The House: 190 Associates Road, West Falmouth, Massachusetts

The Agents: The O’Neill Group

The Broker: Robert Paul Properties

Nick Churton of Robert Paul’s London office indulges in some mental landscaping while visiting a frontline house on Cape Cod.

Some people like to live directly on the beach, and others want to live with at least a strand of separation. It is a matter of taste, but to some a palette of green and blue seems better than all blue.

I visited a home on Cape Cod with a beautiful colour palette. If I were an artist, I would name the hues. But as I haven’t quite that eye I can only describe the picture those shades paint from the windows of the house.

The property is in a private enclave with about forty other homes that enjoy the vernacular style of the Cape. They also all benefit from seclusion without isolation. The small community has gated security, two private beaches, a tennis court and a community boat barn.

All that is great. But I liked the view towards the sea beyond the spacious bedrooms, the airy open-plan living/entertaining area, the gourmet kitchen and generous decks. Between the house and the beach is a strip of land that is included in the estate. The low vegetation provides terrific verdant shades, while the surface of a large pond picks up the ever-changing mood of the sky overhead. Many people will love this space just the way it is with the birdlife lending this unique private reserve activity, movement and interest. But others might like to bring in the human touch and create a natural garden. It would be an excellent project. 

The salt marsh strand gives the well-appointed, shingle-hung house perspective and context, and I think the picture created from the windows is the better for it. Besides, each time your family and friends walk the few minutes back from the beach, they won’t tread sand into the house.