Some of her outdoor rooms are standalones, like the glamp—or
glamorous camp—structure (left) she built for a Cataumet property
(above). They are also marvelous for children, like the three sons of
her Cataumet clients, who often use their glamp as a hideaway for
playing games and reading on these beanbag chairs (bottom left).
house extra summer guests. They are so popular with her clients,
she says, “They become the room everyone wants to stay in.”
They are also marvelous for children, like the three sons of her
Cataumet clients, who often use their glamp as a hideaway for
playing games and reading. That is, when the three boys are not
ensconced in their bunkroom, which Neubauer re-created from
a non-descript guest room with two single beds and two small
windows. Typical of the level of fun detail on which Neubauer
thinks is the tin washtub-style sink she installed in a barnboardencased
alcove in the room. Imagining their toothbrushes and
washcloths overwhelming the guest bathroom, she created this
space to give them a sense of camping in their own room.
The entire Cataumet home, in fact, was remodeled from
tired, boxy house into a shingled cottage with distinctive
character with its second floor wall of windows, and handsome
deck with enclosed storage space underneath. The kitchen went
from disorganized and inefficient to spacious and streamlined,
with open shelving and modern lighting. This home is an
example of intelligent design, based on how people really live
and encouraging them to be more playful in their spaces.
One room that exemplifies thoughtful design in any home is
the mudroom, Neubauer says. While a lot of attention is usually
paid to dining rooms that mostly sit passively, the need for the
humble but critical mudroom is often overlooked. “A lot of the
time, everyone gets out of the car and heads to the kitchen with
all of the stuff that they have—coats, backpacks, homework
papers, beach towels, flip flops— all of the stuff we schlep and
AT HOME ON CAPE COD 48 • SPRING/SUMMER 2020
PHOTOS: MEREDITH HUNNIBELL