Tour a 313-Square-Foot Studio With Maximalist Style in the Heart of ‘America’s Gayest Town’

When Milo and Lance Putnam stumbled upon this studio, it already had the essential elements of a functional short-term rental. It was a clean white; it boasted smart, efficient storage solutions; and it had a sizable kitchen, considering its overall teeny footprint. While many would have been completely happy leaving it as it was upon purchase, Milo and Lance saw the perfect blank canvas. In just two weeks after closing on the property, they transformed it from good bones to great everything — a vibrant, textured, signature Cape Cod stay for guests.

Lance is the owner and designer behind Post House, a home decor company specializing in graphic, modern home textiles, pillows and rugs; Milo is an environmental conservation storyteller and founder of Laro Travels, a resource for ethical wildlife travel. Sailor’s Den is the manifestation of their joint affinity for travel, wildlife, home design, sustainability and queer love.

A 2010 US census found that Provincetown has the highest concentration of same-sex couples of any municipality in the United States. With the city’s rich and vibrant history as a safe haven for the LGBTQ community for over a century now, Milo refers to Provincetown as a “gay icon.” Lance and Milo had long dreamed of planting roots in Provincetown, or “Ptown,” as many call it. But as a staple tourist destination for gay travelers from all over the world, it also made sense as the location in which they’d make their first foray into the business of short-term rentals. In an effort to support what makes Ptown so special, Milo and Lance donate 1 percent of profits from the Sailor's Den to Summer of Sass, an organization that gives LGBTQ youth, especially those who may live in oppressing areas, a chance to spend a summer living and working in an accepting environment.

Prior to landing Sailor’s Den, the duo were transplants living in NYC, having traded their three-bedroom house in South Carolina for a 430-square-foot studio apartment in 2022. They’d visited Provincetown a couple times prior to relocating to New York City, but thanks to the ease of access between the two cities, once New York-based, they frequented Ptown before deciding to officially begin their search for the right property. For them, the right property meant a short-term rental where they could curate the perfect stay for guests, but that they could also enjoy during their trips to Ptown.