Architect Thomas A. Kligerman to Publish Summer by the Sea: Cottages from Watch Hill to Little Compton
On March 4, 2026, acclaimed architect Thomas A. Kligerman, founding partner of Kligerman Architecture and Design, releases Summer by the Sea: Cottages from Watch Hill to Little Compton, an evocative exploration of Rhode Island’s storied southern coastline, where architecture, landscape, and memory intertwine. Kligerman is best known for his shingle-style homes that weave inspiration from English and European traditions with the American vernacular Summer by the Sea is the first book to focus on the seaside cottages of Rhode Island, the birthplace of the shingle style. Join us in celebrating this tribute to the architecture of the American summer.
With photographs by well-known architecture and interiors photographer Read McKendree, the book presents a visual tour of sixteen remarkable seaside houses stretching from Watch Hill to Little Compton. Organized by town, it guides readers along the Atlantic from Westerly across Narragansett Bay to the edge of Massachusetts, visiting homes in Watch Hill, Weekapaug, Haversham, Block Island, Saunderstown, Jamestown, Middletown, and Little Compton.
Blending personal narrative with architectural insight, Kligerman captures what he calls “an ever-evolving dream about what life on the shore should be.” Featured homes range from works by 19th-century masters to vernacular cottages by unknown builders that have passed through generations. Though varied in structure and style, they share an unpretentious ease: grayed cedar shingles, floors burnished by summer footsteps, generous porches, and views across meadows and ponds to the Atlantic.
The book includes an introduction infused with both personal reflection and rigorous historical perspective. Kligerman shares boyhood memories and discusses the design of his own Weekapaug home—one of the featured projects—while tracing the rise of Rhode Island’s shingle style, often considered “the architecture of the American summer.” McKendree’s lush photography, alongside archival images and Kligerman’s own atmospheric coastal snapshots, immerses readers in the quiet beauty of this singular landscape.
Beautifully packaged with a cover that evokes salt air and ocean breezes, Summer by the Sea will captivate architecture enthusiasts, design lovers, and all who are drawn to the enduring charm of a New England summer.
Pre-Order Your Copy
Available March 4, 2026. Presale now open:
Upcoming Massachusetts Events
Tom will also appear at:
Beacon Hill, MA — Beacon Hill Design Day | October 1, 2026
Boston, MA — Boston Design Week | April 30, 2026
Chatham, MA — Luxury Home Design Summit | May 18–20, 2026
Nantucket, MA — Nantucket by Design | July 13–16, 2026
