Designing for the Coast: A Personal Look at How Tradition and Modern Living Come Together

Written by: Caitlin Maki

Working at HDB has really shaped how I think about coastal design. There’s something special about creating homes here in New England. This area has such a strong sense of history, and you can feel it in the architecture. The cedar shingles, the charm of those first-period homes… they all carry a kind of nostalgia. And I love that part of my job is figuring out how to bring that feeling forward into spaces people actually live in today.

For me, merging traditional design with a more contemporary lifestyle is where the magic happens. I look at those older homes, with their intimate corners, their warmth, the way every room has purpose. We as a team can translate that into modern layouts that are flexible, open, and truly support how people move through their day. Space planning for real life doesn’t start once the furniture goes in; it begins with how the home is built, how rooms connect, and how those transitions feel. When the architecture sets the stage, everything else makes sense.

Windows play a big role in that. Instead of just thinking about size or placement for aesthetics, I’m always looking at how they support a biophilic connection that invite in natural light, frame views, and ground people in their environment. That connection to nature is such a defining part of intentional living, and it adds this calm, restorative layer to the design.

And then there are the finishing touches. The classic New England colors used in more interesting, unexpected ways. I love a painted ceiling or a bold trim moment. It keeps the palette grounded in tradition but gives the home a personality that feels fresh and alive.

That balance between old and new is what I love most about the work we do at Hale. We’re not trying to recreate the past, but we’re definitely listening to it.

We’re taking the soul of these coastal towns and translating it into homes that feel both nostalgic and completely livable. Homes that feel like they’ve always belonged here, even when they’re brand new.