Cocktail cruises and sailboat racing are a way of life on the Jersey Shore, and it is here, in the charming waterfront town of Mantoloking, where longtime homeowner Nancy Van Duyne comes back to visit every summer. So, when her late father’s beloved house was damaged beyond repair during Hurricane Sandy, the Washington, D.C., resident decided to build a new “forever house” for herself and her 20-year-old daughter, Katie, on the same waterfront site. “My whole goal in life is to create a home for our extended family and friends,” Nancy says, “a place where everybody can feel a measure of comfort and independence.”
To realize her vision, Nancy brought in Los Angeles-based interior designer Joe Lucas, whom she has known since he was toddler (he is her best friend’s kid brother), and esteemed local architect John Lederer, who has been designing houses in the area for decades. In fact, the entire design team has life-long connections to the area. “It was definitely a hometown family gathering,” Lucas says. “It’s fun when you know the client and their history, because the things that mean a lot to her mean a lot to me as well.”
To begin, the cedar Shingle-style abode had to be elevated 6 feet off the ground to accommodate updated FEMA regulations. A wing runs perpendicular to the house and, along with the home’s elevated floor, makes room for a lower-level garage tucked beneath a bunkroom that sleeps up to 16. “We came up with a sort of split-level,” Lederer says. “It’s not a favorite word in architectural parlance, but in this case, it worked out really well.”
General contractor Skip Applegate, who renovated Nancy’s aunt’s home just up the street 35 years ago, worked with Lederer to navigate the new regulations. “In one day, it took nine concrete trucks just to pour the footings,” Applegate explains, noting that it had to be done in one continuous pour. Although Applegate has completed many extensive renovations over the years, this is the first dwelling that he has actually built from the ground up, and many times the crew worked long into the night. “It was grueling,” he says, “but also exciting.”
Just as exciting are the interiors, which include colorful cabinetry and millwork alongside floral patterns and boisterous floor tiles. “Nancy loves color,” Lucas says. “And this is actually a pared-down version of what she might have normally gone for.” While blue kitchen cabinetry creates the “punch” that the owner envisioned for the great room, for example, the walls are a lighter hue that reads as a neutral. Patterned fabric on the dining chairs contains all the colors in the room, allowing the sectional sofa and patterned draperies to coexist peacefully with the bold blue cabinetry. “There’s a method to the madness,” Lucas explains of his design, where everything has its own special vibe but plays nicely together.
That goes double for the adjacent sun room, which has 3⁄4-inch-high wainscoting and a complementary patterned wallcovering. It’s one of Nancy’s favorite rooms and a cozy spot to converse with guests over cocktails before heading into the dining space or to simply take a nap on the tufted sofa. “Couches had to be not just beautiful but also nappable, and carpets had to pass the barefoot test,” Nancy says. “I didn’t want to compromise on the quality, but I still wanted comfort.”
In Nancy’s master suite, light green walls and dark green built-ins harmonize with the upholstered headboard and matching draperies. The space shares a covered porch overlooking the water with Katie’s room, where Lucas employed a more subdued palette. “Katie has a contemporary edge, loves fashion and goes to school in the city,” Lucas explains, “so her room is a little more hip.”
Responding to the home’s boisterous palette, landscape designer Randy Lesperance planted the ower boxes with colorful florals and incorporated large hydrangea bushes that soften the architecture and help “bring it down to the ground.” Brick pavers that match the brick on the house add interest to the concrete driveway, while copper light fixtures coordinate with the gutters. “There’s a constant reflection and repetition of elements,” Lesperance explains. “John is an amazing architect, and it’s a privilege and an honor to complement his work.”
The result marries the best of traditional architecture with modern conveniences in a setting that never fails to impress the homeowner. “I had a conversation with one of Joe’s sisters before the project, and she said, ‘You’ll be so much happier if you let Joe be Joe,’ and that’s the best design advice I got,” says Nancy, who plans to spend up to six months of the year at the house, joining in on those sailboat races now that she’s retired. “I bought a new sail, and I’ll be racing the boat again this summer. Life is good.”
—Tate Gunnerson
