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In Provincetown, Massachusetts, about a block from the beach, a five-bedroom, seven-bathroom Victorian trimmed in blue sits on a third of an acre with a manicured lawn and green hedges, a rainbow flag displayed at its door. Like many homes in this queer-friendly Cape Cod beach town, the 1880s Queen Anne has a storied history—in the 1990s, it was Three Peaks, a local lodge that was proudly owned and operated by trans people. Now, it again has a purposeful future: An anonymous donor recently purchased the stately property for the LGBTQ+ nonprofit Summer of Sass. The program, founded by comedian Kristen Becker in 2016, brings queer young adults, ages 18 to 20, from around the country—largely from places where they can't safely or comfortably be themselves—to Provincetown, and provides them with housing, job placement, mentorship, community, and mental health support. “They call me Beach Dad,” Becker says with a laugh, describing a warm, loving environment where trauma can be healed thanks to finally having access to basic safety—things like being able to wear their headphones while they walk home without worry—and a connection to nature.

Photography by Mike Crane Words by Gabrielle Korn Styling by Kate Berry

As for the addition of the vibrant property? For Jackson, "It honestly changed everything. It always felt like a program, but now it feels like a whole team effort." His favorite room is the dining room, because of the mural, though he also says that choosing just one favorite room is hard. "The house is honestly the fanciest place I've ever lived," he admits. "Which is ironic, because I'm there to leave." There to leave. That’s the crux (and the heart) of the program: Young adults come to Sass so that their lives and future homes after the program can flourish, in every way.

The updates to the house reflect the experience of staying there, where young adults also find themselves transformed, thanks to programming that centers their well-being and helps prep them for their future. For one Sasser, Ethan Jackson, a summer in Provincetown saved his life. After his family situation became so unlivable that he began couch hopping, Sass not only gave him a place to live, it allowed him to get critical heart surgery, something he wasn’t able to access in his hometown. He’s now back at Sass for the third time. “It’s the first time I’ve ever had my own circle of friends,” he says.

There's an inherent thoughtfulness to the decor, too—the art includes framed vintage bandanas, and there’s a hand-drawn mural of the sky in the dining room. All in all, it’s a reclamation of summer camp—which, for some queer teens, has had an opposite mission, like conversion therapy—and a declaration to the Sassers that not only can they live somewhere beautiful, but they deserve to. Bringing modern elements like bright tones and minimalist furniture into a Victorian was “a fun challenge,” Wendt says. “There are lots of short walls and long walls and things aren’t always even.” But the unique character only adds to the charm of the final design; instead of erasing it, they embraced it, getting creative with color-blocking in rich hues—the walls of the entryway and one of the bedrooms, for example, are half white and half lilac, while elsewhere, a Barbie pink door got an earthy green trim. And by bringing in different design accents—geometric rugs paired with oversize, simple pieces in straightforward tones like white and oak—the juxtaposition feels effortless.

While modern furniture can get a bad rap for being “intimidating, stark, and cold,” AllModern’s pieces are as welcoming and cozy as they are contemporary. So when Wendt considered how AllModern would turn this traditional home into something more approachable, the goal was to avoid anything that would make it feel too hotel-like or too precious; instead she wanted to create enclaves where people could gather and relax. The team designed it to encourage community, speaking to the heart of the Summer of Sass program. Throughout, there are places to convene comfortably, like the oversize leather couch in the living room. Other spaces are intentionally crafted for creativity and play, stocked with books, games, and musical instruments, while a pink door leads to a more serious muted green room with a dark wood desk for work. One bathroom has a large claw-foot soaking tub, lest anyone need a little alone time.

In previous years, Sassers—as Becker calls them—stayed in rentals around town. Now when they arrive in P-Town for the summer, they get to live together in this grand former inn. Which begs the question: How do you turn a 3,484-square-foot house, which most recently was a boutique bed-and-breakfast, into a place where young adults, who are often from unstable and low-income environments, feel at home? You partner with AllModern to create a space that is as purposeful as it is pretty. Following AllModern’s longtime ethos that good design should be for everyone (not a luxury for a few), the brand got to work on creating a safe home environment that fosters inclusiveness and community, improving and potentially saving lives for the LGBTQ+ community. Meghan O’Connor, head of creative at the brand as well as a longtime friend of Becker and Provincetown local, had long ago pledged that if Summer of Sass ever got a place, AllModern would be involved. Now she made good on that promise, rallying her colleagues to help design a “soft landing” for the young adults who would live there. “It was such a great way to bring the team together and put action behind the words of what we stand for,” O’Connor says. “My first thought was color. Let’s play with it, let’s bring it in,” says AllModern’s senior stylist, Dana Wendt, who helmed the design process. From a checkerboard-floor hallway drenched in vivid indigo—decorative crown moldings and all—to a light-filled dining room where the window trim is a sunny yellow, the palette immediately invites a sense of liveliness and optimism. In the kitchen, mustard paneling meets white subway tile; the living room boasts a Kelly green reading nook.

“It honestly changed everything. It always felt like a program, but now it feels like a whole team effort.”

“My first thought was color. Let’s play with it, let’s bring it in.”

Advocate Kristen Becker and AllModern teamed up on a color-drenched haven for LGBTQ+ young adults.

Advocate Kristen Becker and AllModern teamed up on a color-drenched haven for LGBTQ+ youth.

Welcome Home

by Alyson Fox, AllModern ($490)

Carson Coffee Table, AllModern ($440)

Amelie Side Chairs (Set of 2), AllModern ($204)

Odie Metal Table Lamp, AllModern ($150)

Shop the Whole House!

Shop the Story

In Partnership with

—Dana Wendt, AllModern’s senior stylist

—Ethan Jackson, Sasser

Shapes by Alyson Fox

Carson Coffee Table

Amelie Side Chairs (Set of 2)

Odie Metal Table Lamp

Better Homes & Gardens Eco-Friendly Bamboo Melamine Dishes

Shapes

by Alyson Fox, AllModern ($490)