“I was looking for a project,” explains architect Jocelyn Dickson, who goes by Jocie. “I wanted to buy a house that I could then work on myself.” It was 2018, and she and her husband, Graham Dickson, a musician, were moving to Maine after a decade in New York City. “We knew we didn’t want to raise a family in the city and were drawn to Maine because of my family’s connection here, as well as our love of the ocean,” says Jocie, adding, “My husband was raised on Nantucket Island and is an avid surfer.”

They soon found a prospective home in the town of Cape Elizabeth that had been designed and built by the former owner in 1969. “I would say it’s some sort of mix between a seaside, shingle-style home and a funky, ’60s beach bungalow,” says Jocie. Years of deferred maintenance on the three-season residence and a lower price point made the home an ideal project.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

Upon first seeing the home, Jocie identified two “non-negotiables” for the renovation. First, there was the segmented floor plan that hosted the main living spaces and sunroom.

“There is a fabulous view out to the ocean from the sunroom, which is one of the reasons we fell in love with the house to begin with,” she says. The existing layout, however, blocked the view. The architect opened up the spaces in order to create a more fluid arrangement and increase sight lines to the water.

Before: Sunroom

After: Sunroom

Before: Kitchen and Dining Area

The second “non-negotiable” was to address the primary staircase, which happened to be a narrow and awkward spiral. With the main floor split between two levels—in addition to a basement below and a third-floor en-suite above—a spiral staircase just wouldn’t work. “This was not functional, especially with a young child,” says Jocie.

She straightened out the staircase, relocating the portion that leads to the third floor by adding a small dormer, and opening up a concrete wall in the basement to better connect the mudroom with the main living spaces. A slatted feature wall circumscribes the new staircase and creates a consistent motif through the floors.

After: Kitchen and Dining Area

Shop the Look

Although COVID-19 stalled construction for a bit, the family finally got to move in this previous June. “What’s been fun is living in the home in the different seasons, and really getting to know it that way,” says Jocie. For instance, the sunroom is the place to be to watch the sunrise, while the piano room is a cozy spot during winter, especially when the fire is going.

Then there’s the third floor en-suite, where Jocie carved out a spot for her office. “It’s a wonderful space to work in,” she says. “It’s pretty special to be able to sit here and look out at the ocean.”