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A home office with Eames chairs and a water view.

Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Water’s End

A coastal family home designed around connection, everyday living, and timeless materials.

Project Partners

Architect: Union Studio Architecture

Builder: WKP Builders

Landscape Architect: Ryan Associates

A dining room with oak table and natural textured statement lighting.

A Timeless Family Home

Water’s End began with a site that immediately felt special. Set along the water, the property offers open views, changing light, and a natural sense of calm that’s felt throughout the day. Our clients were drawn not only to the beauty of the property, but to the way it supported the life they wanted—close to family, easy to gather, and rooted in everyday moments.

They asked for a home that felt timeless and comfortable rather than formal. Union Studio Architects, WKP Builders, and Taste Design formed the project team. Working together, we paired classic New England shingle-style architecture with clean-lined, transitional interiors, focusing on spaces that feel welcoming, lived-in, and thoughtfully crafted.

A living room with cerused oak coffered ceilings and fieldstone fireplace.

Materials & Palette

From the beginning, we focused on creating a material palette that felt natural, calm, and cohesive. Cerused white oak appears throughout the home and soft white walls create a relaxed backdrop, allowing texture, color, and art to bring warmth and personality.

In the living room, millwork beams and a fieldstone fireplace add character without feeling formal. A custom side table crafted from a tree originally on the property brings a meaningful connection to the site and its history.

A transitional kitchen with an oak island and white cabinetry by Taste Design.

Designed for Daily Life

The kitchen and dining areas are designed to support everyday routines as well as larger family get-togethers. The kitchen balances beauty with serious functionality.

A white oak island brings warmth to a hardworking space built for cooking, baking, and gathering around. Painted perimeter cabinetry blends into the home’s trim, while natural stone countertops and glass mosaic tile add subtle texture and depth.

An oak paneled room with dark blue ceiling and sofa.

Spaces to Gather & Unwind

A quiet retreat within the home, the Away Room was designed as a place to relax, play music, and recharge. Wrapped in natural wood paneling with layered lighting and a painted ceiling, it offers a sense of calm within the larger home. Other private spaces throughout the home maintain a soft, neutral palette layered with texture and subtle coastal references.

After a lengthy and detailed design and construction process, Water’s End is a home that feels personal, cohesive, and built to last. The home is shaped around family life and connectedness, designed to feel just as good years from now as it does today.

A coastal, neutral bedroom with fireplace.

Appreciation

“We had an incredible experience working with Patti, Wendi and the Taste Design team on our new home. They took the time to learn our likes and dislikes, and then worked with us to perfectly capture the relaxed, coastal feel we were hoping for—light, airy, and welcoming. Because we were building our home remotely, Taste served as a trusted partner and critical member of our design and build team, working seamlessly with our architect and builder throughout the process. Their ideas and input improved our home in countless ways, with thoughtful details that make the space both elegant and comfortable. We couldn’t be happier with the result.”

— S.A., Portsmouth, RI

Full Project Gallery

Photographer:

Read McKendree / JBSA with styling by Anthony Amiano

The front elevation of a contemporary shingle-style home with blue front door.
A blue living room console with original art above.
A hallway between the kitchen island and dining room of a new construction custom home.
A living room with cerused oak coffered ceilings and fieldstone fireplace.
A custom motif design on a home's column architectural feature.
A green and white breakfast nook with water views
A transitional kitchen with an oak island and white cabinetry by Taste Design.
A green powder room with an oak vanity.
An entryway staircase.
A mudroom with custom cabinetry in pale green
An upholstered bed with side table and flowers.
A home office with Eames chairs and a water view.
A reading nook with a window seat and blue color drench.
A primary bathroom with custom walnut vanity.
A coastal, neutral bedroom with fireplace.
A transitional style game room with banquet seating.
A laundry room with modern green tile backsplash.
A transitional-style game room in a family home.
A screened in porch with outdoor seating and garden stools.
A garden shed with dahlias.
The view to the water access and firepit of a family home.
A gravel driveway leading up to a family home
The back exterior of a contemporary shingle-style home.
The front elevation of a contemporary shingle-style home with blue front door. A blue living room console with original art above. A hallway between the kitchen island and dining room of a new construction custom home. A living room with cerused oak coffered ceilings and fieldstone fireplace. A custom motif design on a home's column architectural feature. A green and white breakfast nook with water views A transitional kitchen with an oak island and white cabinetry by Taste Design. A green powder room with an oak vanity. An entryway staircase. A mudroom with custom cabinetry in pale green An upholstered bed with side table and flowers. A home office with Eames chairs and a water view. A reading nook with a window seat and blue color drench. A primary bathroom with custom walnut vanity. A coastal, neutral bedroom with fireplace. A transitional style game room with banquet seating. A laundry room with modern green tile backsplash. A transitional-style game room in a family home. A screened in porch with outdoor seating and garden stools. A garden shed with dahlias. The view to the water access and firepit of a family home. A gravel driveway leading up to a family home The back exterior of a contemporary shingle-style home.

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