When San Francisco–based interior designer Katie Martinez joined forces with a couple building their Nantucket summer home, she didn’t need to fall back on the shabby-chic aesthetic that dominates East Coast beach houses. Having been raised in New Jersey herself, Martinez instead drew on her childhood memories of summering out East in a barn that her great grandmother transformed into an idyllic, seasonal escape. “The interiors were simple, comfortable, and filled with art, books, shells, and objects collected by generations,” she recalls.
The rustic setting of her youth served as a central source of inspiration as she collaborated with her clients—along with local architect Lisa Botticelli and contractor Scott O’Connor—to bring their vision to life. “Living in California, I don't often get the opportunity to pull from my New England roots with such abandon,” says Martinez. “The Nantucket project is something that I really understand the spirit of.”
The home’s airy kitchen extends into a great room that’s flanked by a cozy window seat. It’s laden with mismatched throw pillows—a perfect spot for curling up with a good book. A pair of George Smith armchairs, upholstered in blue linen and navy piping, are gathered around a custom-designed wooden coffee table from Fern NYC.
Her clients, a husband and wife who are both originally from the South, were married on Nantucket, and later bought property on a rugged stretch of the island alongside an expanse of natural wetlands, set away from the main town. Though the construction was done from scratch, there was a desire to establish a strong sense of history in the home’s scale and interiors. “They wanted it to feel like a multigenerational home that had been there for a long time,” Martinez notes.
On the lower level, the light-filled kitchen and dining space flow seamlessly into the family room, smartly furnished with a combination of antiques and contemporary additions. “I loved finding these pieces, and they absolutely make the rooms. They bring the history and patina we were after,” says Martinez. Upstairs, the master suite and children’s room boast custom millwork pieces—like a stylish, dual-purpose desk and headboard in the couple’s bedroom—which allow for maximum function without impeding stunning views of Nantucket Sound and the surrounding natural landscape.
Martinez’s conscious selection and editing of furnishings and materials gives every corner of this New England escape an authentic and inviting vibe. “The idea was to have an eclectic group of pieces that weren’t precious. We wanted the feeling of simplicity in a summer home,” she says. The finished product is now playing an integral role in a new generation of summer memories, much like the ones that Martinez still cherishes.
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