Bringing Coastal Charm –and Beach Breezes– Into a Historic Rehoboth Cottage
Restoring and reviving this gorgeous historic Rehoboth beachfront cottage has truly been a collaborative labor of love that began years ago. Built in the 1930s, this summer cottage had no indoor plumbing and wasn’t winterized until much later on. However, its signature sprawling front porch and surviving original interior design elements have charmed its various owners throughout the decades.
The Meerstein family, who recently bought the property, came to us looking to continue the renovations that the previous owners started with the goal of transforming this house into the ultimate beach retreat while still honoring its past. Together with interior design firm, Weeth Home, we were able to create a gorgeous, cozy coastal home for this family to enjoy for generations to come.
INCORPORATING ORIGINAL ELEMENTS
Our clients loved this property’s historic charm and asked that we retain as much of the original design elements as we could, including hardwood flooring, beadboard ceilings, and exposed beams and rafters, which we were happy to do. There were certain details that we and the Meerstein’s knew we couldn’t salvage, but loved so much that we found a way to recreate them to fit in with the rest of the home, including the Dutch door on the side of the house, the cedar shake siding, and the beautiful teal paint on the exterior trim.
While we wanted to keep the original brick fireplace in the living area, we found it was structurally unstable, so we decided to go with a simple and sleek gas fireplace with a clean, timeless Venetian plaster surround, which will blend so well with the rest of the space when installation is complete.
WORKING WITH PAST RENOVATIONS
The cottage’s previous owners added a two-bedroom rear guest house, new bathrooms, a few other additions to expand the living space, and heat, but no air conditioning. These improvements were a great start to helping this house fit the needs of our clients and their three daughters.
To give the Meerstein’s enough space for their family and friends to gather, we began with a kitchen overhaul that includes spacious counters, lots of storage, and a wow-worthy tile feature that echoes the home’s Art Deco era origins. Gold accents add an extra touch of class as they pop against a white backdrop.
Similarly, the bathroom refresh takes guests back to the 1930s with pink tile lining the shower and an absolutely stunning geometric floor. With more gold fixtures and hardware, this space is the perfect blend of timeless and historic.
Beach life is all about indoor/outdoor spaces, so the pièce de resistance in this remodel was definitely the 25-foot folding door between the living room and the front porch. Absolutely worth the splurge, this feature opens to allow beach breezes to flow throughout the entire house and creates a space large enough for everyone to gather comfortably.
With a beautiful blend of old and new, this coastal creation will soon be the perfect spot for summer memories to flourish.
Does your space need an update? Schedule a consultation with our team today to see what’s possible!