White-sand beaches with shockingly blue waters, charming seaside towns and coastal communities along the scenic stretch known as 30A are at once inviting and aesthetically pleasing. Idyllic Seaside bustles with families who retire to their pastel homes after lunching at the local waterfront restaurant. Alys Beach’s brilliant, white architecture defines the quiet town, which itself delivers an upscale alternative to the more laid-back Grayton Beach, with its quirky cottages that live under canopies of trees. A new boutique community near Watersound Beach, on the eastern end of 30A, boasts an architectural style more akin to the Hamptons.
“The distinct architectural standards of each community make 30A so uniquely interesting,” says Jennifer Suddes of the Atlanta-based Magnolia House Design Group.
Jennifer became intimately familiar with the new 48-home community, Grace Point on 30A, during the design of a 4,925-square-foot speculative home. She joined the project about a month before completion and delivered a design dictated by texture. Through a combination of rich textures and pops of color, she achieved a balanced design fitting for a seaside setting and created a home that feels “soothing and simple, yet sophisticated.”
A tabby shell finish and cedar mantle on the fireplace, white oak floors, cedar beams and tongue-and-groove pecky cypress walls are only a few examples of the unexpected materials used to introduce texture (something the home begged for) into the design. Texture translates to warmth, and Jennifer prioritized both qualities to enliven the design and lend contrast to the home’s simple architecture. “It was my goal to bring in as much dimension as possible using texture-rich material to create a look that goes beyond the typical beach-house design.” In achieving this goal, the use of color was perhaps as important as the use of texture. Natural tones, including the cedarwood and lined white oak floors, are layered with whites and beachy blues to create an easygoing elegance. Although a blue-and-white color scheme is commonplace in many beach homes, Jennifer implemented the color creatively. A grayish-blue coats the kitchen island, for example, and jewel-toned blues run throughout the bedrooms.
Light streams in through huge windows on the main floor highlighting the breezy aesthetic and revealing views of the large pool, outdoor entertainment space and Florida’s Gulf. Large doors open from the kitchen to a screened-in porch, where you’ll find a replica of the indoor fireplace with the same intentional use of texture and pops of color. An adjacent entertaining area allows for dining alfresco (on lovely teak furniture). Both areas open beautifully to the private pool and courtyard.
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First- and second-floor masters are two of the five bedrooms in the home. Serene views, a soothing color scheme and custom-made beds are hallmarks of both spaces. One of Jennifer’s most significant challenges throughout the project was the second-floor suite, specifically the master bathroom. Once cold and lacking energy, the bathroom became “one of the most unique and warm bathrooms” of Jennifer’s 27-year career. Her additions to the design include a window seat, tongue-and-groove ceilings and walls, a contemporary chandelier and an oriental rug. Now, the spa-like space is showstopping for all the right reasons.
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RESOURCES
Photography: Provided by Hilary & Reverie
Designer: Jennifer Suddes | Magnolia House Design Group
Architect: TS Adams Studio Architects, Inc.
Location: Grace Point on 30A, a community managed by Hilary & Reverie
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