Tour a Designer's Easy, Breezy Cape Cod Studio
When scarf designer Elyse MaGuire needs inspiration, she heads to her light-filled studio by the beach.
Elyse Maguire is the fashion world's latest "knit girl." After working for major brands like Altuzarra and Rosie Assoulin, the Parsons School of Design grad decided to turn her obsession with textiles into her own eponymous business. Her whimsical but totally wearable creations go with everything and feel right for dressy city nights or laid-back country days. That versatility may be due to Elyse's dual residency: She lives in Brooklyn but does most of her knitting in a cedar-shingle cabin in Chatham, Massachusetts, on beachy, beautiful Cape Cod.
The structure, formerly an artist's studio, always had good bones. Windows and a set of large French doors let in tons of natural light (and fresh ocean air), while Shaker-style shelving around the interior is perfect for displaying artsy ephemera as part of her ever-evolving 3-D mood board. To put her own stamp on the simple space, Elyse went antiquing in the area for local treasures, scoring a vintage rug for coziness and color underfoot and a reclaimed-wood coffee table. A green leather Crate & Barrel couch ties nicely into the earthy, eclectic scheme, reflecting Elyse's boho-Brooklyn-meets-preppy–New England style.
"My spring line was inspired by the texture of windblown sand and the colors of the sky at my favorite local spot, White Crest Beach," says Elyse.
But the studio's best asset might be its lack of distractions. "When I'm here, surrounded by nature, I notice things," says Elyse. "The colors of the flowers outside, the patterns the sun makes on the floor—I channel all of that into my collections."
Every surface in the studio gets used, including the windowsills, which hold art supplies organized in jars and tins.
Trellises cover most of the studio entrance. Elyse keeps window boxes filled with flowers for a pop of color.
In addition to scarves, she also offers beach towels and candles inspired by the Cape.