Nostalgic Summer Escape

Nantucket, RI

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For a Midwestern client who spent summers in Nantucket as a young adult, the charming island off Cape Cod has always held a special place in her heart. When she and her husband came across a picture-perfect home on the market, they knew its surroundings held the potential to become a memorable escape where they could entertain guests and share memorable summers with their young children, family, and guests for years to come.

Residential | Traditional
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Site Visit, View of Main Residence

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Site Visit, Side View of Guest House

The existing home came with an irregular-shaped lot, so the landscape architect's first order of business included a land swap with neighboring homes to reconfigure the site. This allowed for an open backyard with a courtyard-feel that maximizes lawn space for the kids, while accommodating a simple, elongated pool as the central focal point. 

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Keeping with the Nantucket architecture style cherished by the client, the different garden experiences radiate the delightful character of New England summers. Inspired by English architect Edwin Lutyens, circular steps anchor the home's entrance and welcome visitors from the turnaround drive and guesthouse. A gravel garden meanders between the front entry experience into the backyard, with a custom arbor gate that defines the transition.

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Updated Entry Masonry

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Horticulture Sketch

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Final Entry

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Gravel Garden to Arbor Gate

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Before, Pool Courtyard

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After, Pool Courtyard

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A manicured lawn surrounds the water, along with voluptuous 'Endless Summer' blue hydrangeas, dense upright columnar maples, and a cedar shake fence matching the materiality of the home and pool house.
 

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Before 

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After, Pool Cabana 

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Perennial Garden

Perennials are the star of the show as the garden dictates the experience with soft shades of blush and vanilla blooms dotted by more vibrant purples and blues. Clusters of white shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'), tubular spikes of lavender-blue giant hyssop (Agastache' Blue Fortune'), and clouds of Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) create interest all summer long while embracing the hot coastal climate. Showstopping bulbous hydrangeas fill the backdrop of each garden with a gradient of pink to deep blue florets that pair with a variety of soft, verdant plantings that cascade gently over bluestone steppers.

 

With plenty of outdoor space and convenient beach access, this getaway provides the perfect summer backdrop for our clients.