This Old House’s 6th annual Idea House is a sweet-looking cottage with coastal charm that addresses two of the biggest challenges homeowners face today: affordability and flexibility. The 2,495-square-foot-house was designed by Union Studio Architecture & Community Design for a contest that sought accessible, year-round housing solutions for young professionals and their families. Union Studio’s winning submission packs a lot of living into an efficient, smartly designed footprint. Built around a 1,095-square-foot core structure, the house was designed with flexible wings that can be added to provide ways of generating income on the side. Add-ons featured include a garage workshop, a 432-square-foot rental apartment, and a home office. Builder Matthew Cole of Cape Associates, Inc. invested in a tight, insulated envelope with a high-efficiency HVAC system and innovative home tech products to make the house healthy, safe, and smart. “Thanks in part to its simple, purposeful design,” says Cole, “and despite the Covid-required safety precautions that needed to be implemented mid-construction, the house was completed in just six months.” This Old House has been covering the build with live webcams, galleries, videos, an OTT video series and continual social posts since Cape Associates broke ground last January. The in-progress content is curated on a Cottage on the Cape landing page where the furnished reveal will also be posted on August 17. Interior Designer Denise Enright outfitted the house in a style she calls Coastal Chic with furnishings and fittings inspired by the colors and textures of the coast. The result: a home that’s beachy, without being kitschy, and soothing spaces that feel clean, casual, and uncluttered—like summer all year-round. The general public is invited to join the livestream tour on Thursday, July 16th, at 12:00pm EST via Facebook, YouTube or ThisOldHouse.com. Matt Cole and Denise Enright will “walk” guests through each space calling out the innovative products, building techniques, and trends they incorporated. There will be a live Q&A following the tour. A stellar platform for the latest building products and trending décor, The TOH 2020 Idea House on the Cape features an impressive roster of sponsors including: AdvanTech, Aeratis, All Weather Armour, Baird Brother Fine Hardwoods, Benjamin Moore, The BILCO Company, Clopay, Elkay, EpoxyShield, GAF, Gorilla Glue, House of Antique Hardware, LIFESPAN Solid Select, Lush Décor, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, Progress Lighting, Rockwool, Sakrete, SBC Cedar, Schluter-Systems, Sierra Pacific, Varathane, VELUX, Walpole Outdoors, Weyerhaeuser, and ZIP System. About This Old House Ventures, LLC This Old House Ventures, LLC is the number one multi-platform home enthusiast brand, serving over 20 million house-proud consumers each month with trusted information and expert advice through its award-winning television shows This Old House and Ask This Old House, its highly regarded This Old House magazine and its inspiration and information-driven digital properties, including ThisOldHouse.com and Clearstory, a podcast that sheds light on the surprising stories behind our homes. This Old House and Ask This Old House are produced by This Old House Ventures, LLC, and are presented on PBS by WETA Washington, DC. National underwriting for This Old House TV is provided by The Home Depot, GMC, State Farm, Gorilla Glue, HomeAdvisor, Consumer Cellular, Leaf Filter and Blink. About Union Studio Architecture & Community Design Union Studio was founded in 2001 with the goal of making an impactful civic contribution to communities of all types through exemplary architecture and urban design. The firm served as the architects on the Concord Riverwalk project and received an Honorable Mention from the New England Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for their work on the project. The Union team embraces a traditional, pedestrian-friendly approach to design featuring vibrant, beautiful spaces that help to enrich our communal and civic life. For more information, visit: unionstudioarch.com About Cape Associates, Inc. Since 1971, Cape Associates has served Cape Cod as one of the region’s largest custom builders—offering custom building, renovations, painting and property management services—focusing on commitment, quality and integrity. About Denise Enright Interior Design Denise Enright Interior Design has been enhancing the homes of clients in Fairfield County for the past 15 years. Denise all about helping clients create spaces that they look forward to being in and that represent their personal taste and lifestyle.
