TRUE BLUE

Serene hues complement the seaside setting of this Essex family home.

- By Jennifer Sperry

The living room takes advantage of the marsh views.

They looked for a place on the water for years, trying to find the perfect spot for their family of five. “We raised the kids in a suburban neighborhood, and with our youngest about to graduate from high school, we wanted a home that would entice the kids back,” explains the owner of their hunt for a generational home base.

Eventually, they found the perfect spot: an oceanfront home in Essex that had been recently renovated. It didn’t require structural improvements; inside, it was crisp and white. “My husband and I have dreamed of a home near the water for years. It’s really a dream come true for us,” admits the wife.

A newly renovated house in Essex gets fresh interiors by Suzanne Schultze.

With their dream in reach, the owners turned to interior designer Suzanne Schultze, founder of Suzanne Schultze Design, to awaken the blank slate with cohesive style. “We wanted the views to be the star and everything else to play a chic yet supporting role,” she notes. “We wanted to achieve ‘coastal calm.”