This past spring, my husband and I discovered that a treasured piece of Palm Beach real estate was about to come on the market. The house is part of an enclave located right in downtown Palm Beach called Major Alley. There are six houses designed by Howard Major in 1927 in the Bermuda style.

Howard Major was known for trying to buck the Mediterranean trend that had become so prevalent in the 20’s by Addison Mizner. Major argued that the Bermuda/Colonial style homes worked in a tropical climate better than Mediterraneans and they carried a more national identity.

The 2000 square foot cottage packs a punch. My architect and frequent collaborator Richard Sammons describes Major Alley as “ a great example of gentle density. Six houses occupy an otherwise single family lot of a mere 100 feet wide by 120 feet deep with complete privacy and gracious rooms. Privacy within the enclave is assured by architectural firm, not distance.”

The cottages are utterly charming as you can see by the photographs. We rewired the whole house, retiled the courtyard, installed new drains, redesigned the kitchen so it has a laundry/pantry space, and revamped the three bathrooms. We did keep the original American Standard toilets and washstands-they were too perfect to consider replacing. The original terra cotta floors were cleaned up and we cut a mouse hole door from the living room into the kitchen to allow for better access and flow.

Our team was, as usual, amazing. The renovations took just six months.

We love being stewards of this little cottage!

Architects: Fairfax and Sammons and Partners

Builder: Tim Givens Building and Remodeling, Inc.

Landscape Design: Niviera Williams

Interior Design: Betsy Shiverick Interiors, LLC