The second floor of the Cottage on the Cape Idea House features an airy master suite and comfortable guest bedroom with accompanying bath, and ushers in a softer color palette throughout, which includes a transition from black to white windows.
A Bright, Airy Master
At roughly 16 by 11 feet, the master bedroom is hardly oversize, but a vaulted ceiling and light colors make it feel spacious. Designer Denise Enright chose a soft pink inspired by the Cape sky at dusk to direct attention to the master bedroom’s vaulted ceiling.
Decorative beams, finished with a transparent wood stain for a sun-bleached look, also draw the eye upward.
The strategy of using a vaulted ceiling to make a modest bedroom feel grander is a tried-and-true move in This Old House projects. As architect Jay Haverson told This Old House Magazine of a similar project, “We wanted the master bedroom to feel like a perch at the highest point of the house, overlooking its surroundings”—a sentiment echoed in this Cape master, where the upward-drawing beams and soft ceiling color create that same lofty feeling.
Vaulting a ceiling is one of the most effective ways to add perceived volume to a tight footprint. In a previous This Old House Magazine feature, a 13-by-15-foot bedroom was transformed by vaulting the ceiling and finishing it with white-painted beadboard, then layering in windows and skylights to flood the space with light—the same playbook deployed here with the painted ceiling and sun-bleached beams.
Paint: Harwood Putty (walls), First Light (ceiling), by Benjamin Moore; Beam Finish: Sunbleached by Varathane; Bedding, Rug, Window Panels, Art: Annie Selke; Bed: Custom-built for New England Staging by Vetere Custom Woodworks
The wall behind the bed is covered with a textured, muted-aqua grasscloth. In a house where every inch counts, the distance from the wall to window was calculated to be just wide enough for a queen-sized bed. On the side table, a discreet sensor continuously monitors and automatically adjusts indoor air quality.
Wallpaper: Thibaut; Bedding, Rug, Window Panels, Art: Annie Selke; IAQ Sensor: Cosmos Healthy Home System; Bed: Custom-built for New England Staging by Vetere Custom Woodworks
Sleek and Luxurious Master Bath
Though compact, the master bath’s packs a lot of luxury in a small space, with ample natural light and a heated marble-tile floor. The shower wall tiles are impressive 8-by-4-foot porcelain.
Paint: Bruton White by Benjamin Moore; Sun Tunnel skylight: VELUX; Floor warming: Schluter-Systems; Floor tile: AKDO; Wall tile: AKDO; Interior Door: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Door hardware: House of Antique Hardware
A sun tunnel—a highly reflective metal tube—brings natural light to the front of the vanity, where a multifunction mirror adjusts lighting for makeup and mood. For both upstairs baths, Enright specified contemporary nickel fixtures and hardware, a departure from the more industrial ones downstairs.
Paint: Bruton White by Benjamin Moore; Sun Tunnel Skylight: VELUX; Shower System, Floor Warming: Schluter-Systems; Floor Tile: AKDO; Mirror: Häfele; Ventilation Fan: Panasonic; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Door hardware: House of Antique Hardware
The master bath shower’s floor tiles are marble, and feature a decorative drain. Both the master and the ADU baths feature electric in-floor heating.
Drain: Schluter-Systems; Floor Tile: AKDO; Mirror: Häfele; Tile grout: Laticrete
Next-Level Closet Organization
The master-bath closet features an organization system and ample shoe storage.
Closet organization, shoe storage system by California Closets
Pro Tip: Mary of California Closets told This Old House host Kevin O’Connor that mixing finishes is key to a custom look: “Textures are the new thing, a new, new thing in closets. And, so, we use a lot of texture. And not just one texture, we mix textures.” Pairing a smooth panel with a textured back wall and a natural-finish drawer front, she says, gives a built-in closet the depth of a furnished room.
The tall stack of shoe shelves is a space-saving trick the California Closets team relies on. “We did this tall stack of shoe shelves, which is really great for packing a lot of shoes into a small space,” designer Erin explained on This Old House. Pair that with hooks for a bathrobe or a beach bag, and even a modest footprint can do double duty in a shared his-and-hers closet.
Room for Guests
A second upstairs bedroom features a light and breezy palette, and is paired with a hall bath.
An unexpected mix of soft paint colors—on walls, casings, and ceiling—enliven the guest bedroom. Pale bedding and ceiling-high curtains help create an open, airy feel.
Paint: Harwood Putty (walls), Greenhow Blue (trim), Green Earth (ceiling) by Benjamin Moore; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Comforter set, quilt set, stripe pillow, decorative pillow, window panels: Lush Décor; Rug: Annie Selke; Bed: Custom-built for New England Staging by Vetere Custom Woodworks
Designer Denise Enright used the guest bedroom rug to inspire her choice of blue trim and a soft green ceiling. Leggy, light wood furniture echoes the white oak flooring, enhancing the room’s whimsical, beachy vibe.
Paint: Harwood Putty (walls), Greenhow Blue (trim), Green Earth (ceiling) by Benjamin Moore; Lighting: Progress Lighting; Comforter set, quilt set, stripe pillow, decorative pillow, throw, window panels: Lush Décor; Rug: Annie Selke; Bed: Custom-built for New England Staging by Vetere Custom Woodworks; Interior Door: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Door hardware: House of Antique Hardware
Sun tunnels shed light in even the tightest spaces, such as the guest room closet.
Sun Tunnel: VELUX; Organization system: California Closets
Ocean-Inspired Guest Bathroom
The hall bath holds the house’s only bathtub. Blue glass tile and a driftwood-like finish on the contemporary vanity continue the house’s beachy theme.
Lighting: Progress Lighting; Vanity: Woodharbor Custom Cabinetry; Vanity top: Global Marble & Granite; Vanity hardware: Häfele; Glass tile: AKDO; Shelves and profiles: Schluter-Systems; Grout: Laticrete; Sink, toilet: Kohler; Faucet, towel bars, fittings: Delta; Shower curtain: Lush Décor; Ventilation fan: Panasonic
Clever corner shelves in the hall bath shower feature built-in drain holes arranged in a delightful pattern.
Shelves: Schluter-Systems; Glass tile: AKDO ; Grout: Laticrete
An oval undermount sink, a polished-marble countertop, and a contemporary faucet keep the guest vanity sleek and modern. Edging profile creates a unique frame for the mirror.
Sink: Kohler; Faucet: Delta Faucet; Profile: Schluter-Systems
Urban-Style Half Bath
A half bath located off the mudroom features a chunky, concrete-top vanity in a style that melds urban and organic. But what grabs all the attention in this room, says Enright, is the watercolor-patterned wall covering that looks like grasscloth. “People walk in and they have to touch it, but it’s just paper,” she says.
Lighting: Progress Lighting; Vanity and integrated sink: Avanity; Floor tile: AKDO; Interior Door: Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods; Door hardware: House of Antique Hardware
