“When you think flexibility, you think open,” says architect Joel VanderWeele, one of the original Side Hustle House’s designers. With the exception of an attached mudroom entry and powder room, the first floor of the main house is one open space that includes the living area, dining area and kitchen. Smart design makes each space work together, and apart.
Casual Entrance
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06092020JK_0172-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
A mudroom with an adjacent powder room provides a casual entry on the side of the house.
Wall paint: Williamsburg Wythe Blue by Benjamin Moore; Entry door: Sierra Pacific; Ceiling fixture: Progress Lighting; Floor tile: AKDO; Rug: Annie Selke
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/3P2A7132-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
Bright blue walls in the mudroom guarantee visitors a cheery arrival.
Wall paint: Williamsburg Wythe Blue by Benjamin Moore
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06092020JK_0208-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
A poplar two-panel door leads from the mudroom to the workshop beyond.
Door: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Hardware: House of Antique Hardware
Efficient Cook Spaces
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06092020JK_0269-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
The 3-by-8-foot island has a quartzite top with a rich, easy-care leather finish. Perimeter countertops and backsplash are polished quartzite. The touchless smart faucet is voice activated. Custom alder cabinets feature inset drawers and a silvery driftwood finish. A door on the left leads to the ADU. Nine-foot ceilings help the compact first floor feel more spacious.
Wall paint: Bone Black by Benjamin Moore; Kitchen cabinetry: Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Refrigerator: Café Appliances; Undercabinet and toekick lighting: Häfele; Countertops: Global Marble & Granite; Island counter stools: Courtesy of New England Staging
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0785-1-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
In the kitchen, frosted-glass upper cabinet doors fold up and out of the way for access to serving ware.
Lift doors: Häfele; Cabinetry: Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0801-1-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
Drawers in the custom cabinetry feature handy dividers and organizers.
Drawer inserts: Häfele; Cabinetry: Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06092020JK_0323-2-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
The kitchen’s easy-care quartzite countertops have a fingerprint-resistant leather finish; custom cabinets are stained in a silvery wood tone.
Kitchen cabinetry: Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry; Appliances: Refrigerator, Range by Café Appliances; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Range hood: Panasonic; Countertops: Global Marble & Granite; Island counter stools: Courtesy of New England Staging
High-Design Fixtures
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0812-1-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
The smart faucet in the main kitchen is voice-activated and can dispense water in whatever amount is needed, from a tablespoon to a gallon.
Shown: Faucet: Moen; Countertop: Global Marble & Granite
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06092020JK_0349-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
In this compact kitchen, the distance between countertops varies from 4 feet between the island and the range, and 38 inches between the end of the island and the perimeter countertop.
Dishwasher: Cafe Appliances; Runner: Annie Selke; Countertops: Global Marble & Granite; Windows: Sierra Pacific; Lighting: Progress Lighting
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_6158-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
Both the induction/convection oven and the French door refrigerator have a contemporary reflective-glass finish. The vent hood above features ultra-quiet operation.
Range: Cafe Appliances; Range hood (not shown): Panasonic
Small Space, Big Feel
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0899-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
The custom TV cabinet on the right side of this photo does triple duty: As a partition wall, it separates the living and dining areas, and, with a cantilevered bench on the dining room side, it provides seating at the table. Equipped with a hinged top panel and lift mechanism, it also conceals the TV.
Wall paint: Bone Black by Benjamin Moore; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Sliding doors: Sierra Pacific; Flooring: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Pillows, window panels: Annie Selke; TV Cabinet/Banquette: Custom built by Cape Associates; Lift Mechanism, Lighting, and Hardware by Häfele
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0956-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
A motorized lift raises and lowers a TV hidden inside the custom room divider.
TV Cabinet/Banquette: Custom built by Cape Associates; Lift Mechanism, Lighting, and Hardware by Häfele
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06122020JK_2313-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
On the main floor, interior designer Denise Enright specified black window frames for a contemporary look that’s softened by the muted gray of the walls.
Wall Paint: Bone Black (walls); Harwood Putty (nickel gap) by Benjamin Moore; Stain (coat closet door): Varathane; Interior doors, flooring: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Windows, entry door: Sierra Pacific; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Door hardware: House of Antique Hardware; Rugs, pillows, throws, window panels: Annie Selke;
Nickel-Gap Stairwell
![](https://s42814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/0920_Idea_House_CapeIdeaCottage_06102020JK_0967-1-scaled.jpg.optimal.jpg)
Walls with a nickel-gap look pair with a beachy striped runner to give the main stairway a breezy cottage feel.
Paint: Harwood Putty (nickel gap) by Benjamin Moore; Stair runner: Annie Selke; Stair parts courtesy of Mid-Cape Home Center and BROSCO