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The first order of business was to raise the living level up the highest level of the dunes in the back, which also resulted in far better views of the bay from the front. Pennoyer achieved this with a central staircase that would be a source of light for the whole house. The stairs lead up to the main floor from an entrance hall with an entire wall of windows facing the southeast. From the main floor, they continue up to a new tower room that overlooks both the bay and the ocean. Beaded-board walls and ceilings give the space a porch like quality, and windows along the walls ensure that light is brought down into the house as well. “It made everything have double exposure,” says Pennoyer, who worked hard to control the light that can be blinding in beach houses. Many architects, in their zeal to open up houses to ocean views, install enormous windows that overwhelm the eyes with light. Here, the views are perfectly framed.
For the color scheme and furnishings, Jayne capitalized on the light-filled interiors by using a surprising amount of color. The stair hall is painted a light green, and the living room and sitting room are both pale yellow. Bright linen throw pillows crate contrast on the sofas, which are covered in pale blue and green. The client's prints from Matisse's ebullient “jazz” series hang on the wall, and the 18 th -century Axminster rug adds another intense hue. “The colors segue into the outside really easily in summer,” says the decorator. He also added pieces of his own design, such as a linen-wrapped coffee table and a pair of armless chairs. |
