A Nantucket Cottage Before and After

It was 92 degrees today in Boston and the start of Memorial Day weekend is only hours away. Summer is here along warm breezes, sunny skies, open windows and weekend trips so it's a great time to think about summer cottage decorating. Unfortunately, I don't own a summer place, but I recently found photos of designer Jeffrey Bilhuber's summer cottage on Nantucket. These before and after photos of the cottage are from the September 2003 issue of Architectural Digest and show his unique take on the cottage look. The living room (shown here) is crisp and tailored with classic upholstered furniture, but also light and airy thanks to the open beamed ceiling and white sheers on the windows. The tangerine accent color on the chairs and pillows is a refreshing change from the blues typically used in summer homes near the beach.

Above is the same room before Bilhuber's transformation. To say that this designer has great taste and skill is almost an understatement.

Here's a before shot of what appears to be a den.

And the after. Chocolate brown walls warm (or cool) the space.

The dining area before with its gray stained walls.

Bilhuber kept the gray colored walls and added more tangerine colored accents. My favorite elements are the white contemporary dining table paired with traditional style chairs.

Here's another view into the den from the dining area.

And of course, the house only gets better. Here's a before shot of a room....

...that was transformed into a master bedroom. The matching chests must provide ample storage in this house where closet space is likely scarce.

A bright bedroom gets even better....

...with the removal of dated carpeting and wallpaper and the addition of original art plus sheer cafe curtains.

The house looks so tiny from the exterior, which is typical of the original cottages on Nantucket. No one would know from passing by what a fresh and inventive interior awaits inside. It's the perfect weekend retreat, if you ask me.

Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend!

All Photos by Peter Vanderwarker for Architectural Digest