Entryway

Both interior designer Linda Woodrum and architect Randy Johnson love the anticipation that the entryway builds as you enter the house. "An entryway is extraordinarily important because it gives you a sense of the house," Woodrum says. "You can not only greet people here, but no one feels as if they have to leave."

The crux of the dual-axis design lies in the entryway. "The house is designed along two main axes," Johnson says. "The first axis is a vertical boardwalk that leads from the front door literally straight to the bay. The second is a horizontal interior boardwalk that leads from the mud room and garage to the master bedroom.

Standing at this intersection of sturdy red oak tongue-and-groove hardwood, all views are possible—the summer kitchen, the bay, the master bedroom, the great room, the mud room. The cypress rafters and board-and-batten walls envelop you and contribute to the nostalgic summer camp feel.

He goes on: "This is the room where I could see myself, after a week of solitude, sitting by the door with a book and anticipating the arrival of eagerly-awaited guests."