photos by Celia Pearson

Delaware Bay Beach House

Chip and Barbara Bohl have spent more than a decade renovating this getaway in Slaughter Beach, Delaware.  Chip redesigned the interior, changed the organization of the five bedrooms, created a new kitchen in the same space as the old, and added new windows and doors that align to catch bay breezes.  Outside a cedar log, left unfinished, supports the new trellis above the home's entry.

Inside the main living space, a peeled and polished cedar tree serves as a support column.  Chip cut the tree, peeled the bark, sanded it, and cut it to fit into the space, keeping all the branching aspects of it.  An old cast-iron floor grate was installed above the tree, so light from above comes down into the living space and gives a dappled effect through the branches.