Architectural Observations
The John Wanamaker House in Cape May Point Marks 150 Years
Three stories in height, the Wanamaker House appears to be as wide as it is tall.
Home & Garden
Interior Motives
Why Maximalism is Having a Moment
After years of minimalist dominance—neutral palettes, sparse decor, Scandinavian simplicity—it was only a matter of time before people started craving the opposite.
Design in Bloom
The Grass is Always Greener: Part Two
You may remember that last fall we started a discussion about lawns: their past, their present, and their future. We talked about what types of turf grasses work well for various situations and covered the debate regarding sod vs. seed. Just in case you missed it, the article is available […]
Architectural Observations
Hangar No. 1 at U.S. Naval Air Station Wildwood
As the lookout tower and bunker were of critical importance to coastal defense, Hangar No. 1 at United States Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) was of critical importance to air supremacy in the Pacific theater.
Interior Motives
Home Décor Selection with Thomas Matthew Designs
Walking into a home designed by Thomas Matthew Designs isn’t just about seeing beautiful interiors—it’s about experiencing a carefully crafted environment where every detail matters. Founded by Matthew Wetzel and Donald Thomas, the firm has earned a reputation for creating interiors that reflect the personalities and lifestyles of the homeowners […]
Design in Bloom
Beauty, Versatility & Romance
Name this plant. You can wash with it, use it as perfume, drink it, and then use it to help you sleep.
Design in Bloom
Cape May’s Public Garden?
It’s that time of year. No, not Christmas, the time of year when some of us are chomping at the bit for any sign of spring. We’ve scoured the catalogs, designed our summer gardens and planned our annual pilgrimage to the Philadelphia Flower Show—now what? How about a trip to […]
Architectural Observations
Historic Cold Spring Village: Lesser known, yet near and familiar
When you drive out of town on Broadway and cross the bridge over the canal that separates Cape Island from the rest of the Jersey Cape, Broadway becomes Seashore Road. Go another mile and you’ll come upon Historic Cold Spring Village. The Village’s sylvan setting and its arrangement of more […]
Interior Motives
A Coastal Refresh at Montreal Beach Resort
Nestled along the serene shore of Cape May, the Montreal Beach Resort has been a beloved destination for generations of beachgoers. Its reputation for classic seaside charm has anchored its place in this coastal community for over 55 years. Now, under new ownership, the resort is undergoing a transformation—one that […]
Interior Motives
The Heart of Kitchen Design
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, a place where families gather, meals are shared, and memories are made. But at Colmar Kitchen Studios, it’s the people behind the designs that are the true heart of the operation. Tom Collins, president of Colmar Kitchen Studios, along with […]
Design in Bloom
Secrets for Spring Success
About five years ago I wrote an article about what not to do to get your landscape ready for winter. As I continue to talk to people and make observations, I decided that a few of those things bear repeating. In addition, there are proactive things you should do before […]
Preserved Property
1247 Washington Street
The United States was barely 100 years old when the home at 1247 Washington Street was constructed. Houses were not electrified, and indoor plumbing was not a common feature. But sleepy Cape May, NJ was a growing destination spot, fueled by the introduction of railroads and railroad money. Large hotels […]
Preserved Property
112 Yorke Avenue
Nestled on a side street east of Broadway sits 112 Yorke Avenue, a three-story Victorian charmer built when West Cape May was mostly farmland, and peopled with service workers and Mayflower descendants. There may be less farmland and fewer Mayflower descendants these days, but the home remains a preserved piece […]
Design in Bloom
The Grass is Always Greener
Did you know that lawn is the largest crop in America? It is estimated that turf grass covers approximately 1.6% of the surface area of the entire country—more than 62,500 square miles. That is an area larger than Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut combined! What’s disturbing is that we spend […]
Interior Motives
The Design Team Behind Cape Collection
Once upon a time, wife and husband Kelly Lavorgna and Andrew Bares had careers on Wall Street. As the current owners of Evan James Interiors, a design team that’s appeared on HGTV’s Flea Market Flip, those finance days—of which they spent nearly a collective five decades—are long behind them. These […]
Architectural Observations
Not Just One More Pretty House
Walk around Cape May any time of year and you’ll see people admiring and photographing the unique streetscapes. Their experience is like stepping back into another era when people lived differently than we do today but whose homes, like ours today, reflected the style and manner of their times. In […]
Interior Motives
The Re-emergence of Wallpaper
Like most trends, things in the interior design world tend to be cyclical. From paint colors and building materials, things fall in—and out—of favor only to come back around a few decades later. And while wallpaper itself isn’t anything new, the way we use it, the way we make it, […]
Preserved Property
122 Broadway, West Cape May
It’s a story heard time and time again: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, get married, and honeymoon in Cape May, where they fall in love with the city. Over time, the city’s irresistible pull connects the couple and the island together until the deal is sealed […]
Design in Bloom
Hosta la Vista
When we think of perennials, we most often picture lovely flowers, even though they may only bloom for a few weeks each year. Rarely are they grown primarily for their foliage—except for hostas. Loved by many, they are consistently voted a gardener’s favorite perennial. Hostas have come a long way […]
Interior Motives
Why Open Floor Plans Still Reign Supreme at the Shore
We all know the look. You walk into a new home and instead of multiple closed-off spaces, we see a communal living space, often consisting of a kitchen, dining area, and living room, with plenty of openness. For years, the concept was hailed as the epitome of modern living, fostering […]
Architectural Observations
The Inn of Cape May
Something claiming to be the anything of anywhere must be sure to live up to the title—which is certainly the case for the Inn of Cape May. The property at 7 Ocean Street is an exemplary sample of both the Victorian architecture and hotel design in Cape May during the […]
Design in Bloom
1069 Michigan Avenue: The Saga Continues…
A lot has happened and unfortunately not happened since we wrote about the renovation of 1069 Michigan Avenue in the fall of 2022. I can’t believe I purchased this property more than five years ago and it still has issues. Last spring I talked about problems with drainage, the pool, […]
Preserved Property
The Kiwanis Clubhouse
The Kiwanis Club of Cape May celebrates 100 years of community service in 2024 with a gala dinner at the Grand Hotel and perhaps aperitifs on their clubhouse sundeck. This is a storied organization in Cape May with a history of notable members, significant accomplishments, and community involvement. “The Cape […]
Interior Motives
Old Charm in a New World
For those of us who’ve lived through the advent and normalization of all things internet, we may think of “smart homes” as stark, futuristic environments not completely unlike Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which an AI persona named Hal goes dangerously haywire. We would, of course, […]