Boston Home

Saving a Grand Old Lady on Hyannis Port

Architect Jill Neubauer and Clodagh Design gave a crumbling 120-year-old Cape Cod cottage a second life—on a new foundation, with all its soul intact.

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Wooden house exterior with weathered gray shingles, white-framed windows, and a white staircase leading up to a porch. The porch has a glass door and is flanked by lush hydrangea bushes with pale yellow flowers. A metal bell on a post stands to the left of the stairs, and the sky is clear and blue.

Photo by Charles Mayer

This article is from the summer 2026 issue of Boston Home. Sign up here to receive a subscription.

When architect Jill Neubauer first toured this 120-year-old, weather-beaten home on the shores of Hyannis Port, she noticed what turned out to be a sign that its rehabilitation was more complicated than the new owners realized. The wallpaper in the stairwell was puckered and pulled. “There were multiple cracks in the foundation and slab,” Neubauer says. “The east side of the house was pulling away from the west side, slipping down the hill toward the marsh.”

The owners, one of whom has a childhood history here, committed to saving it. The team lifted the house, moved it 5 feet to the east, and set it atop a new foundation, keeping the shell intact. Then, Neubauer and Clodagh Design reimagined the interior without losing sight of the past. “Everyone rallied around this great old lady desperate for love,” Neubauer says.

White-paneled room with light wood flooring featuring a long built-in desk under a window overlooking the ocean. Two blue upholstered chairs with wooden legs are positioned at the desk. A white vase with white flowers sits on the desk. On the left side, a blue abstract painting hangs on the wall above a blue upholstered sofa and a blue and beige striped rug. A wooden sculpture is displayed on a built-in shelf along the wall.

Photo by Charles Mayer

Honor Yankee Essence

It was important to Neubauer that they not zhuzh things up too much. Instead, she sought to capture the essence of what was, ushering the house into its next chapter gently and quietly. Inspired by the materiality, texture, and charm of the beadboard lining the west wing bedrooms, Neubauer and Nancie Min, who is the design director at Clodagh Design, specified painted wood paneling throughout the home. V-groove swathes the west wing guest suite, beadboard nestles between excavated ceiling beams in the living room, and stately board and batten greets visitors in the foyer, running up the stairs to the generous landing. “We brought the idea of the original wood forward, elevating it in scale and crispness,” Neubauer says.

Living room with a large brown sectional sofa adorned with beige and brown pillows, two wooden armchairs with beige cushions, and a rustic wooden coffee table with books and a small plant. The room features white walls, large windows, and French doors that open to a balcony with a view of the ocean and greenery. A built-in bench with cushions is positioned under one window, and a modern wooden floor lamp stands near the sofa. The space is bright with natural light and has a cozy, coastal aesthetic.

Photo by Charles Mayer

Lend a Hand

Artisanal craftsmanship and natural materials lend honesty, character, and comfort, particularly in the living room, where Clodagh Design represented all the elements: water, metal, earth, wood, and fire. To fashion the coffee table, André Joyau inserted a bronze slab between the organic ends of a tree, illustrating the intersection of nature and craft. A wood panel with abstract carvings by Benoît Averly hides the television over the fireplace, a functional and decorative display that reveals itself as one nears. The rug, composed of various antique rugs stitched together by hand, adds an element of craft underfoot. As with the table and panel, you feel the maker’s presence. “It’s made by tender loving hands,” Min reiterates. “There’s comfort from that love.”

Dining room with a large rectangular wooden table surrounded by eight striped upholstered chairs. A modern rectangular chandelier with multiple glass globes hangs above the table. The room features white paneled walls, a brick fireplace with a brass frame on the left, and a long wooden sideboard with a white countertop on the right. Two large abstract paintings hang above the fireplace and sideboard. French doors at the far end open to a balcony with outdoor seating and a view of greenery and water in the distance.

Photo by Charles Mayer

Cultivate Context

Artwork, lighting, and color help establish a sense of place, strengthening the home’s connection to the surrounding landscape. For instance, the abstract forms on the diptych by Marc Lambrechts in the entry are reminiscent of seagulls, and seascapes painted by Provincetown native Anne Packard realistically echo the water views. In the dining room, the Pagani Studio chandelier’s rock crystal slices are shaped like sails, alluding to the husband’s favorite pastime here. In devising the home’s overall color palette, Clodagh Design considered the actual beach. “We reference a jar of local sand during the design process for every beach project,” Min says. “Cape Cod sand has the coolest tones we’ve seen.”

A modern staircase with beige carpet runners and white railings, featuring a small black and white dog lying on the steps. To the left of the stairs is a built-in bench with a brown cushion and a blue pillow, set against white paneled walls. On the right wall, there are two large abstract art pieces in brown, white, and black tones. The floor is light wood, and a blue patterned rug is partially visible at the bottom of the image. In the background, a doorway leads to a bright room with a sofa and striped pillows.

Photo by Charles Mayer

Don’t Scramble, Streamline

Neubauer approached the layout with a light hand, simplifying the plan so the house is easier to live in. As was typical of turn-of-the-century summer cottages, there was a slew of bedrooms—four in the main body and three railroaded in the west wing. Neubauer reduced the number to four, gracing each with an en suite bath. Downstairs, the kitchen, capped by a new mudroom on one end and stairs, fills the west wing, with natural light streaming in along both sides. Most significantly, Neubauer opened up the oceanside screened porch that was suffocated by jalousie glass years before. French doors lead there from the dining room, while French doors in the living room lead to the adjacent terrace. “There is more breathing room and connection to the landscape,” the architect says. “You feel the breeze, catch the sunlight, and hear the waves.”

Architect Neubauer Ennis Architects
Builder E.B. Norris & Son
Interior Designer Clodagh Design
Landscape Architect Bernice Wahler Landscapes

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Summer 2026 issue, with the headline “Humble Glory.”

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