The three-bedroom house is about 1,800 square feet in size. Site restrictions dictated a setback from the water; that combined with the homeowners' needs inspired a linear and somewhat serpentine plan that follows the water's edge. "Sometimes the challenge and constraints create a more interesting design that would not happen under normal circumstances," says Bubnowski.

Amazingly, his plans did not require a single variance. The exterior is respectful of the context and fits in with its shingle style facades.

When architect Richard Bubnowski met the couple who owned this property, he asked how they had found him. "The wife pulled out a 3-year-old magazine clipping of my own personal surf shed," he explains. Because the father and son were surfers, he'd already earned some points with them before they ever met.

This is the side of the house as seen from the entry court. "The house tiers up and away from you; so from here it looks deceptively like a little one-story cottage," Bubnowski says. The first room you enter has a large surfboard closet, which sets the tone for the home. The plan moves from public to private; the last tier one would reach from here is the master suite upstairs.

The kitchen uses a wide variety of materials, including reclaimed wood cabinets, mahogany and stainless steel countertops and a slate floor. "Every wall in this house is painted white," Bubnowski says. "There are so many textures, finish colors and beams that we did not need to add color through paint ... we let the white paint act as a backdrop for these materials."

The design connects different spaces through materials. In this picture, you can see how the diagonal line of teak beneath the railing plays off the door all the way across the space, and how the reclaimed wood in the kitchen relates to the fireplace. The slate floor is continuous throughout the entire space.

Looking upward again, exposed metal beams and a wood and metal railing add to the industrial aesthetic.

"The homeowner had great taste," says Bubnowski. The wife and interior designer Donna Grimes picked out the light fixtures together. Note the way the lines of the industrial sconce on the right play off the lines of the railing.

A guest room has chair-rail-height pine planking. "Hanging the planks horizontally made the room feel larger," says Bubnowski. This room and another guest room on the first floor are tucked beneath the master suite.

Side note: Sam Oberter is the talented photographer who took the pictures of the New Moon Cottage. He's also a surfer, so he and Bubnowski hit it off right away and have become good friends.

You can see how the edge of the house follows the waterline; the master wing tier is able to protrude a little further out because the land does.

Thanks so much to Richard Bubnowski for helping us get to know this house better. It is available as a vacation rental, so if you're lucky enough to afford it, you may decide to experience it in person.

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