When the owners of this Fair Haven, New Jersey, property contacted architect Peter Goodhue, they were hoping he could enliven the home’s dark, Cape Cod style with a more spacious, Scandinavian-like feel. A maze of hallways dimly connected four bedrooms to a kitchen cave, which was solved by simplifying the layout and adding a picture window beside the refrigerator. A 10-foot wall of glass was installed at the front of the house, while an eight-foot sliding glass door now links the dining room and screened-in porch. “The winter blues are real around here, and without sunlit spaces we all wilt like house plants in February and March—that was our biggest concern,” the owner says. But given the renovation’s adherence to sunlight, that will no longer be a problem.

Project Details

Single family
Architect: Peter Goodhue
Project: 2 Hillcrest Rd, Fair Haven, New Jersey
Completed: April 2021

From the owners: “On the porch, which we lovingly call The Lodge due to its ski house vibes, we vaulted the ceiling and added two new triangle windows in the gable, which opened it up to more southern exposure.”

Scroll ahead to peek inside this home.

Follow Andersen’s Bright Ideas design competition and see if our judges select your favorite when we announce the winners in early October.