Welcome to All in
the Detail... I am so glad you are here!
When warm
weather arrives, my mind and soul wander off to the beach.
(Unfortunately,
my body just doesn’t get a chance to go!)
Whether it’s
New England or the Gulf coast, I am physically and emotionally drawn to sand
and surf.
What is it
that has this effect on me?
Does this
happen to you?
So welcome
to my blog series…
'Monday at
the Beach'
Let’s go...
to the sugar white
sands of the Gulf shoreline.
This is designer Julia Starr Sanford's muse for
setting a tranquil tone in this Alys Beach vacation home.
"I think of this house as a symphony in
white," says architect and designer Julia Starr Sanford of
the airy, escape-ready home she designed on a corner lot in Alys Beach, Florida. Just steps from the front door,
snow white sand glistens against the azure sea. "To me the home feels
strong and rugged, built to last a millennium," says Sanford, "and
yet sensual and serene at the same time."
Besides wanting a vacation home that feels
intimate enough for family but big enough to host friends, her Atlanta-based
clients gave the designer carte blanche—and blanche it became. "All the
whites play off each other and the varying textures, modern forms, and
classical curves. The light illuminates each one a little differently,"
says Sanford.
Here's more on how she turned the beach's go-to neutral into a
showstopping color scheme.
A pair of sabal palms frame the entrance to
this North Florida beach house, outfitted with creamy cement tile steps, curved
bronze railings, and a mahogany door limewashed to a light gray.
"This is a large room—the ceiling soars
to 22 feet," says Sanford. So it was doubly important to layer in several
different shades of white and contrasting textures to keep it from feeling
cold. Along with whitewashing the woodwork, the designer included super soft
materials, like a natural-hide ottoman and bleached natural-weave rug (great
for bare feet!), in shades of beige to warm up crisp white walls and a smooth
concrete coffee table. The sea fan artwork is by Karen Roberts.
"This is where the family watches TV,
and where the teenagers retreat," says Sanford of the limewashed pecky
cypress sitting room on the second floor. The ceiling has a steep pitch, like a
tented beach cabana. Surf scenes by artist Thomas Hager hang above Danish oak
folding chairs that read like groovy poolside loungers. (And I just LOVE that floor lamp)
Marble countertops and a book-matched
backsplash (the lower and upper sections of the Calacatta Borghini stone mirror
one another) dazzle in the sunlight in this wood-warmed kitchen. Windows
replace traditional upper cabinetry, and the white surfaces are a smooth
counterpoint to the horizontal-plank island and more rustic limed-oak ceiling.
Curvy-cool acrylic stools relax the ultra linear island and pendant lighting.
A sunset toast ends any day on a high note,
especially when raising glasses from this white-on-white rooftop deck.
"The views are just breathtaking," says the designer, who tucked the
room behind a large outdoor fireplace to shield winter's prevailing breezes.
Bleached concrete pavers help keep the flooring cool, and a bleached teak
coffee table and coral rock planters are organic reminders of the lofty perch's
natural surroundings. The furniture is by Restoration Hardware, and the cushion
fabric is by Perennials.
The teak pool bar is outfitted with
hand-painted blue cement tiles in a shade that resembles pool water.
"These are fun and appropriate for a great outdoor bar, without straying
too far from the neutral palette," says Sanford, who designed the lighting
for her own line, Sublime Originals.
Simple white linen drapes lend an air of
privacy to the pewter-finished English soaking tub, making the spa-like master
bath feel more like a super private hideaway. Sanford chose the frosted-glass
chandelier for its visual link to the ocean—"It reminds me of sea
glass," she says. The statuary marble floor tiles are arranged in a
handsome herringbone pattern.
On the ground floor near the guest rooms,
Sanford designed this indoor/outdoor room to double as a guest lounge. Sliding
doors open to the pool, bar, and courtyard, and "concrete walls and ocean
breezes keep it comfortable and cool," she says. She found the antique
bleached-teak coffee table and console in Bali. "They're really old. I
love how they have those scars of time after sitting out in the sun for
hundreds of years."
A big Thank you goes to Stephanie Hunt of Coastal Living Magazine for her help with this.
What do you think of this amazing beach house?
Is it move-in ready for you?
