In the dining room, he covered the walls with a rich fruit-patterned wallpaper designed by William Morris. The candle-powered chandelier is on a boat wrench so that it can be raised and lowered, and a pair of gilt mirrors—one old, the other an old copy – at opposite ends of the room reflect the light from the candles. The room is further enhanced by Pennoyer's octagonal ceiling. “Peter turned things that could have been problems into assets,” Jayne says, explaining that the room had to be an irregular shape to fit into the plan.

“Many of the rooms have different heights, which makes the experience of the house more interesting,” Pennoyer says. The living room ceiling is a big tray; the one in the stair hall has nine coffers that reflect the proportion of the windows. But despite the fact that, in Pennoyer's words, “the house has a lot of architecture,” it also flows. Because it's a warm-weather house, he says, “I wanted the rooms to be open to each other.”

But most important, the amazing views are finally accessible. From the back, you can see for miles down the beach; from the front, the bay is almost entirely visible. And from the magnificent – and comfortable—tower perch, you can see it all.