Cape Cod Calm: Tour This Serene Seaside Escape

Text by Elizabeth Czapski

When Samantha and Andrew Chused started the hunt for a second home, they were searching for a true haven from the stresses of everyday life—a place to escape and recharge with their young son and daughter as well as extended family and friends. They found the perfect retreat in a 1969 Cape Cod gambrel-roof abode in the scenic Racing Beach area of Falmouth, Massachusetts. The home had just undergone a full-gut renovation and expansion by a developer who planned to use it for himself but then decided to sell. As luck would have it, the spacious, updated layout showcasing stunning views of Buzzards Bay from every corner proved to be precisely what the Chuseds had hoped to discover. Now, all they needed was to give it the tranquil aesthetic they desired.

“Our vision was focused on creating a space that felt like a faraway vacation when we were there,” Andrew says of the home, though it is conveniently just under an hour-and-a-half drive from the couple’s primary residence. “We wanted each space to feel clean and simple but sophisticated and very relaxing. We wanted to make sure each room celebrated the views of the ocean.”

Their luck continued when they stumbled upon Mackenzie & Co. on Instagram and fell in love with the company’s designs that harmoniously matched this vision. “Their photos exuded the warmth, comfort, and layered simplicity we were looking for to make our space feel like home,” Samantha says. Teaming up with Angela Hamwey, founder of the firm, they got to work crafting “a curated, cohesive look that reflected the beachfront home,” she says—as well as the family that would inhabit it.

 “The homeowners are a young, busy family,” Angela adds. “They wanted a light and bright coastal aesthetic but also needed this home to be a workhorse for lots of company and family—meaning, it had to be durable and pretty. We used textiles that offered easy cleanup, as well as wool rugs for trapping sand. Since this was an older home that had been updated with a lot of builder-grade finishes, our goal was to make it more unique.”

This idea comes to life in architectural features like a shiplap accent wall and a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace in the living area, along with striking light fixtures incorporated throughout—from the kitchen to the primary bedroom. Used sparingly, these elements bring fitting interest to the minimalist ambience, as does a mix of furnishing silhouettes, materials, and textures.

Angela’s method commences in the main open-concept living and dining areas, where an assortment of seating styles and groupings mingle across a soft, serene scheme of white and sandy neutrals with notes of blue and fresh, organic accents that echo the seaside scenes beyond a plethora of windows.

Furniture spanning both traditional and contemporary designs is streamlined but comfortable with plush upholstery and accompanying textiles bearing restrained yet varied patterns, such as nautical-inspired stripes and abstract motifs, along with muted color. Personalized details, like the Chuseds’ ever-growing sea glass collection, bring character to the space as they continue the subtle palette.

“Soft-color accents were added but kept clean and minimal, as our clients did not want a lot of clutter,” Angela explains. “They have very busy lives and wanted this home to embrace calm, light, and airy feelings, which is why we focused on whites, pale blues, and various textures rather than adding color.”

This approach is evident in the crisp white kitchen at first glance, but dark countertops and a wood island provide contrast and depth that infuse a distinctive feel without distracting from the signature look. Similarly, the guest room’s soothing neutral base gains appeal from a gently used but unexpected accent color. “We added black in a few accent furniture pieces to ground an overall light aesthetic,” Angela says. “Mixing black accents into a white design adds dimension and interest when used intentionally.”

A genuine respite with cozy textures that soften and enrich the quiet scheme, the primary bedroom is one of the Chuseds’ most cherished spaces in the home. “Using all-natural fibers leaves the homeowners feeling like they are in a boutique coastal hotel,” Angela says of inclusions such as flowing sheer linen curtains, high-end percale sheets, and a wool rug, as well as luxurious touches like a four-poster bed and aged-brass sconces with bamboo-wrapped detailing.

And while the interiors have been transformed into exactly what the Chuseds envisioned, Angela says it’s the pristine waterfront location—the muse for their design work—that really makes this home unique. Beyond the classic gray-shingled, cottage-style exterior, the outdoor areas remain another favorite hangout of the family—from the welcoming front porch lined with Adirondack chairs to the comfortably furnished deck.

“It’s a perfect space that is super versatile and can handle everything from the kids straight out of playing in the ocean to hosting sunset cocktails with family and friends,” Samantha says, describing the relaxed way of life the setting inspires, now enhanced all the more from the inside out.