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John Bjørnen and Cee Brown's clapboard cottage looked more like a Jackson Pollock original than anyone's dream house when Cee first came upon it 14 years ago.
"The previous owners were artists, and what is now our dining room was packed with file cabinets filled with prints and rug samples. There were paint drips all over the floor," says Cee. "It was funky, but it had the spirit I was seeking in a house. It just needed a lot of editing and cleaning and thought," he says. "The only view was the water—no neighboring houses. It was lust at first sight."
photography: Tria Giovan
An upstairs landing, with views to the water, showcases some of John and Cee's favorite finds—a leather Moroccan pouf and a side table made from an old Javanese mortar and pestle grinder. |
photography: Tria Giovan
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A few years later, at a mutual friend's cocktail party, Cee met John, an interior designer. Both had a passion for old houses and the water—not a bad combination for renovating a Sag Harbor, New York, cottage already ripe with charm. "I thought the location was splendid, perched up on a cove," John says. "I lived in Norway as a kid, and we were always fishing or having something to do with the water. It's always been really important to me."The cottage's history, which resonated through the interior, also appealed to John. "I love the vestiges of the past—wood walls with so many coats of paint and heaps of character," he says. So when Cee and John decided to add on a two-story addition with an office, master bedroom, and bath, John applied many of his signature design techniques. "In my work, I consider decorating 'aesthetic therapy,' " he explains. "In other words, I ask my clients a million questions. Then I create an environment that is pleasing and balanced based on what's important in their lives."
photography: Tria Giovan
In the master bedroom addition, a vaulted ceiling visually enlarges the space. John and Cee clad the walls and ceiling in tongue-and-groove cedar to match the rest of the cottage. |
One glance into Cee and John's cottage reveals what matters to them—their home embraces the sea air and summer breezes that waft through open windows in every room. "Even on the most blustery, rainy mornings, I can look out my bedroom window and be reminded of what a gift our environment is," John says.When building their bedroom addition, they were sure to include big windows that would capture those peaceful views of the cove. "We felt strongly about keeping the addition true to the rest of the cottage," says John, "so we used the same molding and siding on the exterior and roofing materials." On the interior, they special-ordered 8-inch cedar clapboard to match the original wood and spaced it similarly. "Our guests who've seen other homes in the area are often surprised by how small ours is, and they often remark on the intimacy and charm of the scale of the rooms," says John. "Our bedroom is only 12 by 12 feet, and the ceiling is 12 feet tall. We find there's a lot of warmth in that symmetry." | 
