On the Market: A Modern and Serene Escape in Wellfleet

Photo via Keller Williams

115 Pond Ave., Wellfleet
Price: $1,399,000
Size: 2,162 square feet
Bedrooms: 1
Baths: 3

If this dwelling looks like it belongs to the landscape, that’s very much by design. Architect and owner Duane Smith chose to use cast concrete for the lower half of the home to mimic the concrete sea walls you see all around Wellfleet, while black-stained mahogany siding on the upper part pulled color inspiration from the bark of the surrounding pine trees. As for the home’s form, Smith drew on his time studying at the Bauhaus in Germany and his affection for the experimental creations of the post-WWII Case Study House program (an effort to design efficient homes for millions of returning soldiers) to build this open, exploratory escape that looks nothing like your typical Cape Cod home.

Rather than rely on traditional doors to get from room to room, the layout leans on sliding walls. “There are only two interior walls that actually intersect the exterior walls of the house, which creates a great openness and wonderful sight lines throughout,” Smith says. That, and the many sheets of floor-to-ceiling glass that open the interior up to the beachside scenery.

Simple finishes such as butcher block counters, jam jar pendant lights, and polished concrete floors (with radiant heating) deliver a serene interior environment. Even the elongated staircase, affixed with metal pipe and stainless cable railings, were conceived to encourage a calm pace of life. “Just coming upstairs in the morning or descending the stairs in the evening there are lovely moments to appreciate the views, the sun, the rain, and encourage you to slow down,” explains Smith. “It’s difficult to rush in this house!”

Outside, meanwhile, stalks of bamboo curate a zen look in the concrete courtyard, to which all rooms on the lower level have direct access. As for the rest of the yard, the owners decided to let nature work its magic. After building the house, they waited for growth to “take back the land” and then simply groomed it, planting a few specimen trees for privacy and interest. If tranquility is what you’re after in the new year, you’ll surely find it here.

For information, contact Monica Allen, Keller Williams Realty, cape-cod-and-the-islands.kw.com.

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

Photo via Keller Williams

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