This North Carolina Beach House Will Make You Want to Paint Your Floors
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When the owners of this charming home in the beach town of Nags Head, North Carolina, decided to raze their mishmash cottage and start fresh, they had one guiding directive: no signs of a new build. “They wanted the house to look like it had always been here,” Arianna Pannoni of the Baltimore-based firm Winsome Interior Design says of the couple, who have vacationed in the tight-knit community for generations. They wanted their friends and family to feel relaxed—to not think twice about coming in sandy from the beach and flopping on the sofa like they always had, design partner Kasey Bedford adds.
To meet that brief, the designers leaned into period-inspired millwork, high-performance textiles, and finishes expressly selected for their aging potential while also tweaking the layout to reflect the homeowners’ real needs. An underutilized closet off the kitchen was remade into a coffee bar and designed to look like an “original” built-in. The sunshine-flooded dining nook—eked out of square footage borrowed from the wraparound deck—provides comfortable seating for 12, a number that isn’t unheard of at the height of summer.
In the kitchen—a collaboration between Winsome and Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens & Baths—two-tone cabinetry à la Julia Child lends a subtle vintage vibe. There is a mix of easy-access open shelving and clutter-containing cupboards. The unlacquered brass hardware and fittings were chosen to improve with age.
More patina comes through the woodwork. Bedford admits the blue floors took some persuading. “Historically, painted wood floors have been popular in coastal homes because they wear well with sand and water and can be touched up easily,” she says. The client got on board, and the color flows underfoot in most of the 2,030-square-foot space. V-groove paneling used throughout, including in the primary bath and powder room, adds to the sense of time gone by.
The designers also nixed closets in the four bedrooms, replacing them with clever storage and case goods. “When you’re here, you’re in a bathing suit and shorts,” Pannoni says. “You really just need a place to stow your suitcase.”
Hallway
Living Room
The furniture layout maximizes ocean views. Paint: All White, Farrow & Ball. Sofa: custom, in Brentano fabric. Side tables: MacKenzie-Dow. Armchair: MT Company, in Schumacher fabric. Ottoman: custom, in Stroheim fabric. Rattan chairs: Society Social, with cushions in Fabricut fabric.
Kitchen
The Unique Kitchens & Baths cabinetry in Maldon has insets painted in Farrow & Ball All White. Hardware: Rejuvenation. Faucet: Perrin & Rowe. Sconce: Lyngard. Pendant: Original BTC. Rug: Etsy.
Newport Brass taps provide hot and cold filtered water at the coffee bar. The drawers conceal a refrigerator and a freezer. Cabinetry: Unique Kitchens & Baths. Hardware: Baldwin and Rejuvenation. Lighting: Schoolhouse.
Dining Nook
Painted floors in Blue Nose by Benjamin Moore run throughout the house. Banquette and shelf: Harmony Cabinets. Cushions: custom, in Schumacher fabric. Captain’s chairs: vintage. Lantern: Visual Comfort & Co. Chik blinds: Etsy.
Powder Room
The Bleu Provence faucet, accessories, and sink came with a patina. Lanterns: Charles Edwards. Mirror: Pooky.
Primary Bedroom
Bedford and Pannoni chose vintage-feel Lake August and Schumacher fabrics for the headboard and canopy. Bedding: L.L.Bean and Garnet Hill. Desk: MacKenzie-Dow. Lamp: Anthropologie.
Kid‘s Room
Built-in beds recall sailors’ quarters. Paint: Light Blue, Farrow & Ball. Wallcovering and headboards: Soane Britain. Bedding: L.L.Bean and Garnet Hill. Sconces: Visual Comfort & Co. Stools: antique. Rug: Etsy.
Guest Room
Trim paint in Farrow & Ball Yeabridge Green complements the Lake August wallpaper and headboard fabric. Ceiling light: Anthropologie. Roman shades: custom, in Fermoie fabric with Romo trim. Quilt: L.L.Bean. Pillows: custom, in Schumacher fabric.
Sleeping Nook
Primary Bathroom
The Sanderson print on the ceiling and café curtains depicts fishing boats and cottages. Pendants: Visual Comfort & Co. Sconce: Charles Edwards. Floor: Artistic Tile.
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