A Shelter Island Holiday Rental Where Everything Is for Sale
by Alexa Hotz
Originally built in the 1920s as a boat house serving a larger waterfront estate, a house on Shelter Island was rebuilt and expanded by owner Scott Murphy following Hurricane Sandy. The 2,400-square-foot structure combines a reconstruction of the original boat house with a modern addition, preserving the building’s maritime character while introducing reclaimed white oak interiors, floor-to-ceiling glazing, and a black exterior finished in a traditional Scandinavian pine tar and linseed oil treatment.
Recently furnished by Design Within Reach (DWR) and made available as a vacation rental through Boutique, the three-bedroom house sits directly on Dering Harbor. Guests can stay among a curated selection of DWR pieces, many of which are available for purchase. Inside are several unexpected details, including a rope-suspended guest bed, ship’s windows overlooking the harbor, and a glass floor panel above the water. Here’s a look inside.
Above: The exterior is finished in all-black using a 50-50 mix of Swedish pine tar and linseed oil—an organic formula traditionally used on Swedish boat houses.
Owner Scott Murphy bought the home from a man he became friendly with over sailing stories—who had lived the majority of his life in the house. Murphy had wanted to improve and winterize the house, and began renovating after Hurricane Sandy. When flood elevation requirements for the area changed, Murphy was forced to raise the entire house two feet higher than where it originally sat. This would mean having it knock it down and start over. Being that it held sentimental value to the previous owner, Murphy decided to rebuild it almost like a movie set, with the original boat house built back in its original form.
Above: Much of the house is designed with reclaimed white oak from a Pennsylvania barn.
DWR partnered with Boutique last year on a Palm Desert home; this project is their East Coast extension of that initial project. The idea is a living showroom, to an extent, where guests can live among pieces from the DWR collections—both classics and newer designs.
Above: Two Eames Hang-It-All racks in the entry with a Hay Outdoor Market Tote Bag. On the shelf is a Muuto
Restore Basket.
Above: Floor-to-ceiling glass walls are on either end of the house. The living room is designed with a DWR Atlason Americano Sofa, two Børge Mogensen Spanish Lounge Chairs, a Nordic Knots Grand Rug in Moss, the John Pawson for Design Within Reach Drift Coffee Table, and an Eames Turned Stool in Walnut. Overhead is a Muuto Strand Pendant Lamp.
Above: A J.L.Møllers Møbelfabrik Otto Dining Table and Moller Model 82 Side Chair. Above the kitchen bar top is a Gubi 1972 Pendant. The barstools are Herman Miller Spot Stools.
Above: A simple kitchen echoes the nautical nature of the rest of the house with white cabinets, a Wolf range, reclaimed oak floors and a butcher block bar.
Above: A porthole style mirror and nautical rope TP holder in the bath.
Above: In the parlor room, a Nordic Knots Square Flatweave Rug is framed by two Mario Bellini 1996 Amanta Sofas for Hay. The coffee table is the Muuto Midst Coffee Table and the Flos Glo-Ball Sconce makes up the lighting.
Above: A Wrensilva M1 Record Console is paired with a a curated collection of vintage vinyl and books.
Above: An upright piano, Porada Giolino Mirror, and the Frank Gehry Wiggle Stool.
Above: A Frag Vella Bed, Nordic Knots Luxe 2 Rug in Burnt Orange, and a USM Open Storage Side Table.
Above: A traditional marble sink and shiplap in another bathroom.
Above: A walnut-topped loo and a vintage Bitossi ceramic vase.
Above: The hanging boat bed is suspended with heavy rope in a traditional ship’s quarters style. A glass floor panel measuring 3 feet by 18 inches shows off the water beneath the property. The side table is the Origin Made Evora Side Table and the bedside sconces are Anglepoise Original 1227 Wall Lights.
Above: Outside is the Hay Palissade Dining Set in Iron Red.
Above: A hot tub, a Dusen Dusen Striped Beach Towel, and Maharam Concord Stripe Indoor/Outdoor Pillows by Paul Smith.
Above: An outdoor shower and infrared sauna.
Above: A look into the cedar infrared sauna.
Above: Two Muuto Settle Outdoor Lounge Chairs and a Plodes Petal Fire Pit.
For more Shelter Island houses and interiors, see our posts:
- A Low-Key but Subtly Luxe Beach House on Shelter Island, Courtesy of Workstead
- Escape to Shelter Island: A Design Couple’s Reinvented Seaside Retreat
- Farmhouse Refresh: An Antiques Dealer’s Clean and Simple Family Retreat on Shelter Island
- A Fashion Buyer’s Danish-Inspired Getaway on Shelter Island, Before and After
10 Easy Pieces: Electric Composters for the Kitchen
by Alexa Hotz
When I was living in San Francisco, I took for granted the robust composting program of Recology San Francisco. I became accustomed to composting all food scraps, paper products, cardboard, and even wooden chopsticks via a small kitchen bin lined with a green compostable bag. It was so easy, so simple, so satisfying! Then I moved to Brooklyn. I was shocked at the trash sorting system in place in New York City and its boroughs, and even more surprised to hear the lengths at which some of my friends and neighbors went to hand carry their compost to the farmer’s market community bin each Saturdays.
Now that I live in a more rural setting, the curbside composting system, while in existence, is a little finicky: no biodegradable bags, cups or containers, soiled paper, or waxed cardboard. How I would love to solve this problem directly in my own kitchen, without the need to hoard the day’s compost until trash pickup each week. In short, I’ve been considering an electric composter for the kitchen, so here, I share my findings on the currently available kitchen composter models for your consideration too.
Above: The Mill Food Recycler is not for the countertop, but sized like a trashcan. It eliminates odors and reduces waste by creating grounds for your garden, your curbside bin, or you can arrange through Mill to have grounds picked up or sent by mail. The recycler, holding up to 6.5 liters, starts at $799 at Mill.
Above: The Airthereal Revive Electric Kitchen Composter reduces 2.5 liters of food scraps over 3 to 6 hours quietly and efficiently and contains a removable, easy-to-clean inner container; normally $249.99 but currently on sale for $174.99 at Airthereal.
Above: Lomi2 Food Recycler has a small to mid-sized capacity (5 liters) but composts food scraps within 4 hours. Taking up a small amount of countertop real estate, the recycler is energy efficient, connects to an app, is odor-free, and has three different modes; $599 at Lomi.
Above: Standing about as tall as a trash can, the floor-sized GEME Home Composter addresses 3.5 liters of food scraps, reducing them down over 8 to 12 hours with odor-free operation and energy efficiency; $899.99 at GEME.
Above: Operating with a small capacity (3 liters), the Vego Kitchen Composter operates manually, without any electricity at all, so it takes a full two weeks to break scraps down. This option works well for small households and/or could be utilized for camping or those outbuilding locations without electricity; $288.04 at Vego.
Above: The Pursonic Electric Kitchen Composter has a capacity of 2 liters and reduces waste quickly, in 3 to 6 hours with a quiet, odor-free operation and has a small footprint on the kitchen counter, measuring 10 by 9 inches; $209.99 at Amazon.
Above: The FoodCycler Eco 5 Food Composter quietly reduces 2.5 liters of scraps into compost in just 4 to 8 hours, is a compact countertop size. The removable compost bin is easy to clean (by dishwasher even) and designed for energy efficiency; $599.95 at Williams-Sonoma.
Above: Another floor-sized model, the Reencle Home Composter quickly breaks down food waste, adjusting temperature and humidity levels to optimize the composting process. Its energy efficient design is low maintenance while reducing waste and odors. Available in both white and black for $449 at Reencle.
Above: The Luma Electric Kitchen Composter with a 2.5 liter capacity reduces waste in 3 to 6 hours with a hands off process automatically adjusting its cycle as it operates. It’s a countertop model measuring 12 by 10 inches; $325.43 on Amazon.
Above: Honorable mention: The Puresky Composter has a high capacity (4 liters) turning food scraps into compost in 6 to 8 hours via a quiet, energy-efficient, and odorless operation. For composting such a high quantity, the Puresky Composter is just 11 by 10 inches and is designed for the countertop. It’s no longer being made, but can be found on secondhand sites like eBay.
For low-fi countertop composters, see 10 Easy Pieces: Kitchen Compost Bins. And for more problem-solving small appliances for the kitchen, see our posts:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Toaster Ovens
- 10 Easy Pieces: Food Processors
- 10 Easy Pieces: Electric Kettles
- 10 Easy Pieces: Juicers
- 10 Easy Pieces: The Best Espresso Machines
N.B. This story originally ran on March 19, 2025 and has been updated with new pricing and information.
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