STORY COTTAGE
Peconic, NY

Story Cottage is a careful study in connection and contrast—linking two neighboring properties while preserving the distinct character of each. When the owner of Indian Neck Bayfront acquired the adjacent cottage, MPLA was tasked with creating a cohesive landscape that balanced openness with privacy.

The historic cottage, originally composed of three separate structures later joined by an addition, was thoughtfully restored. The addition was replaced with a glass breezeway, conceived as a light-filled connector that dissolves the boundary between architecture and landscape. Planting design reinforces this experience: the breezeway is enveloped by a lush garden on three sides, allowing movement between buildings to feel as though one is floating within the landscape.

Reclaimed materials were used for pathways and driveways to honor the site’s history, while restrained, modern hardscape detailing complements the clarity of the new intervention. Views to the adjacent orchard and meadow were selectively opened, creating visual continuity between properties, while existing vegetative buffers were preserved to maintain privacy between the architecturally distinct homes.

A discreet pathway threads through this buffer, marked by authentic Nepalese wood posts—a nod to the site’s layered past. The extended low stone wall culminates in a simple water feature, providing a quiet focal point that anchors the composition.

INTERIOR DESIGNER: Ruth Shank

PERMITTING CONSULTANT: En-Consultants

LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Cases Creek

PHOTOGRAPHY: Anthony Crisafulli