Borrowing from the Sea

One of my favorite details in this home isn’t something most people would expect.

It’s this ladder.

At first glance, it feels simple — clean white, custom cutouts, mounted to a black rail. But it’s actually a replica of a ship ladder, designed to access a tucked-away bunk area above.

Living in New England, especially near the water, you can’t ignore how much of our architecture quietly borrows from the sea.

Shipbuilders understood space. Every inch mattered. Vertical access had to be efficient, secure, and intentional. The design wasn’t decorative — it was purposeful.

This ladder is a nod to that history.

Instead of a bulky staircase taking up square footage, this design keeps the footprint light while still feeling substantial. The cutouts reduce weight. The rail system keeps it grounded. The scale is just steep enough to feel like a ship ladder, but safe and usable for a home.

And in December, when bunk rooms fill with cousins and guests and late-night whispers, details like this feel especially meaningful.

Coastal homes don’t have to shout “nautical” to feel connected to the water. Sometimes it’s a quiet reference — a ladder, a rail, a built-in bunk — that carries the story.

Those are the kinds of details Andrew loves incorporating.

Not obvious.

Just thoughtful.

– XO, The Builder’s Wife