This house, which dates from 1895, is part of a small enclave on Fire Island called Point O'Woods. It was originally founded by a group of artists and educators. The community is accessible only by ferry service; automobiles are forbidden. Houses are not winterized; they are simply opened and aired out each Memorial Day and then closed up by mid-September. Passed down within families, the cottages mostly belong to third- or even fourth-generation descendants of their original occupants. Because of the remote location, it is difficult to ship goods in or out, so another local quirk is that the few houses sold are sold furnished. So our first task was to salvage whatever of the cottage’s windfall was reusable, such as a set of Hitchcock side chairs--not something you’d normally find in a beach house--and spool-turned wood beds. What original decoration would stay was weighed carefully for history and beauty. Giving the wide-plank floorboards a fresh polish was an easy decision, but what was the best way to handle the natural bead board paneling? White walls tend to bleach out color, and the idea of families living in all-white rooms is somewhat frightening, so we decided to retain the paneling as is. In the end the bright colors associated with summer that we employed, really pop against it. Similarly, a vibrant blue paint to frame the screens on the porch and the windows gives the house a contemporary lift. Modern furniture and works of art were used throughout. This decoration made the house fun and became the getaway place the family desired.