In Their Blue Era

When Amy and Mike Mingolelli decided to build a summer house in Edgartown, they knew two things: they wanted a Patrick Ahearn–designed home, and it had to feel welcoming to their three children. The couple had long admired Ahearn’s work and he was the first call they made when they purchased a 1.2-acre lot off Clevelandtown Road in the fall of 2020.

Amy had worked at Mad Martha’s in Edgartown for a few summers during college and fell in love with the Island. But as an adult, she and her family primarily vacationed on Cape Cod. Then, in 2019, the couple spontaneously planned a summer trip to Edgartown with their three daughters. Amy already knew how enchanting the town was, and Mike and the kids quickly saw the appeal too. The family returned to the Island the following summer and Mike was fully hooked. “I said, ‘I want to buy a house here!’” he remembered. 

That fall, they bought a property within walking distance of downtown Edgartown that had a home and outbuilding, but it was surrounded by cars on cinder blocks. “I loved it, but you had to have a vision,” said Amy with a laugh. 

After selling the half-acre back lot and tearing down the existing structures on the 0.7-acre lot they retained, they hired architect Patrick Ahearn to design their new home and Adam Moran Construction to build it. Their first task: replacing the property’s septic system with an enhanced system, which would allow them to build a home with four bedrooms. Ahearn’s team secured the necessary permit, and the couple was ready to start visualizing their summer home.  

Two priorities emerged when creating the plans: mitigating road noise and maximizing privacy. 

Because the property is off Clevelandtown and Schoolhouse Roads, noise was a concern. The couple hired acoustic consultant Acentech of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to help determine what solutions their build team could use for exterior noise mitigation. 

Following the study, Ahearn came up with a few solutions: Moran would use special sound dampening bars (also known as sound insulation rails) between the sheetrock and the frame of the home; Pella’s Lifestyle series windows and doors with triple-paned glass would be used throughout; and a fence would be installed at the front of the property. 

Maximizing privacy came in the form of building an L-shaped home, with the shorter wing facing Clevelandtown Road and the longer portion extending into the backyard to shield the patio and pool area from neighboring properties. “We wanted to create a courtyard experience that was more private,” explained Ahearn of the layout.

While Ahearn and Moran oversaw every exterior and interior finish, Amy planned to decorate the house herself. But the realities of Covid-related supply chain delays and living on an Island soon made it clear she needed outside help. 

She found Newport, Rhode Island–based interior design firm Digs Design Company on Pinterest and called Jocelyn Chiappone, owner and head designer. Chiappone had worked on numerous projects on both the Cape and the Islands, including “with Patrick and his team on more projects than I can count,” she said. 

The couple was eager to start the process because of the Covid backlog and, less than two weeks later, “we had a binder and two [design] choices for every room,” said Amy. While Amy requested a neutral palette, Chiappone was able to convince her that bolder choices could work. “They put Amy out of her comfort zone,” said Mike, pointing to the vibrant blue-and-white geometric print on the great room chairs. 

The practical needs of a family with three teenagers were also a consideration. “We found a very hardy indoor-outdoor fabric that is extremely soft to the touch, and I used performance fabrics anywhere we could,” said Chiappone.

While a supply delay with the windows led to one missed summer, the family moved into the two-story, 4,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home in June 2023. 

“Even the beds were made!” Amy said about the “reveal,” which Chiappone and her team accomplished in one day – everything from placing towels in the bathrooms, putting fresh flowers in vases, arranging candles in votives, and, yes, making the beds. The Mingolelli family simply had to walk through the door and start living their Island dream.

•••

The house is summer incarnate: an oasis of calm, with light pouring in from every angle. 

Indoor-outdoor living comes to life with the extensive use of glass doors facing the courtyard, which features a saltwater pool and hot tub that was built by Ted Rosbeck of Island Pools & Spas. Large topiaries frame the area, playing off the bluestone that lines the entire patio; a built-in stainless-steel grill and firepit complete the space. 

Inside, a study for Mike just off the entry hall gives a modern twist to the Island’s seafaring history. Nautical wallpaper and crisp blue trim line the walls with elements of rope and seagrass, and a lacquered vintage white campaign-style desk and a Bunny Williams bamboo sofa “add a sense of place,” said Chiappone. 

A few steps beyond the entryway sits the great room, an airy living and dining space flooded with natural light. The double-sided gas fireplace creates a focal point for the attached screened-in porch. Tone-on-tone grass cloth wallpaper adds warmth and texture. 

Practicality is hidden in the design: the wet bar flanked by built-in window seats also provides extra storage for the family of five. A sculptural wooden light fixture hangs above the seating area, and the use of beadboard lends discreet architectural interest. 

The open kitchen, with glossy gray and white tiles, brass fixtures, and white cabinets with glass doors, is compact but efficient. “[The kitchen] doesn’t need to be gigantic and be a separate room,” noted Ahearn. “I was worried about the size,” admitted Amy, “but it’s perfect for a summer kitchen because we don’t do that much cooking in the summer.” 

Upstairs, the primary bedroom and en suite bathroom are outfitted in shades of white and soft turquoise and opens onto a private deck overlooking the pool area. Two additional bedrooms – each with an en suite bathroom – pop with varying splashes of color and custom headboards. 

Back on the first floor, what at first glance from the outside appears to be a garage is actually a hangout room for the teenagers that includes a ping-pong table and television area. Upstairs is a guest suite that sleeps four, with one king bed and two built-in twin beds, accessible by a separate interior staircase. 

A breezeway connects the faux garage to the main home. Inside is a mudroom with built-in white cubbies, brass hooks, and a brick floor that is both comfortable and practical for bare feet and sand.

Brewer Landscapes created a yard that feels like eternal summer, with abundant seagrass that sways in the breeze, hydrangea bushes to provide color, and privet and cedars to help further create a quiet retreat. “We wanted to keep it simple in terms of plantings with an emphasis on privacy,” said Amy.

Overall, the couple appreciate that everyone in the house has an area that feels like their own. For Mike, it’s the screened-in porch. 

“That is my total happy space,” he said. “It is pure summer. I cannot stay awake on the porch!”

The Team
Architect: Patrick Ahearn
Builder: Adam Moran Construction
Interior Design: Digs Design Company
Landscaping: Brewer Landscapes
Pool Contractor: Island Pools & Spas
Acoustic Consultant: Acentech

This article appears in Fall-Winter Home & Garden 2026-2027.