Car Barn

Set on a large plot with significant landscaping, this carriage house and guest cottage combines New England agrarian vernacular architecture with elements inspired by the cars it was designed for. The oversailing eaves, for example, recall streamlined headlights, while the windows take inspiration from the grille teeth of a 1960 Corvette.

A cobblestone-and-grass grand allée lined with illuminated trees leads to a carriage-house portal with cars, a library of automotive reference books, and a relaxing seating area inside. Outside, a patio and grill area sits at the bottom of the property’s gentle slope. A wet bar services both the in- and outdoor areas.

Above this, welcoming window boxes on the façade indicate that the two upper stories are designed for living. The rooftop cupola, outfitted with a custom hanging pendant light, further recalls the building’s local agricultural roots, while at the same time, it references the island’s maritime history and lighthouses.

In the second floor’s double-height living area—featuring wood-beamed ceilings and antique wide-plank floors salvaged from a mill in Maine—a compact kitchen offers every needed amenity. The curved open staircase leads to a mezzanine sitting room and a guest room accessed by cathedral-topped double doors. The bedroom’s steep eaves feel appropriate to its intimate, private scale.