Tour an Empy Nesters' Coastal Retreat — Designed by Their Daughter

Jennifer and Jim Murchie both have vivid childhood memories of being at houses where certain rooms were off limits to kids. “There was plastic on the sofas and you couldn’t wait to leave!” says Jennifer. The couple created the opposite vibe for their three daughters, and when the empty nesters recently purchased a 4,200-square-foot home in Westport, Connecticut, they wanted to make sure the new place felt just as welcoming and fun for their young grandchildren.

The couple was fortunate enough to have close ties to a great designer — their oldest daughter, Leslie Murchie Cascino — to personalize every room. “It was dark and formal, which we are not,” says Jim, who runs a financial services firm (Jennifer works with him). To make her special clients feel at home, Leslie set out to create more space for visitors (like her young sons, Theo and Cameron) and layer in cottage-like charm.

“The house is only 20 years old but we wanted it to seem like it’s been in the family for generations,” says Leslie. She mixed furniture and finishes from different design eras so it would look collected over time, and she kept kids (and dogs) in mind when she picked fabrics and other materials. “It’s now a family-friendly home where you’re not afraid to put your feet on the furniture,” says Jennifer. The best part: No one ever wants to leave!

They were drawn to the house for its New England–style exterior and sweeping views of the Long Island Sound. The front flower beds are filled with clusters of colorful perennials, like hydrangeas, coneflowers, black-eyed Susan and ornamental grasses, for even more cottage garden charm.

The happy vibes start with the front door, painted Paradise Peach by Benjamin Moore.

The walls in this spacious entry are covered in ocean-inspired wallpaper that catches the eye as soon as guests cross the threshold. A contemporary caned bench is the perfect perch to take off shoes, while the traditional secretary hutch and Turkish rug give the space a collected feel.

There are plenty of places for all of Jennifer and Jim's grandkids to sit in the living room — and Leslie made sure the fabrics were family-friendly. "Almost all of the fabrics are indoor/outdoor," she says. Another trick for kid-approved spaces that's at play here: "The rugs are 100% wool with enough pattern and color to obscure small messes."

The vaulted celing, stone fireplace surround and floor-to-ceiling windows make this space extra special. The pair of comfy arm chairs by the windows are covered in nostalgic floral fabric by Designer's Guild featuring dahlias and hosta leaves.

“We’re open-concept people and love to host, so taking down the wall to the living room was a must,” Jim says. Leslie chose the Ocean Blue quartzite for the counters and backsplash because it mimics sand patterns at low tide. She had the dark wood floors refinished in a pickled whitewashed stain to make them look like they’d been sun-bleached over time. The jute rope counter stools are from Palecek and the dome pendants are from The Urban Electric Co.

The butler's pantry is the family's go-to drink station; you can spy Jennifer and Jim's tea collection in the glass-front upper cabinet on the right. The beaded cabinets below, which match the kitchen, disguise an under-cabinet fridge and a full-size freezer to store more drinks and other snacks. The backsplash tile is from Fireclay Tile.

“I fell in love with this Designers Guild cheery floral fabric on the drapes, so it became the jumping-off point for the rest of the room,” says Jennifer. (The fabric is on the shams too.) The sisal wallpaper is Thibaut and the bedding is from Serena & Lily. Traditional French doors were swapped out for sliders that show off the view of Sprite Island.

Jennifer chose green fabric for the wingback chair to tie in with the green hue in the window treatments. (It's the perfect spot to read a book or take in the views.) An abstract seascape painting above the dresser completes the coastal scene.

Leslie wanted this room to feel like a beachy cottage, so she paired light blue stripes in a Schumacher wallpaper with checks on Serena & Lily bedding and florals in the custom pillows and the Roman shade. The bed is from Article, the rope mirror is from Serena & Lily and the rug is vintage.

Adding to the breezy theme, a pair of seashell illustration prints lean on top of the desk. The window shade fabric by Walter G displays a beachy color scheme: aqua, emerald and sky blue.

Each room has a nautical nod, like the beach glass–inspired backsplash from Fireclay Tile here. The mirrors, from Rejuvenation, and the midcentury-style sconce, from Hudson Valley Lighting, add dimension to the space. The little wood stools are vintage and help the grandkids reach the sink!

“Laundry isn’t the most fun chore, but I never mind being in this room!” says Jennifer. Leslie leaned into ’50s style with flat-front cabinets, matte black knobs and pulls from Emtek and green and beige ceramic floor tile from Merola Tile. “The house I grew up in had yellow kitchen cabinets, so there’s a bit of nostalgia in here for me too,” says Jennifer. The botanical wallpaper from Thibaut pulls in the outdoors.