“We wanted to recreate the feeling of Nantucket in Texas,” interior designer Tiffany McKinzie says of the inspiration behind the Dallas home she and her husband renovated earlier this year when the newly empty nesters decided to relocate from the suburbs into the city. Inspired by family trips to the island with their children, she set about transforming the house into a bright and airy retreat.

The property, which was originally built in 1952, easily lent itself to the open concept living and dining room that McKinzie envisioned. To create the space, she combined four separate living areas into one large room that houses the living room, dining room, and kitchen. By raising the ceiling in the main living room and adding large horizontal laid shiplap on the walls and smaller shiplap on the ceiling, McKinzie made the space appear larger, then amplified the natural light by painting the walls and ceiling white.

The original home did not have a foyer, so McKinzie erected a wall to make one. The resulting space features a cabinet for storage, a large bench where people can sit and take off their shoes, and a mirror—an element that the designer considers critical for a foyer. “You always want to have a final glance before you dash out the door,” she notes.

Another omission in the original house that McKinzie had to solve for was a lack of closets. She tucked what she calls her “central command station” in the hall near the garage—a small area where keys are dropped and handbags are stowed. Creating an office that she and her husband could both use that also serves as a guest room was a challenge as well; McKinzie designed a Murphy bed with flanking closet storage and installed built-ins to conceal office supplies and equipment to form a multi-functional space.

Located in separate wings off of the living room, the bedrooms are all master suite sized and offer plenty of privacy and quiet. In the master bedroom, which McKinzie describes as “a complete oasis,” she painted the box ceiling Sherwin Williams St. Bart’s blue and carried through the Nantucket theme with a woven rattan bed that adds texture and an island vibe. A wool carpet in a neutral hue “feels like silk under your feet,” she says. She keeps her favorite family portraits and design books on a table, with a comfortable reading chair and writing desk nearby.

Perhaps the most obvious nod to the home’s Nantucket design roots is the powder room. McKinzie designed the tile floor with penny rounds, spelling out the airport code for Nantucket, ACK, on the floor, and added a border around the perimeter of the room in shades of blue. Wallpaper featuring whales swimming among the waves adds to the beach vibe.

Elsewhere throughout the house, island touches abound. Nantucket-made lighting fixtures, accessories, and one-of-a-kind treasures fill the spaces, adding interest and giving the inhabitants—and visitors—the sense that they’re on island time. “The home feels relaxed and comfortable,” McKinzie says. “We often hear from our guests that they feel like they are on vacation.”

Photography by Costa Christ Media. Tiffany McKinzie is featured in The Scout Guide Dallas.