CHANGE OF SCENERY

BO PERKINS DESIGN CREATES A PLUM ISLAND DREAM HOME FOR EMPTY NESTERS.

- Nancy A. Ruhling

WITH THEIR CHILDREN GROWN, NANCY AND Cavan Dunn decided that they needed— and very much desired—a change of scenery. Their solution was to remake their lives by moving from downtown Newburyport to the oceanfront on Plum Island.

Their new old dream house features beachfront windows that frame dramatic mural-like scenes.

They envisioned a lifestyle where they could entertain family and friends, so naturally they put a lot of thought and priority into redesigning their kitchen when they commissioned Bo and Taylor Perkins of Bo Perkins Design to renovate the house.

The room, which faces the sand and seagrass in the back of the property, needed substantial work to make it work for them. “Nancy and Cavan wanted a clean, open, light-filled feel with all the luxuries while keeping it casual,” says Bo.

Taylor adds that “in terms of the home’s overall design, we were conscious of not simply creating a seasonal beach house aesthetic given it is their year-round home.”

The kitchen’s layout was improved by removing the peninsula that divided it from the dining area, relocating the sink from the peninsula to beneath the window and adding the island with a bar sink.