the addition contrasts but is compatible with the weathered shingles of the cape. Out back the juxtaposition of styles is even more obvious. “The transformation from a more historic cape to modernist appearance of the back is unique,” says DaSilva. “I’m a fan of eclecticism and it’s nice to have a client who is interested in something like that.”

There was a careful choreography of where one design style stops and the other begins, so they feel right together. And I think they do.

— Architect, John DaSilva

Whoever is staying at the guest house, we invite down to the barn. We have pizza night, where the kids can make their own pizzas and then we grill them. It’s a lot of fun and we usually end up on the basketball court and bocci ball court.

— Homeowner, Janet”

Janet has 13 siblings, so when everyone is present, a family get-together includes close to 100 people. While restaurant reservations have been out of the question, Janet and Keith wanted to host family events. They worked with the PSD team to create a social barn at the back of the property. “We had this vision of a barn that we could all gather in,” says Janet. The most important elements of the space were a full bar and lounge area, but by digging a full level below, PSD was also able to incorporate a half basketball court and gym for the active couple. The barn fits most of Janet’s family, but it is also used for smaller gatherings. “Whoever is staying at the guest house, we invite down to the barn,” says Janet. “We have pizza night, where the kids can make their own pizzas and then we grill them. It’s a lot of fun and we usually end up on the basketball court and bocci ball court.”

While 2020 was a quieter year for Janet and Keith’s guest list, they are looking forward to hosting more family in the future. “We’ve had one wedding at the barn, and we are currently planning a family reunion,” says Janet. “We are looking forward to having many more.”

WHAT’S GOOD CAPE COD HYANNIS

PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT: 216 Seventh Avenue, West Hyannisport

t the end of Seventh Avenue in West

Hyannisport is a classic Cape Cod home with an attached windmill. “This is such a unique and iconic house located in the avenues of West Hyannisport, and it’s just around the corner from the famous Kennedy Compound,” says Sarah Lapsley Martin, a local real estate agent at Kinlin Grover Real Estate and also the cohost of What’s Good Cape Cod. The three-bedroom, three-bath house was built in 1946, and originally just included the windmill. The current owners purchased the beloved local property in 1968 as a summer getaway and added the addition in 2003 in order to accommodate more guests and amenities. “To do this they actually had to have a crane come and lift the entire windmill structure to add a foundation underneath,” says Sarah. Besides structural charm, the house offers miles of water views of Hall’s Creek and Nantucket Sound. The property also includes access to a private neighborhood beach where low tide exposes a sandbar that’s ideal for beach chairs.

More information:

Sarah Lapsley Martin 508.331.1404 slapsley@kinlingrover.com

Person » Robert Edward Kennedy

Robert Edward Kennedy is a local artist who owns Kennedy Studios on Main Street. Many of his works depict the charm and character of local streets and buildings. He is also credited with coining the term giclee, which describes the advancements in computer-assisted inkjet fine art reproduction. “I’m personally drawn to his vintage-style artwork posters,” says Sarah. “He has depicted each town on the Cape, and they are wonderful!”

KENNEDY GALLERY & STUDIOS 574 MAIN ST., HYANNIS, 508-775-9604

Place » JFK Museum

The JFK Museum on Main Street is where one can learn about the legacy of President John F. Kennedy and his ties to the area. The former president spent his childhood summers in Hyannis, and the white-clapboard compound that his family owned served as a base for his election and later, a presidential retreat. President Kennedy once said, “The Cape is the one place I can think and be alone.”

397 MAIN ST., HYANNIS, 508-790-3077

Thing » Eugenia Fortes Beach

Eugenia Fortes Beach might be small, but it packs a punch. “It’s a little hidden gem, and a great place to stroll the beach,” says Sarah. “We almost didn’t share this one because we wanted to keep it to ourselves!” says Katie Clancy, a local real estate agent and cohost of What’s Good Cape Cod with Sarah. In addition to shell hunting, there is a lot to look at including beautifully built coastal homes.

IYANOUGH AVENUE OFF OF MARSTONS AVENUE

Katie Clancy and Sarah Lapsley Martin host a weekly show called What’s Good Cape Cod where they show you Cape Cod through the eyes of a couple of locals. Find all episodes at whatsgoodcc.com