West Chop Cottage

Built for empty nesters on the verge of retirement and looking for a romantic country cottage in the woods, this new home takes cues from the early-twentieth-century shingle-style houses surrounding it. But while its double-gambrel, cedar-clad exterior adheres to classic New England architectural traditions, its interior offers a sense of surprise.

The house reveals a contemporary sense of space within, opening to a central one-and-a-half story living-and-dining room with a balcony above. It still exudes a nostalgic warmth, however, thanks to elements like richly detailed millwork, antique pine floors finished with cut nails, a fit-stone fireplace, and timber beams reclaimed from a Connecticut barn.

French doors open the house’s back to the outdoors, where a covered columned porch leads to a patio, pool, and lawns. Behind the right gambrel sits an outbuilding styled as a former stable. It smartly serves a triple purpose: pool cabana on one side, carriage house on the other, and guest suite above.