Saudade is a Portuguese word that roughly translates as “yearning for a lost time.” Marisa Felton uses the word as she describes gatherings at her childhood home in Provincetown, now the Eben House. In the 700-square-foot Provincetown apartment she shares with her husband, George, Marisa indulges saudade with a collection of vintage items that she has found in thrift stores, at the swap shop, on Etsy, and, sometimes, on the side of the road.

In the off-season, when she’s not managing Kid Stuff, the Commercial Street shop she’s run for 25 years, Marisa is always searching for the treasure that will provide the finishing touch for a tableau. The effect is highly curated. That’s thanks to George’s strict “one in, one out” policy, Marisa says. As new things come in, others must go. In the background, a “hearth” she’s created out of shiplap, driftwood, and wood slices.

In a small space with an open floor plan, Marisa uses inventive techniques to divide the room. A decorative screen hung from the ceiling with an antique scale demarcates the kitchen, and a table is both storage for appliances and extra counter space. Copper accents create a cohesive look.

Marisa organizes her “beachy rustic” décor into vignettes: antique rolling pins in a basket, brown drip ceramics from the 1970s, cake stands, pitchers, and creamers. The arrangements are generous, but with a simplified color scheme of earth tones, cream, and mint green that provides balance.