When a couple chose a home lot boasting picturesque canal views in Lewes, they, the architect, and the builder were all on the same page: Their shared goal was to maximize and frame the waterfront vistas.
“The clients bought the property because it has gorgeous waterfront views,” says interior designer Kelley Gable of Gable Interiors. “The interesting thing about the house is that when they were doing the build, they made sure that everything was angled in such a way that you have complete water views.” They were also strategic about being able to see the sunset from their home.

Gable met the homeowners through Lane Builders, an established firm that is deeply conversant in the Delaware Coast’s local aesthetic—from coastal contemporary to cottage influenced to shingle style—putting its stamp on charming and stately homes in Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, and Dewey Beach, in addition to Lewes. This 5,500-square-foot stellar example of shingle style is clad in durable synthetic cedar.
“I’d worked with the builder and the architect [Lane Builders’ Mike Gordon] really closely on several other projects,” Gable recalls, “so at a certain point during the build, they needed some additional design support, and that’s how I was introduced to the clients. They’re a very lovely couple.”
Once the careful positioning and construction of the four-bedroom house were well underway—the property also contains a guesthouse with a workshop, a full bath, and a game room—Gable set to work on an interior scheme of texture and depth in a neutral palette that incorporated some moody blues so as not to compete with the natural world that’s visible from nearly every room. They achieved the interior layering effect by integrating three-dimensional millwork on the walls, such as board and batten; coffered ceilings in a simple, grid-like pattern; and, in the closest thing to a flourish, a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

“We did a lot of the millwork selections,” Gable recalls. “The client really wanted a coastal yet modern look for the home, and with that comes a lot of millwork detailing.” Gable says her remit from her clients was not to hold back: “Give us some details and interest,” was their mindset. (The husband, an “avid woodworker,” was particularly enthused about opportunities to include millwork.)
Ten-foot ceilings downstairs helped to provide the perfect canvas. The living area’s coffered ceilings draw the eye up for height interest and complement the built-ins flanking the gas fireplace, which is tucked into a vertical V-groove wall. The dining room walls are clad in the same vertical V-groove millwork, “creating synergy between the two spaces,” Gable notes.
While the surfaces were granted considerable attention, the choices never feel overwrought or contrived; the linearity of the detailing bespeaks restraint. Gable says the straight lines informed her selection of some of the furnishings, such as the living room’s sofa (sourced from Rowe), which features a subtle stripe, “so it all ties in together in varying size and scale,” she says. The coffee table and armchairs are also from Rowe, which delivered the performance-based custom upholstery suitable for a summer home.
The linear concept is broken only by that standout cedar barreled ceiling—an element that embraces the natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the loft space. Unsurprisingly, the designer loves it, and she’s not the only one. “The clients have adult children, and they wanted the space to be a great place for them to retreat, to hang out and watch movies,” Gable says. “It really maximizes the architecture on the second floor.”
Shingle-style homes are not just visually interesting from the outside; their gables and circular, four-pane windows result in cozy, upper-floor bedrooms with vaulted ceilings (the home has four bedrooms). The bed and circular boucle chair are from Four Hands.
As for the designer’s clients, they eventually want to live in the now-weekend home full-time—it will become their forever place.
Related: This Rehoboth Beach Home Redesign Adds More Interior Living Space