History
Just steps from Nantucket Harbor, old meets new at this impeccably restored family summer home with a storied past 82
Writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer
Photographer Annie Schlechter
stylist: elizabeth beeler
a house with
In the living room, all of the exposed woodwork is original and reveals the classic Nantucket post-andbeam construction. The furniture’s upholstery is Lommel in Ashwood by Pindler & Pindler. Opposite: The Georgantas family (from back)— Peter, Elizabeth, Isabelle, and Zoe
E Elizabeth designed the kitchen island using antique table legs and salvaged butcher block.
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Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost chairs and a reclaimed-wood table in the dining room
lizabeth and Peter Georgantas know a realestate diamond in the rough when they see one. As (respectively) a designer and a developer who are passionate about historic buildings, they’ve made restoring old homes less of a career and more of a way of life. After completing an extensive renovation of a Boston brownstone, their primary residence, the couple set their sights on transforming a Colonial-era Nantucket house in need of some serious TLC into a weekend and summer getaway for themselves and daughters Zoe, 4, and Isabelle, 2. The house was built in 1739 by the Macy family (relatives of the same folks who much later founded the famed New York City department store), but had suffered years of poorly conceived additions and renovations, as well as general neglect. After a 1790 hurricane that devastated most of the island’s other homes and the original harbor, the house was rolled on logs across the island to its current location, a short walk from the harbor. Set down on large rocks rather than a sturdy foundation, the structure had settled unevenly into the sandy ground, causing the floors to slope and warp. So Elizabeth and Peter’s first task was to raise the house and install a proper foundation. The couple seized this opportunity to enlarge the living space by turning the resulting, newly constructed basement into another
The kitchen exemplifies Elizabeth’s rustic-meets-clean look, with strap-hinge cabinet hardware from Period Furniture Hardware, a La Cornue range, and a Calcutta gold marble backsplash.
In the master bedroom, Elizabeth added sea-blue fabrics by ScalamandrĂŠ (Ingrid, for the curtains and coverlet) and Schumacher (Cable Stripe Matelasse, for the stool and accent pillows) to the neutral palette. The headboard and steamer trunk are antique.
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The bunkroom has six beds, each hung with nautical rope that was braided by a local fisherman. Below: The sink in the girls’ bath is by Kohler.
by the book
Elizabeth and Peter consulted every book in (and out of) print on historic Nantucket architecture to make sure they got the details right. Below are some of their favorites, available from amazon.com.
1
Old Houses on Nantucket (Architectural Book Publishing Company) by Kenneth Duprey
2
Colonial Architecture of Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard (Dover Publications) by Alfred E. Poor
3
Nantucket Journeys: Exploring the Island, its Architecture, and its Past (Down East Books) by Catherine A. Garland
4
book: ted tucker
Building with Nantucket in Mind: Guidelines for Protecting the Historic Architecture and Landscape of Nantucket Island (Nantucket Historic District Commission) by J. Christopher and Kate Stout Lang
floor of living space, including a den and wine cellar. While they were at it, they also added a master bath on the second floor, over the kitchen, and converted attic space into a bunkroom. The additions nearly doubled the house’s square footage (bringing the total close to 4,000) without significantly changing its footprint. This wasn’t just eco-mindedness; it was also essential—the Nantucket Preservation Trust will not allow substantial changes to the exterior of the island’s historic homes. In keeping with Nantucket’s spirit of historic conservation, Elizabeth and Peter let preservation be their guide during the demolition phase of their renovation. Because the original plaster walls were crumbling, they removed them and took the house back to its post-andbeam construction. In the process, they unearthed artifacts ranging from some 18th-century pottery bits to the home’s original cooking hearth, which had been walled over. And although they essentially overhauled the entire house, they salvaged and repurposed nearly all of the original materials, including beams, floorboards, and antique brick. Their goal was to make all of the house look like it was built 300 years ago—only better. “It just wasn’t good enough to put it back to what it was originally,” Elizabeth says. “We put it back to what it should have been.” A reverence for the past, however, did not prevent the couple from installing modern conveniences, such as an updated kitchen and baths and a proper front door. Thanks to
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Framed antique Navy signal cards (representing the house number and family members’ initials) hang above the master bedroom fireplace.
salvage arts When it comes to renovating a centuries-old house, homeowners Elizabeth and Peter Georgantas are masters at deciding what’s worth saving. Check out their expert advice. Save
all hardwood flooring and anything that is old yet structurally sound, even beams. Also, old bricks can be repurposed on the exterior, or on walkways and patios. Scrap
old plaster that crumbles at first touch. The couple replaced flaky plaster walls with hand-plastering, adding a little texture for an old (but not fake) look. Splurge
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The house circa 1905
A cooking fireplace discovered behind a wall is now a pizza oven .
historical photo: courtesy of nantucket historical association
all of the past renovations and the relocation, the structure wound up with two entries (including a Federalist-style, circa-1870s door on what’s now the side of the house), neither of which faced the street. So on the front of the house, the pair added a simple, plank-style door with strap-hinge hardware, typical of the early 1700s. They also researched other authentic details, such as window casings and cabinetry. “Only the contractor knows which parts of the house are original and which are new,” Elizabeth says. Inside, the simple decor gives top billing to the architectural details. Elizabeth’s muted palette of khaki and cream accented with natural materials (wood, jute, linen) infuses the interior with organic warmth and enhances the historic home’s rustic atmosphere. Antiques pair with tailored upholstered pieces in traditional shapes to lend a sophisticated note, while nautical touches (rope accents, the master bedroom’s classic blue-and-white color scheme) reference Nantucket’s seafarer history. For period-inspired items, Elizabeth and Peter scoured every source, from eBay to the massive Brimfield Antiques and Flea Market Shows in Massachusetts. Peter even went dumpster diving for salvaged wood to use for custom pieces, such as the kitchen island. Now that their labor of love is complete, the Georgantases use the house for quick getaways, impromptu parties, and sleepovers. It’s nostalgic for Elizabeth and Peter, who both spent their childhood summers near the sea. “Once you grow up with an appreciation of the ocean, you spend the long New England winters daydreaming about the scent of the salty air,” Elizabeth says. “You have to get on a plane or a boat to get to Nantucket, so you really have to disconnect. It is such a magical place.” Sources: page 110
on hiring professional masons to restore old fireplaces. Opt for cedar roof shingles; asphalt shingles are cheaper, but cedar lasts longer and gives the house an authentic Colonial look.
New cedar-shake shingles on the exterior and roof echo the Nantucket vernacular style.
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