Donna and Mike Harrington, both realtors, weren’t looking to buy a beach cottage. But when they spotted a tiny 1950s bungalow with a fantastic view of the Chesapeake Bay and a swimming pool, they knew it was too good a deal to pass up. 

Besides, somewhere in the back of her mind, Donna always wanted a place the couple’s two sons and four grandchildren could gather for summer fun and family vacations.

“The original one-story cottage had to be expanded to meet our needs, however,” says Donna.

Architect Deborah Reinholz, created a new two-story floor plan that added a great room, a foyer and powder room on the first floor, and three bedrooms and two baths upstairs.

She also helped Donna and Mike redesign the kitchen and build a deck and patio around the pool.

Once the construction dust settled, Donna decorated with her favorite motifs.

“Monkeys, palm trees and lots of natural rattan say tropical to me,” she says. “I was trying to capture my personal vision of paradise here in Dewey Beach.”

Photos by Dan Mayers.

**Please note that the homes shown in Home Tours are bonus features, and are not repeated in Waterside Cottages.**