2026 RDAA | Residential Special Constraints | Lilac Cottage | Keira Ritter Design Company

In a row of 22 cedar-clad summer cottages lining Cape Cod Bay that appear identical, at least one has been converted for comfortable, year-round living. Keira Ritter, AIA, maintained the visual continuity of the 1930s structures by upgrading Lilac Cottage’s envelope in accordance with the homeowners association historic preservation design guidelines but rebuilt the 420-square-foot interior from the stud plane inward.

A former storage loft above the oceanfront windows “dropped the ceiling right where you want the [space] to get big,” Keira says. Following “tremendous reframing work,” the renovation flipped the floor plan to create a double-height space beachside and a loft inland to help fulfill the owner’s request to sleep six guests. The former kitchenette became a kitchen with modern appliances equipped to make a Thanksgiving meal.

Aside from an architecturally upsized ladder to the loft that makes a quiet statement, Keira says, “we were mindful with our detailing to keep things proportionally scaled and to punctuate where we felt it was appropriate and with great restraint.” A palette of serene colors and natural materials further connects the cabin to the beach. Gazing out the insulated windows from the living area elevated above the sand, visitors feel like they are floating in the ocean. The jury was “enamored by the clever renovation of a teeny space that gave new life to an old structure.”

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