Tour a Martha’s Vineyard Compound Handcrafted for Making Memories

David Foxley

January 10, 2025 at 8:00 a.m.·12 min read

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“We didn’t want a house that was too serious—we wanted it to be fun, to feel like it had been lived in from the get-go,” says chef Chris Willis of the vacation home he and his wife, Pam, recently completed on Martha’s Vineyard. “We really pushed back on having details that felt too new.”

As the proprietors of Pammy’s, the much-loved restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts—where they’re based—the Willises know a thing or two about assembling a team, and they did so seamlessly for this four-year endeavor. “They’re very collaborative and open to a lot of different things,” interior designer Karie Reinertson, who worked on the project alongside her Mother Studio cofounder, Laura Evans, says of the clients. “But they also have a lot to say, a lot of opinions, and it was really fun to have them trust us.” That circle of creative confidence extended to include architect Maryann Thompson of firm MTA, who dreamed up the home’s distinctive “pinwheel” layout, maximizing its views and openness, as well as project manager Doug Jack of Nidify Studio and celebrated landscape designer Michael Van Valkenburgh.

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Entertaining friends and family was a key consideration for homeowners Chris and Pam Willis, restaurateurs from Cambridge, Massachusetts, when planning their vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. In the dining room, which features ample seating below windows, and surrounding a Nickey Kehoe table, Pinch pendant lights were designed to raise up, should the hosts want to stash the table for a larger party. The bench cushions are covered in a Schumacher fabric while those on the vintage Dutch dining chairs wear Brook Perdigon Textiles’ Framework pattern. “Chris’s brother [next door] owns and operates a distillery. We own a restaurant. We’re food beverage people,” Pam explains. “Entertaining is what we do, so the piano in the dining room is just a supercool luxury to have.”
Art: Max Decker/Field Gallery

“We wanted to create a house that heightened the experience of the beautiful landscape and the phenomenological qualities of the site in multiple ways,” explains Thompson, who had worked with the homeowners on two prior projects. The pinwheel plan, she adds, “created exterior spaces between its arms—outdoor rooms held by the building’s form.”

Tucked away on a leafy plot between the ocean and Summertime, the preexisting family home of Chris’s brother, the new house and its guest cottage were playfully dubbed Suppertime, underscoring its owners’ love of entertaining. A giant Nickey Kehoe table grounds the dining room, which can accommodate 20 guests, under pendant lights that were designed to lift out of the way, should the couple want to open up the expanse for a larger party. “Because they love hosting, they wanted this space to be really flexible and alive,” explains Reinertson of the glass-walled room, which features a piano that the Willises’ two teenage daughters often play for company. “The idea is that people could bleed out into the landscape if they’re having a large party,” says Evans of the enchanting grounds masterminded by Van Valkenburgh. “It becomes this very permeable space.”

Shop out the look of the house here⤵

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The main house and guest cottage—named Suppertime as a nod to Chris’s brother’s preexisting property next door, Summertime—is situated on several ocean-adjacent acres and was designed by Maryann Thompson Architects, who had previously collaborated with the Willises on their main residence and restaurant, Pammy’s, in Cambridge. For this endeavor, Thompson and her project manager, Doug Jack of Nidify Studio, worked hand-in-glove with interior designers Karie Reinertson and Laura Evans from Mother Studio, as well as the acclaimed landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. “We were able to think of both properties in tandem and create a somewhat seamless flow of paths connecting the two,” explains Jack of Suppertime’s physical relationship to Summertime.

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The living room, with exposures on either side, highlights the home’s pinwheel layout, in which rooms radiate out from the center like spokes on a wheel. “Pam and Chris are both extremely artistic and are architectural dreamers,” notes architect Thompson of the homeowners. “They are wonderful clients because they like to dream and envision big things right alongside us.” In the vaulted living room, with a Morsø wood stove that the family plans to christen this winter, a sofa designed by Mother Studio in collaboration with Atelier Takagi is intended to wink at Martha’s Vineyard’s 1980s preppy-maritime aesthetic, as is the vintage boat coffee table. The ottomans and throw pillows are covered in Pierre Frey fabrics, while a Gubi lounge chair and Fern NYC side chair provide additional seating for guests.

With restaurateurs in residence, it should come as little surprise that the kitchen, generously lit by commodious skylights, pendants by In Common With, and Allied Maker flush mounts, was another area of thoughtful planning. “It’s a very working-chef’s kitchen,” notes Chris of the culinary HQ, lined with reclaimed hemlock (as are the home’s other rooms) and zellige tiles. “I don’t think there’s any of that kitchen that’s for show, which was fun but also challenging for Karie and Laura.”

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In the case of Suppertime, the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, particularly for homeowner Chris, a professional chef. “There was a ton of talk about use and space: What does it feel like when Chris is cooking? Does he want somebody sitting at that island with him talking, or does he need complete focus? What does it feel like when all the doors are closed in the kitchen?” recalls Reinertson of discussions around the plan. A custom white-oak island fabricated by Stauffer Woodworking is the primary workspace in the room, which includes custom cabinets designed by Mother Studio and crafted by Holmes Hole Builders.

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Designed to be a serious chef’s kitchen, the space is outfitted with a BlueStar range, Waterworks plumbing fixtures, and plenty of light from In Common With orb pendants, Allied Maker orb flush mounts, and, for more precise culinary efforts, a Jieldé retractable sconce. The zellige backsplash tiles are from Clé.

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“They were heavily involved in the design of their own restaurant, so they were really particular about the seat height and depth and how close to the table people should be,” says Evans of the breakfast nook. Among the couple’s favorite spots on the property, it includes a bench cushion covered in a Soane Britain fabric, a Sawkille dining chair, Nickey Kehoe table, Helene Blanche window shades, a Noguchi pendant, and custom stenciling on the walls.

Though Suppertime was the first official undertaking for Reinertson and Evans working together as Mother Studio, which is based in Asheville, North Carolina, the duo have quickly—thanks to this and a series of subsequent projects around the US—garnered attention for their handcrafted interiors. With backgrounds spanning landscape architecture, studio art, craft, and bespoke furniture design, the designers took a holistic approach here, overseeing everything from the design of quilts on all the beds to custom-painted tiles in the powder room and decorative stencils in the breakfast nook to built-in seating throughout. “This is the epitome of a favorite project for us because we not only get to compose from other people’s beautiful belongings or things they’ve made, but we have a hand in it too,” Reinertson says, “so it feels custom, special, and personal.”

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The guest house, which looks onto the pool, is built with a trellis armature on one face of the building, where hydrangea vines are expected to grow over the coming years. Bluestone creates meandering paths throughout the property.

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“We wanted to present a more traditional front to the street, as the neighborhood the house is in is a wonderful old New England community,” Thompson explains, pointing to the guest cottage, where Pam and Chris often host their respective parents. “We opened up the house and guest house in the back with large modern windows that address the site.” Abundant natural light in the interiors was important to all parties involved, as evidenced by large vertical windows and skylights throughout.

This high-touch approach might help explain why Chris and Pam have difficulty selecting their favorite spots on the property. There’s the guest house overlooking the pool, where, when the couple’s respective parents are visiting, the entire family ends up chatting for hours after meals. Though they also spend much of their time in the beloved kitchen, the couple is particularly fond of the porch, where almost every day ends; and the breakfast nook, where they happily begin. Walking into the girls’ bedroom, with its striking window above the beds, is “architecturally amazing,” Chris says before Pam reminds him of the soaring living room, with its wood-burning stove that they look forward to christening this winter. “Yeah, there are a lot,” Chris laughs of the choice locales at their vacation hideaway. “I think we might move there.”

Reflecting on the project, Pam, who’s quick to point out how special it is to work with an ego-free architect of Thompson’s caliber, says she can’t identify a single low point. “They’re wonderfully patient and communicative,” she adds of the Mother Studio pair with a big smile. “I mean, they’re mothers, so it’s expected.”