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It’s a sunroom and a laundry room

In a Sagamore vacation home, a light and bright space with a dual purpose.

Sarah Winchester
Sarah Winchester

The owners of this weekend haven in Sagamore yearned for a little more living space. Specifically, they wanted a bright sunroom where they could enjoy coastal breezes, with multiple windows to capture the slight but special view of the ocean across the way. “We were able to create a sunroom where the side entrance to the house was,” says interior designer Tracy Parkinson, who runs her own firm, Nest + Company. “We could only go out 10 feet because of the septic, so the room is long and narrow.” But the space is light and airy and includes a laundry area that Parkinson managed to make handsome. “The laundry was previously in the master bedroom closet,” she explains. “It’s fairly unusual to have a laundry in a sunroom, but we made it pretty enough that it feels like a natural part of the space.”

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1. White slipcovered chairs are from Restoration Hardware. “Slipcovers can be taken off and washed. Furnishings had to be able to be sat on with wet bathing suits. We didn’t want things that you have to worry about,” says Parkinson.

2. As a nod to the coastal locale, walls have shiplap paneling and the ceiling is clad with bead board, painted Benjamin Moore China White.

3. Windows are left unadorned to ensure the room is always light and bright. “We didn’t want to block views of the water or of the pretty trees on the property,” says Parkinson. “The house is located on a corner lot, so privacy isn’t an issue.”

4. Vintage furnishings, including the black bench and wicker chair, are casual and hardy.

5. A metal table on casters from CB2 can be easily shuffled around the space. “There is nothing in the room that can’t be hosed down, wiped off, or swept up,” says Parkinson.

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6. Walnut stools with “dip-dyed” white legs from Serena & Lily serve as extra surface area or a handy place to perch.

7. A highly durable sisal rug is a great choice for the room, says Parkinson. “You can’t see sand in it.” Floors are clad with dark gray porcelain tile.

8. By stealing a bit of space from the master bedroom, the washer and dryer were recessed into the wall.

9. A mahogany counter serves as a place to fold laundry.

10. Brass sconces offer a nautical element and delineate the space, says Parkinson. “The light fixtures in the sunroom have a darker finish.”

11. Vintage lockers — where laundry essentials are stored — were scored on eBay and painted dark gray at an auto body shop to match the floor.