Perched atop an elevated site just off Newport's fabled Ocean Drive, a new house with locally derived Shingle Style features replaces a 1960s~era split-level ranch with an impressive blend of outdoor living and contemporary indoor amenity. Stone retaining walls soften the steep contours of the site and relate to matching stonework in the structure's chimneys. A shingled colonnade across the front and one side speaks to the coastal Rhode Island tradition of summer houses with sprawling covered porches. Inside, a modern open plan combines kitchen, living and family spaces for relaxed flow and seamless entertaining, The second floor is virtually carved out of the roof with large dormers incorporating window bays. The principle bedroom enjoys its own private second-floor deck overlooking the pool and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Uncomplicated yet comprehensive in its architectural ethos, this house subscribes to the notion of summer by the sea.