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“I really look at those as pieces of art,” Marino says. Rather than detract from the view, though, they actually draw the eye toward it. The one item in the living area that Marino didn’t choose was the mantel, a rustic repurposed railroad tie that Hank fell in love with. To echo both its color and its farmhouse feel, Marino installed a natural-wood ceiling fan and rattan pendants over the kitchen island, and chose two sets of counter stools, one pair with wooden legs and the other solid acacia wood. Initially, the homeowners wanted a set of five identical stools, but Marino realized that traditional stools on the side of the island closest to the refrigerator, laundry room and bathroom would impede the flow, so she chose a pair of backless stools that can be pushed completely under the countertop. Of course, this is a beach house, and so the outside is at least as important as the interior—in fact, it’s Hank’s favorite part of the design. Ultracomfortable rattan lounge and club chairs offer the family and guests a choice of escaping the sun in a covered section of the patio, gathering around the firepit, watching the outdoor TV, waiting comfortably on the dock for the boat to come in, or—hands down, the most popular option—kicking back in expectation of yet another perfect sunset over the bay. This page: The house’s many windows take advantage of spectacular bay views, also accessible from the outdoor patio. Opposite page: Building codes allow for no more than two-and-a-half stories, so the homeowners situated most of the bedrooms on the ground floor, the main living area on the second story and the master bedroom, complete with its own terrace, at the top of the house. Its verticality allows for additional square footage on a lot that’s small but stunning, and the exterior design deftly blends modern lines with traditional touches such as clapboard siding and a pitched roof.
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2/28/22 9:50 AM