Treasure Chest

When she dropped anchor permanently in a historic waterside hamlet, author Nora Murphy found the ideal setting for a lifetime's worth of sea-salted scores.

- KELLY RYAN KEGANS

When Ralph Lauren dishes out design advice, you listen. Nora Murphy knew as much while working for the famous purveyor of prep in the 1980s as Polo Ralph Lauren's design project manager of furniture. “He said, ‘When you walk into a room, no one should have to explain it to you,’” Nora recalls. “I still use that.”

Today, Nora’s narrative begins at her doorstep with a plaque bestowed by the National Register of Historic Places that her Federal-style Connecticut house wears like a badge. Inside, the story unfolds with coastal country collectibles that reflect a lifetime of treasure hunting and memory keeping. Everywhere you turn, an interesting item or a compelling vignette catches your eye—there are pieces of coral, nautical art, beach find-filled cloches, and more.

Five years ago, when Nora (@noramurphycountryhouse) and her husband, Rick, decided to downsize and relocate from Newtown, Connecticut, to the hamlet of Hadlyme, she crossed her fingers that her most treasured pieces would fit in the 2,200-square-foot house. Low, slanted ceilings and uneven floorboards were part of both the charm and the challenge.