5. Rethink the Floor Plan

Because the family eats most meals on the front porch or at the beach, Tracey transformed a former dining area into a sitting room. "I wanted there to be a nice transition from the living room to the kitchen without it feeling like a hallway, so I hung an overscale chandelier above two slipper chairs that have a view out to the garden," she says.

The slipcovered chairs are from Vineyard Decorators.