Taking a Sand Hill Cove Home from Shack to Chic

There was a time, believe it or not, when Rhode Island’s shores were peppered with affordable beach bungalows – thousand of them actually. Decidedly unfussy, absent of air conditioning and with little more than one, maybe two small bedrooms, a single bathroom and tiny kitchen, they were built as big city escapes to abandon the sweltering urban heat. Newport’s Gilded Age social set may have invented “summering” as a verb, but the bourgeoisie were in search of simpler pleasures.

Nancy Kleniewski remembers that time fondly. “My parents were both teachers in Pawtucket,” she says. Every June, after the school year came to a close, Nancy would pile into the car along with her two brothers and parents, and the family would head south to the cooler temperatures of South County. Since 1955, the family had rented the same humble beach shack on Sand Hill Cove, just steps from Roger Wheeler State Beach. When she speaks of those summertime memories, Nancy’s affection and sentimentality are palpable.

“We had all this freedom,” she says with smile. “We had swimming lessons in the morning, maybe come home for lunch, maybe not, and then just be home for supper.” And there was no shortage of friends. “There were so many other families with young kids our age who also spent summers there,” she says.

As was common in the area, many properties actually had two shacks on a single plot. Owners would often stay in one and rent out the other to offset the coat. Eventually, the Kleniewskis did the same, buying the same home they rented for so long and renting out the second home on the property. As the Kleniewski children grew older, Sand Hill Cove continued to cast its alluring spell. Nancy returned to the peaceful coastal enclave every summer even while she was in college. “I worked at the Lighthouse Inn, which isn’t there anymore,” she says, but many longtime locals are likely to remember. Even after she married Bill Davis, whom she met in graduate school in Philadelphia, Nancy returned as did her siblings to relish South County’s summer week- ends. Though from the Midwest, the serenity of Sand Hill Cove resonated with Bill. “Once you see the ocean, it’s hard to leave,” he concedes.

The couple settled in Massachusetts and enjoyed weekends at the bungalow. Before she passed, Nancy’s mom gave her daughter her blessing to make changes to the homes. “Tear these shacks down,” she said. Because they enjoyed the area so much, Bill and Nancy wanted to spend more time there, but without heat or insulation, they knew it was time to make some major changes.

“We decided to build a year-round house we could vacation to and maybe later retire to,” explains Nancy. “[The property] is only 50’ x 100’, so we knew we didn’t want to build a big house. We wanted a ‘beachy’ feel, but something modern and contemporary.” The couple appreciated the homes crafted by West Kingston-based Davitt Design Build. With numerous projects situated along Rhode Island’s coastal flood plain, the firm is well versed in regulations set by the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), which made them the perfect choice for Nancy and Bill’s project. “That whole area used to be strictly beach shacks,” explains Dean Darling, Nancy and Bill’s project manager from Davitt Design Build. Unlike many homeowners, the couple had an enviable advantage. “Any time we can make two houses into one, that’s beneficial,” explains Dean.

Though Nancy and Bill did turn to Davitt to spearhead the project, they didn’t exactly show up to the offices empty-handed. The couple had done their homework and had determined they wanted an “upside down” style house. That is, they wanted the main living space – the kitchen, dining area and living room, to be on the second floor. “I originally sketched out a floor plan of an upside down house, and [Davitt] changed some things to comply with the code. We couldn’t build anything in the basement because we’re on the flood plain. We even had to bringthe utilities upstairs,” adds Nancy. “It was a challenge but it worked out well.”

“Upside down is becoming more common, especially on the beach,” says Dean. The architectural design capitalizes on the ocean breezes and extraordinary views in the areas people congregate to the most. For Bill and Nancy, the style is ideal. “We can see Block Island, the ferries and the charter boats,” says Nancy. “We watch the kite surfers, surfers and the wildlife,” which can include deer, foxes and ospreys, Bill says. “It’s a little bit ofwatching the world go by.”

In addition to a spacious great room, porch, deck and eye-catching pergola, the couple wanted an updated version of one of the simpler things they appreciated most at the old bungalow: an outdoor shower. Also on the exterior: a fancy new driveway. “In the old days, everyone just parked on the lawns because there were no curbs,” Nancy says, laughing. This time around, things were different. “We had to provide off street parking to accommodate at least two cars.”

But even with such conveniences and creature comforts, plus the aforementioned enviable design elements, Nancy and Bill never set out to keep up with the Joneses. Every inch of the home has a purpose. “We wanted all the amenities but low key, not flashy,” Nancy explains. “We were sad to see [the bungalows] go; there was a sense of simplicity to them we tried to emulate in the house. “

Though things might be different in their corner of Sand Hill Cove than they were when Nancy was growing up, some things remain the same.Nancy’s brother lives diagonally across the street – still in a beach shack that she suspects will undergo a renovation like hers, and their other brother lives just down the beach.

Together, Nancy and Bill know they have a place that is special; one that promises the future without forgetting about the past. “It’s a remarkable house,” Bill says firmly. When asked what she thinks her parents would say if they saw today’s version of their beach bungalows, it’s clear how much this house and land mean to Nancy. “I think they’d be really proud,” she says after a thoughtful pause. “Really proud.”