After three years of living in a large custom-built, modern home, Heather Lipkind and Jason Sunshine realized they wanted something cozier. “We made a list of what we needed to be happy, and it wasn’t that much,” says Heather, director of maternal fetal medicine at New York City’s Weill Cornell Medicine. She and Jason, an executive director at Morgan Stanley, set their sights on the waterside town of Fairfield, Connecticut, where their girls could walk to shops and the beach, and they found this four-bedroom house in 2019. Designer Diane Rath helped them optimize every inch of space and realize Heather’s dream of painting all the floors white: She wanted a blank canvas for her vintage and family treasures. The house now feels like a laid-back retreat that’s a world away from their old place. “I call our new style ‘easy, happy elegance,’ ” Heather says. “Who wouldn’t want that?”

White cedar shake siding fits in with the beachy neighborhood. The peace sign hints at the good vibes inside.

To improve the flow in the main room, the couple decided to open up the staircase and paint all the walls white (Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams).

Shiplap and sky blue square tiles from Original Style around the fireplace help drive home the beach theme. Heather found the vintage armchairs on eBay and had them recovered in a plaid fabric from HBF Textiles. The rug is Missoni Home for Stark.