A Beach Cottage in Provincetown, Styled for Budget-Minded Summer Living

Designer Glenn Ban is never far from the water; in the winter, he lives in the coastal village of Sag Harbor, on Long Island, and in the summer he decamps to a small rental cottage in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with his teenage son.

“Since I’m a designer, I was looking for a blank slate I could put my own spin on,” he says of his Provincetown place. “Basic good bones I could work with, something clean and simple.” When he stumbled across the tiny shingled cottage in the East End of town a few years ago, he was sold (“it’s rare to find something even remotely acceptable in a rental”).

Ban, who’s known for his neutral palette and affinity for soulful, organic pieces, took a new tack with this project. “I had never worked with a blue palette before,” he says. “I was inspired by Tiina Laakkonen’s shop in Amagansett, New York; the Scandinavian simplicity, the cohesive, consistent palette of blues and whites.” Using a mix of finds from P-Town shops (John Derian included), Cape antique dealers, and Ikea, Ban pulled together a no-fuss summer rental situation. Join us for a tour.

Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson.

The Ikea kitchen has tiny-apartment-sized appliances (see Easy Pieces: Best Appliances for Small Kitchens for ideas); the wood Karlby countertops and Grundtal stainless steel rack are also from Ikea. — Above: The Ikea kitchen has tiny-apartment-sized appliances (see 10 Easy Pieces: Best Appliances for Small Kitchens for ideas); the wood Karlby countertops and Grundtal stainless steel rack are also from Ikea.

Above: The vintage midcentury Danish and German pottery vases are from Ruby Beets. The James Keating work on the left was a gift, and the abstract work on the right is by Jen Bradley from the Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown.

Ban bought an Ikea Slahult Table ($9) with white birch legs and a melamine top (he stashes it, along with a few other pieces, over the winter in a storage locker). The Danish midcentury chairs came from Beall & Bell on the North Fork and the white Spherical Paper Lantern ($9.50 for the -inch size) is from Pearl River Mart in NYC. — Above: Ban bought an Ikea Slahult Table ($189) with white birch legs and a melamine top (he stashes it, along with a few other pieces, over the winter in a storage locker). The Danish midcentury chairs came from Beall & Bell on the North Fork and the white Spherical Paper Lantern ($9.50 for the 24-inch size) is from Pearl River Mart in NYC.

Ban discovered the Beyer of Maine Heritage Cot ($9.95) on Remodelista; for more ideas, see Easy Pieces: Classic Canvas Camp Cots. The ticking Nyponros Duvet Cover is $.99 from Ikea. The block-printed blue pillows are from John Robshaw and the smaller pillows are from Save Khaki. — Above: Ban discovered the Beyer of Maine Heritage Cot ($159.95) on Remodelista; for more ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: Classic Canvas Camp Cots. The ticking Nyponros Duvet Cover is $29.99 from Ikea. The block-printed blue pillows are from John Robshaw and the smaller pillows are from Save Khaki.

Above: The folding midcentury chair and basket are from Ruby Beets, the towels are from John Derian, and the shower curtain is from John Robshaw. The seashell strand is from the kitschy Shell Shop in town.

The floor in the loft bedroom is painted Lafayette Blue and the interiors are painted Bright White from Benjamin Moore. The bedding is from Area (for advice on bedding maintenance from the founder of Area, see Linen Logic: Tips for Taking Care of Your Bedding). The pillow and throw are from John Derain. — Above: The floor in the loft bedroom is painted Lafayette Blue and the interiors are painted Bright White from Benjamin Moore. The bedding is from Area (for advice on bedding maintenance from the founder of Area, see Linen Logic: 20 Tips for Taking Care of Your Bedding). The pillow and throw are from John Derain.

For more Provincetown lodgings, check out:

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