A Lovely New Cottage Brings Light to an Old Truro Foundation
Architect Nick Waldman thoughtfully rebuilt this Cape Cod two-bedroom to feel like it’d been here all along—cedar shingles, marsh views, and all.
White-cedar and Alaskan yellow-cedar shingles marry native plants to maximize the lush natural environment of this Truro cottage, while oversized windows welcome sweeping tidal-marsh views. / Photo by Matt Kisiday
This article is from the summer 2026 issue of Boston Home.
Surrounded by a tidal marsh, this property on one of the prettiest roads in Truro was the ideal respite far away from the homeowners’ urban residence. Simple yet stylish, small but spacious, the new two-bedroom cottage accommodated them and occasionally their grown children so they could relive fond memories of Cape summers while creating new ones.
But the path to get here was studded with roadblocks. What began as a selective renovation of a 100-year-old home in a sensitive environmental and historic district morphed into a teardown when the design and build team learned there was structural damage and little history to salvage, says architectural designer Nick Waldman. With a clean palette, they built on the existing foundation, adding 3 feet along the north side and a breezy rear porch that rakes in the view.
In the kitchen, which features open shelves instead of upper cabinets, wood tones and natural hues are paired with the homeowner’s vintage and thrifted pieces. / Photo by Matt Kisiday
“We wanted a house that fit in with the character of the road, that didn’t disrupt the natural, native landscape of Truro, that blended in and felt like it belonged here, like it has always been here,” the homeowner says. “The view is extraordinary. You walk into the house and you’re confronted with it, and it makes you feel like you’re in a wide-open, beautiful place.”
The multifunctional kitchen, living, and dining space takes full advantage of this fresh approach, with large windows on all sides and no walls to impede the view or the light that comes with it. Waldman maximized square footage here to expand this area for functionality and created a modern wall of skylights overhead to illuminate the cooking and eating zones. Floating shelves in white oak, in lieu of upper cabinets, maintain that buoyancy and show off the homeowners’ collection of midcentury vintage cookware and thrifted finds.
The primary suite takes advantage of water views with large Loewen windows and cathedral ceilings, while a warm palette sets a restful mood. / Photo by Matt Kisiday
“It’s loaded up with skylights, so that volume goes straight through here, which you can see in the elevations along this side,” Waldman points out. “The kitchen becomes part of the living room, with the same ceiling height, to reinforce that it’s all one space. The millwork itself does the job of creating the different ‘rooms.’”
Cathedral ceilings and picture windows on the second floor are a subtle bridge between bedroom privacy and light, making the entire abode positively radiant from the inside out. But from the outside in, it appears as if this modest rectangular cottage with its white-cedar shingles, traditional gabled roofline, and porches perfect for an afternoon sunset has been here all along.
Teak seating and mahogany flooring on the all-wood screened porch speak to Truro’s coastal New England vibe. / Photo by Matt Kisiday
It was styled that way, too, the homeowner says. “It’s a mixture of old and new here, sort of a juxtaposition of an old vintage oriental rug or modern light fixture,” the homeowner says of their design style. “The lines of the house are spare and clean, and walls are painted white so we could add color with the items we found.”
Naturally, this captivating cottage has curated its next 100 years in the spirit of Truro’s historic charm, with scale, light, and an aesthetic that are true to this part of the Cape.
“The big thing that I like about this house is that everything is left to weather naturally,” Waldman says. “So not only is it a ubiquitous, appropriate material for the Cape, but it’ll last a long time and look beautiful when everything silvers out.”
Custom cabinetry in Baltic birch and shiplap walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s “Cloud White” offer structure and style in the mudroom. / Photo by Matt Kisiday
Architectural Design Nick Waldman Studio
Contractor A.F. Hultin & Co.
Custom Millwork Shaw Woodworking
First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Summer 2026 issue, with the headline “Built to Belong.”
