A Nautical New England Vacation Home With Summer Ideas to Steal

For years, Lorin and Jeremy Seidman had rented places around New England for their family’s summer vacation. Then they stumbled upon quaint Narragansett, RI, and got hooked on the uncrowded beaches, warm water and charming farmers market.

They went looking for a rental but fell under the spell of a Cape Cod meets Colonial for sale. “It was love at first sight,” says Lorin. The couple dug deep into their savings and went for it. Although the 2003 house on the bay was in great shape, the inside was lackluster: blank walls, yellowy wood and beige carpet everywhere, hardly Lorin’s dream of a classic yet modern New England beach house.

Guided by designer Elizabeth Benedict, the Seidmans opened up the living spaces, refinished the hardwood floors and outfitted the rooms with comfy pieces in shades of red, white and blue. Says Lorin, “There’s always something to do on the water, but our house turned out so great that I’m often tempted to spend all day inside.

“I wanted an entrance where you couldn’t walk in without smiling at the color,” says Lorin of the door’s shade (Soft Glow by Benjamin Moore).

Lobster reds (like in the pouf from Target and the floral pillows made with Duralee fabric) and a sea of blues (including the Roman shades made with Kravet fabric) pop against neutral pieces. The sectional and the armchair are by Miles Talbott, and the coffee table is by CFC. The barely blue walls are painted Winter Ice by Benjamin Moore.

The original medium brown cabinets were no one’s idea of light and bright. So in came a new set of white ones plus chandeliers by Mr. Brown with frames that remind Lorin of stacked beach pebbles. A quartzite-top island that’s 9 feet long has lots of room for gathering around the catch of the day with Asher, 11, and Romy, 9. The counter stools by Gat Creek were painted to match the front door. “You can never get enough lobster red in a beach house,” says Lorin.

Someone’s always chilling here, and it’s no wonder: The swing, from Lowcountry Swing Beds, is flush with pillows, and there’s a seafoam-color ceiling (Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore) to wake up to postnap. Lorin framed the flag of the United States Power Squadrons, a nonprofit for boating education, and hung a painted paddle by Norquay.

Pro tip: If a decorative oar, like the one above, doesn’t have hangers in back, screw a small D ring into the handle and one in the paddle. Drill corresponding holes in the wall, fit them with anchors and screws and hang.