This Pastel-Pink Tiny Beach House in South Kingstown is the Epitome of Cuteness

After Sea La Vie’s renovation.

Ara Millette and her mother, Pamela Millette, always dreamed of a life near the sea.

Sea La Vie’s inviting dining area.

 Their vision came true last summer when they found the cutest little beach cottage in South Kingstown’s Matunuck village. No matter that it was a mere 285 square feet, or that it felt low, cramped and dark inside, with dated colors and appliances to match. It had good bones and plenty of possibilities.

“Making such a small space functional was our primary motivating factor,” says Ara. “We wanted to make the best of the available space and knew we had enough to work with if we were creative.”

Her research led her to designer Bernadette Heydt of Newport-based Heydt Home, who specializes in transforming small spaces. 

“The house was in need of some TLC but had great potential,” Heydt says. “I recall a very squishy vinyl floor, low ceilings with pocket lights, and what might just be the smallest bathroom I’ve ever
encountered, reminiscent of an airplane stall.”

They started with a blank slate: With the help of Heydt’s husband, Andrea Pietrangeli, a contractor who honed his skills in his native Italy and at IYRS in Newport, the home was stripped down to the studs.  

Before Sea La Vie’s renovation.

Ara and Pamela had a comprehensive wish list: accommodation for four people, a dining area and full kitchen, living room, a work zone with storage for a laptop and cables, two bedrooms with full beds, a large ADA-compliant bathroom with a shower, and multiple outdoor seating areas.

Wide-plank pine floors and white surfaces make the space feel larger.

Heydt reworked the floor plan to create proper zones within the house and significantly expanded the bathroom space. To make the most of every square inch, she added creative storage solutions such as built-in shelving and niches equipped with electrical outlets for charging stations in the living room, clothing shelves in the bedroom, and storage slots for toiletries and hairdryers in the bathroom.

Wide-plank white pine floors and serene white surfaces give the space a warm, inviting and spacious feel, with pops of greenery and natural rattan elements enhancing the coastal vibes. 

In a nod to their family, Ara and Pamela filled the walls with old photographs printed on fiberglass, which can easily withstand the coastal elements. 

And in a wink to their French-Canadian heritage, they christened the cottage “Sea La Vie.” 

For the exterior, they chose a cheerful pink the same color as one of Pamela’s silk shirts. The Color House in Middletown matched the shade to achieve the perfect soft pink hue. 

A patio bar area and comfortable outdoor gathering space.

“I believe we’re the only pink house in the entire community,” Ara says. 

Natural elements frame the al fresco dining nook.

Outside, Heydt designed a small bar area on the front porch, where Ara and her friends can gather with cocktails and small plates, and a spot where Pamela could relax on summer evenings. A space just behind the outdoor shower is perfect for al fresco dining, with comfy outdoor seating and a table. 

Ara lives in Providence but uses the cottage as often as she can from May through October. She loves the neighborhood, the beach, biking around the village and frequenting local spots like the Ocean Mist, Carpenter’s Farm Stand and Matunuck Pub. The fact that it’s only forty-five minutes away is a bonus, she says. 

“Once you have a little taste of it, you realize how valuable it is to be able to hop in your car and get to your ideal vacation spot,” she says. “Because it’s so geographically close, I can get a lot more use out of it as opposed to if I had an out-of-town vacation home.”

The two bedrooms feature space-saving storage areas.

The project took five months, with Ara and Pamela moving into the home last August. Pamela was able to live there full-time for two months, through October, when the beach community closes for the winter. She died in April after a battle with cancer.

Her obituary speaks to her love of adventure, of oceanside visits and animals of all kinds. But most of all, it speaks to her passion of being a mentor and a mother.

A revamped outdoor shower.

“Her pride and joy was her daughter, Ara Millette,” it reads. “The two were best friends with an unbreakable bond.” 

Ara finds solace in Sea La Vie, surrounded by family photographs, cozy nooks and the memories she made with her mother in the small cottage by the sea. 

“It turned out to be her last big passion project,” Ara says. “So it will always be a good memory.”