A House in Hiding
It looks like a storage building. But beyond the barnlike facade, there's a comfortable cottage for two with a beautiful view.
Synopsis: A former carriage house on Cape Cod becomes a retirement home for a retired couple. Finished photos and a floor plan illustrate how the space was adapted for a new use while still looking like a carriage house from the street.
Things are not always what they seem. And in the case of this small house on Cape Cod, that’s a good thing. The house’s barnlike facade faces a street that buzzes with beach traffic from April to October. Beyond the big doors, you’d never guess there’s a quiet, cozy retirement cottage designed for accessibility, privacy, and beautiful views of a nearby salt marsh.
This story begins a couple of years ago when my sister, Colleen, bought a home on Cape Cod. The property included an outbuilding that had served as a carriage house in the 1800s.
Whenever I visited, I found myself wandering in…
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