With their children nearly grown and an eye on the future, a couple bought an oceanfront property in the village of Magnolia and set about creating a haven that would age in place with them. Just a quarter acre in size, the property was inhabited by an old, run-down Cape-style guest cottage that was home to artist Joseph R. Corish at one time.
The couple decided to reclaim the space as their own with a two-story, 3,000-square-foot Shingle-style house positioned to make the most of the water views, which include daily parades of boats.
They commissioned Christina Wikman to create calming interiors and her husband, Ryan Wikman, to develop a serene landscape. The duo merged their talents and respective companies to form Chestnut Grove Design Group, which provides clients with a seamless indoor-outdoor design experience.
In collaboration with their clients, the Wikmans selected exterior finishes, including the siding colors and garage doors, and chose unifying interior features, such as the stone used in the soaring living room fireplace. In addition to decorating the spaces, Christina designed the home’s extensive millwork.
The owners embraced traditional style and leaned into neutral tones with small pops of color. The husband’s office, for instance, is clad in bookcases and shelves that look like a serious grey suit, but his commanding desk chair is upholstered in bright cognac leather. An enormous Sputnik-like chandelier gives the room a Mad Men feel, notes Christina.
Taking cues from nature and the home’s natural environment, she appointed rooms with subtle blues and seafoam greens reminiscent of gentle waves. Although the rooms are large—the foyer soars two stories—woodwork and paneling brings them down to earth.
The living room ceiling is grounded by dark wooden beams and easygoing furnishings, including a sectional sofa with chaise lounge. The dining room is appointed with a smallish custom rectangular table for dining a deux, sited to give a bird’s-eye view of the sea. When there are guests, another table can be pulled to join it.
“The dining area is light and airy, and the light fixture is playful,” Christina says. “Its transparent glass globes look like bubbles from sea spray or clouds.”
Outside, Ryan kept the landscape design simple and left a swath of grass because the plot is small. Whites, greens, purples, and dashes of yellow come from a variety of plants, including Annabelle and limelight hydrangeas, nepeta, Massachusetts Kinnikinnick, coreopsis, and native sweet fern.
“We used mass plantings of a lot of native plants,” he says, adding, “We needed plants that work with sea spray and the high salt content of the water.”
Natural materials tie the indoors and outdoors together like a bow on a gift box. “One of the biggest challenges was the hardscape,” says Ryan, who worked closely with the town to follow conservation commission rules. “There are gorgeous granite walls surrounding the house, so we matched that stone on the exterior walls and chimney.”
The main patios, which include a grilling station with pizza oven and smoker, gaze toward the sea. Newly planted tall Scotch pines and trellises covered in autumn clematis conceal these patios from the street. “Our goal was to make the most of the view yet not restrict the house,” says the landscape designer.
Because the owners are nearing retirement, they wanted the house to be accessible. Exterior accommodations include permeable pavers on the drive that allow water to flow into underground systems to prevent slipping. Heated walks melt the snow. Inside, the hallways and doorways are wide, and the non-threshold glass shower in the primary suite is outfitted with a bench and large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
“When the couple saw the completed house, which we furnished in just one day, they told us that we captured their vision and really brought it to life,” says Christina.