Orleans Waterfront Home: Backyard Renovation

A storied Cape home finally gets a backyard worthy of its waterfront address.

When the new owners of this iconic vintage home on Town Cove first arrived, their attention turned naturally to the house itself, and to the guest cottage beside it. Room by room, the two structures were thoughtfully renovated to meet the rhythms of modern living, while the landscape surrounding them was left to rest, a quiet placeholder for what was to come. A few years on, with the home’s interiors complete, the owners turned their gaze outward, ready to give their grounds the same level of artistry and attention.

The transformation began at the water’s edge. An aging pool, once positioned close to the cove, was removed entirely, along with a pair of mature trees that had long obscured the view their setting deserved. In their place, our design team conceived an oversized pool and spa, repositioned nearer to the home, a seemingly-simple move that opened the entire backyard to Town Cove’s ever-changing water and light.

Anchoring it all is a sweep of bluestone patio, generous enough to hold seasons of gatherings, and lounge chairs clustered near the water.

A seating area gathers around a gas-operated fire pit for cooler evenings. A dining area, set for sixteen, awaits long summer dinners, while an outdoor kitchen anchored by a six-stool bar keeps the conversation, and the cooking, close at hand.

At the entrance, the landscape speaks a quieter, more traditional dialect. A classic clamshell drive crunches underfoot, framed by rows of hydrangea and Cape Cod roses, elements as much a part of this coastal vernacular as the home itself. The effect is a property that now reads as a whole: a storied house, a cottage at its side, and grounds finally worthy of the cove they overlook.

This Orleans landscape stands as a testament to what patience and expertise can achieve when a property is given the time, and the trust, to be reimagined in full.