Project: Coley’s Point House
Architecture: Woodford Architecture
Location: Coley’s Point, Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Year: 2025
Photo Credits: Jane Brokenshire
Coley’s Point House is a tranquil coastal retreat that draws inspiration from Newfoundland’s maritime landscape. Designed by Woodford Architecture, the home combines traditional vernacular forms with modern restraint, creating a residence that feels both grounded and contemporary. Through its careful composition of materials, light, and proportion, it captures the essence of life by the sea—quiet, enduring, and deeply connected to place.
A Dialogue Between Tradition and Modernity
Set along the rugged shoreline of Coley’s Point, the house is composed of intersecting gable and mono-pitched volumes that recall the simple silhouettes of local fishing buildings. The architecture pays homage to this coastal heritage while refining it into a crisp, modern expression. The contrast between vertical dark-grey cladding and horizontal white wood siding creates a rhythm of texture and tone, responding dynamically to changing light and weather.
Strategically placed windows frame sweeping views of the harbor and horizon, allowing the sea to enter the home both visually and emotionally. Between the volumes, sheltered courtyards provide quiet outdoor refuges, mediating the boundary between exposure and protection. These transitions make Coley’s Point House feel intimately connected to its environment—open to the landscape yet safely nestled within it.
Light, Warmth, and Simplicity
Inside, the design emphasizes clarity and calm. Expansive windows fill the interiors with daylight, while natural materials—wood, stone, and soft finishes—create warmth against the expansive coastal backdrop. Every space is arranged to foster balance: places for solitude coexist with areas for gathering, all oriented toward the changing rhythms of the sea.
The interior palette remains simple, allowing the light and scenery to take center stage. Subtle details in joinery and furniture bring tactility and depth, reinforcing the sense of intimacy within a vast setting. This measured simplicity defines the home’s quiet luxury—a richness born from restraint rather than excess.
A Home Shaped by Land and Sea
More than a building, Coley’s Point House is a reflection of its landscape. Its design captures the tension and harmony between openness and shelter, between tradition and modern innovation. The architecture listens to its surroundings, translating the rhythms of wind, tide, and light into form.
Through this balance, the home becomes both timeless and personal—a place where modern life unfolds in sync with the natural world. Rooted in Newfoundland’s coastal spirit, Coley’s Point House offers calm, clarity, and connection—a true dwelling shaped by the enduring dialogue between land and sea.
