Cozy Summer Cottage with Vintage Interior

About this cottage on Martha's Vineyard Island (Massachusetts, USA), its owners Marsh and Patrick tell as if it were their best catch. This metaphor is not accidental: the building used to be a fish market. Since recent years, construction has been banned on the island, so local architecture looks as if it were 'conserved' in the 1950s-60s.

The cottage's connection to fishing, proximity to the ocean, and already established exterior style inspired Marsh and Patrick to create a light vintage interior that continues the view from the windows. The restoration and decoration took half a year.

Being an architect by profession, Patrick likes to work with dark and graphic palettes, but in this project he gave up his signature shades—without the influence of his wife. 'We are on an island!'—Marsha said then. 'Here, we need something lighthearted.'

The couple settled on a sand-white-blue palette with bright accents and aged textures.

For the guest bedroom, they selected an antique bamboo headboard, a chair with chipped paint, a modern bench for the foot of the bed, and a textured rug. On the walls, they hung… decorative plates. Quite exotic for a bedroom, but only if it's not majolica—turquoise dishes fit in perfectly and support the beachy vibe of the interior.

Among Marsh's treasures was an old French fabric, which she used to make curtains for the dining room, and a Gothic mirror—perfectly fitting in the hallway.

Despite the entire interior idea revolving around vintage themes, they also thought about practicality. For example, the bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances were chosen strictly modern and technologically advanced, as well as the foldable ladder in the hallway leading to the attic.

For soft furnishings in the living room, they installed a special non-slip fabric. This is needed so that after swimming in the ocean just steps away from the house, one can comfortably sit on the sofa or armchairs in a swimsuit and relax after a swim.