The beachside estate also has ties to actresses Kate and Rooney Mara.
With lush fabrics and a deference to the past, designer Kathryn M. Ireland transitions a fabled Cape Cod estate from famous socialite Bunny Mellon to another A-list family.
On the porch of the beach cabana at this historic Cape Cod estate, Los Angeles-based designer Kathryn M. Ireland sets a casual table, using her Kirkbean linen in Red & Turquoise for the tablecloth and pillows.
The hallway's painted floors are original to the house. Ireland used her Paisley Stripe linen in Bunny on the Roman shade.
In the living room, which opens onto the garden and the beach beyond, the decorating is understated so as not to compete with the view. Ireland's Belmontet sofa is slipcovered in her Abu linen. Sheer curtains are made from the designer's Leno Weave fabric in Smoke Blue, and the pouf in the foreground is covered in her Moroccan Weave linen in Red. The walls are Snow Sky by Barry Dixon for C2 Paint; the coffee table on the right is custom, as is the rug from Vandra Rugs.
In the dining room, a sea-grass rug covers the floor. Ireland reupholstered the owners' Gustavian chairs and had the matching table made by the Lief gallery.
"Bunny always had a tiny table in the window," says Ireland, who, in a nod to the former owner, placed one at a window in the dining room. The curtains are in the designer's Downton hand-printed linen in Multi. The Beehive tassel trim from Scalamandré was an inspired last-minute addition.
"I always like a tiny bit of red in a room," says the designer. "It could be on a lampshade or even in a painting." Here in the family room, it appears on the tablecloth, in Ireland's Keltic Stripe linen in Aubergine, and on the seat cushions, in her Wildflowers linen, on the Lloyd Loom chairs. The wallcovering is Ireland's Duden Lodge in Blue and the floors are painted in Snow Sky by Barry Dixon for C2 Paint.
Revving up a nook with pattern, Ireland upholstered the daybed in her Greta linen in Chester and covered large pillows in her Tangier 1 linen in Cherry Red/Natural.
Wicker twin beds in a guest bedroom are topped with mosquito-net canopies in Ireland's Roses linen in Pistachio. Throw pillows are covered in her Ithaca linen in Mauve/Lavender/Pistachio.
Greta wallpaper in Reverse Green adds charm to a guest bath. The slipper chair is covered in her Roses linen in Red.
In the master bedroom, Ireland's Sheer Stripe linen in Blue is draped from a coronet that the designer found at McKinney & Co. in London years ago. The headboard is covered in her Abu linen.
The path to the beach leads through an untamed landscape.
Designer Kathryn M. Ireland arranges hydrangeas in the house's flower room. The zinc sink is original. Read more about her inspiration for this home here. For more details, see resources.
This story originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of House Beautiful.
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