I have a thing for beach houses…even though I live squarely in the Midwest, a day’s drive from the nearest ocean. I always get excited when the new Coastal Living magazine hits my mailbox because I can daydream a little about having sand and surf right outside my door. The October issue features “The Ultimate Beach House,” Country Living’s 2010 Idea House.
The Idea House was built in Seabrook, a new development along the Washington coast between Moclips and Copalis Beach. It’s described as a Craftsman cottage with a cedar-shake gambrel roof.
The house has 3,200 square feet spread over three levels, with two bedrooms, a gym/spa, media room, and a guest cottage that’s separated by a courtyard.
The rooms lack a little oomph for me–I’d have to add a little more color if I lived here, especially in the kitchen. But I like the character they added to the walls and ceilings.
Designer Tim Clarke is responsible for the decor. He also added some fun painted stripes on the stairs:
I really love the master bath, although I wonder how practical it is to have the mirrors in front of windows, lighting-wise. Does it make it hard to see yourself in the mirror when the sun is streaming through? Do you have to squint a lot?
“Shiplap walls add timeworn beach cottage character to any new space,” says the mag. I have to agree with that. Love ‘em. Designer Tim Clarke adds, “a room needs less decoration when it has interesting architecture.”
One of my other favorite spaces is the outdoor living and dining areas with the big stone fireplace. I think I’d spend a lot of my time in the courtyard and on that big back porch. From the house the view is of “dark gray sand, deep blue ocean, and clear skies…through a screen of tall, skinny Sitka spruce trees.”
So what do you think? Would this be your Ultimate Beach House? For me, it’s going to be hard to ever top Coastal Living’s beautiful 2007 Idea House in North Carolina, which sadly burned to the ground recently. (If you missed my post about it, click here.)
More photos, videos, and info. at Coastal Living. (Photography by Lisa Romerein.)
Love Beach Houses? Click Here to See More!
Ooo… I think it’s very pretty. For my own use, I’d prefer a little more color but I like the style. Especially that big outdoor fireplace. That would be very nice on these cool autumn evenings. May have to drive down to this new development and take a look at it next summer!
.-= MelMel´s last blog ..Time to Bake =-.
I absolutely LOVE it.
Every part of it.
Thank you for blogging about it…I’m leaving inspired!!!!
Layla
.-= Layla´s last blog ..Beach Cottage Before & After Photos =-.
Julia!
I also love beach houses… I think it’s because it’s usually so calming, so relaxed. A dream life-style really, isn’t?
Fantastic pictures…. I especially love the bathroom.
By the way, check my blog today if you have some time, ok? I just started and I would love to have some people leaving comments to know their opinion.
http://www.homebunch.com
Thanks!
Luciane, from HOMEBUNCH.COM
Hi Luciane! I went to your website, but couldn’t save it to my Google Reader. Do you have an RSS feed for the main blog? I’d love to follow in my reader if you do….
Julia, what a beautiful beach house! I loved looking at it, since I don’t get Coastal Living. Ooohing and ahhing over here.
.-= Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality´s last blog ..Recovering Chair Seats- 101 =-.
I, too, love my Coastal Living (but I actually live at the coast)… and there are parts I love about this house but overall I wasn’t impressed. I think the courtyard has no view and isn’t that what this house is supposed to be about? Also, it was very bland… needs more color. I think this one was a much better floorplan and was my favorite they’ve done so far (http://www.coastalliving.com/homes/idea-houses/idea-house-2002-family-reunion-00400000000935/). As always, thanks for sharing!
.-= MissCaron´s last blog ..Green =-.
Love this community, the builder has two more developments on the Oregon coast and have stayed in homes there…I just love a wonderful beach house! Janell
.-= Janell Beals´s last blog ..DIY Bamboo Light Fixture – Good Enough To Hang =-.
What a gorgeous beach house…wish i was there right now
.-= Stephanie@Geezees´s last blog ..Before and After DIY Girls room Stripping wallpaper! =-.
WOW! This is BEAUTIFUL! I’d like to have a gorgeous beach house like this one!
Kisses
Etta
Some pops of color would be nice – but w/o lots of distractions IN the house, your eye really goes to the windows & the views outdoors – beautiful. I am also in the midwest, but am a beach-girl at heart.
Wow Julia I adore Tim Clarke’s work. That ottoman in the bath, and the outdoor living space especially. Love his choices of lighting!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
.-= Karena´s last blog ..Luxurious 300 Giveaway from Metis Linens =-.
It’s gorgeous but I agree that it needs some pop of color.
Also, only 2 bedrooms in the main house? Not practical for anyone with more than 1 child. My dreamhouse would have enough room for my entire family (3 kids) in the main house.
I do like the idea of giving guests their own cottage though.
.-= Jill´s last blog ..Annual Decorator’s Showhouse in Ellicott City =-.
I live right next to the Pacific Ocean and WISH there were houses like this. And I agree, the mirror over the windows is kinda strange. BUT when I do my makeup, I move my floor length mirror right in front of our bedroom windows. The light that comes around the mirror is PERFECT for applying makeup. My makup *always* looks better when I do it in front of the windows. Try it some time!
I absolutely love the outdoor fireplace…, and I would need a little bit more color (or say warmth) too, consider the location!
.-= Maya @ Completely Coastal´s last blog ..Nights in Rodanthe House Vacation Rental =-.
… considering the location (brrrrr).
.-= Maya @ Completely Coastal´s last blog ..Nights in Rodanthe House Vacation Rental =-.
I loved the colors throughout this house but you’re right, there are some not some not so practical features (that’s why they call it a Dream House).
So here’s what they don’t tell you about Seabrook….this is the only house on the ocean side of the highway. The whole development is up the hill from the beach and you have to cross the highway (though I think there may be a tunnel now) to get to the water. It’s an adorable development, don’t get me wrong, but the first time I checked it out I felt duped. Folks should know.
It’s really pretty, but I’m really kind of “over” the beach look. I think partly because my house just doesn’t lend itself well to it, and I’m trying to find decor ideas and EVERYWHERE I look, all I see is “beach looks”.
I would LOVE to vacation there once though.
.-= Lizzy´s last blog ..Sometimes It Should Be Easier =-.
I’d have to agree with you about the color, Julia, but boy-is that bathroom great, or what?
I also really really love the outdoor fireplace!
.-= Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Pom Pom BOO Banner =-.
Oh my… dream beach house is right! L ove the cedar-shake gambrel roof. Wow.
xo,
cristin
.-= cristin @ simplified bee´s last blog ..Thanksgiving Table Decorating Ideas – With or Without Kids! =-.
Why yes, I adore everything about this beach house. That dining table and kitchen is to die for! Sigh.
-marie
.-= Marie´s last blog ..A Perfect Day for Tea and Breakfast in Bed =-.
Wow – I love-love-love those globe lights in the first few photos! I guess I can use those even though I am not on the coast?
Have a great day!
Trish
.-= Trish @TheOldPostRoad´s last blog ..Autumn is Reaching the South =-.
Beautiful. I long for a beach house one day.
.-= Jocelyn Stott´s last blog ..Burlap Baby Shower Banner aka Bunting =-.
My first thought was ‘eh’. I’m giving it an N for Needs Improvement!
I LOVE the planked walls ,outdoor area and the stairs. I’m disappointed in the kitchen and that is a major drawback for me. Would I still live there? Heck, yeah! You can always paint a kitchen.
Gorgeous! Love,love,love that bath…the ottoman is wonderful as is the vanity!
~Des
This is a very nice house, I love the outdoor fireplace, but the interior needs some color. I probably couldn’t live here all of the time, but I wouldn’t mind having it as a vacation home.
Hello,
Love it!!! It’s so beautiful. I also love the shiplap walls. We just did our basement over and did all shiplap walls. It looks like a cottage room. I will be posting it soon on my blog. Thank you for sharing.
I also love the stripes down the stairs. I might have to copy that look.
Take care. Claudia
.-= Claudia Walsh´s last blog ..Happy Fall! =-.
Yep that would do it for me. So so pretty. Love the ocean waves over the tub…the pillows on the bed…the floors in the living space and the mirrors in the bathroom. Simply divine!
.-= Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..Hello 7 =-.
What a charming house. I love the bathroom. That vanity is to die for.
.-= Pamela @Atmosphere ID´s last blog ..Loft Style =-.
I love the combination of rustic and modern, especially in the dining area. Those chairs are very cool.
I’ve always wondered that about the mirrors too. It just seems odd. But maybe it gives you incredible light to do your makeup by!
.-= Lesley @ TheDesignFile´s last blog ..Giveaway- Win one of 10 codes worth 25 at Blurb =-.
The pictures of this house feel so airy! Perfect for a beach house! I think I’d like a little more color too. I don’t do white very much.
.-= Josanne´s last blog ..Breast Cancer-So THAT’S What It’s All About! =-.
I love it, even without color, but when I look at a kitchen like that, I can’t help but wonder where you’re supposed to store your dishes and glasses. I like those items in upper cupboards.
It’s a pretty house, but coastal Washington state sounds kind of chilly! Maybe if it were on one of the islands in Puget Sound – that is lovely in the summer.
I totally agree with you about questioning the mirrors in front of the windows…too many times it appears designs are done more for the eye or camera than for practical use. It’s an amazing house, though!
.-= gretchen nation´s last blog ..Its getting closer- you can feel the Boo in the air =-.
Oh my, Julia…i am in LOVE with this house! I would love to just walk through it….i so love the beach. Really, i love the colors…but the mirrors in the bathroom, i think would bother me a bit unless they had that tint stuff on them.
sigh…i am going to dream of this house.
.-= Issy´s last blog ..What i did today =-.
So many houses seem to have the same decor.
Julia, I agree with you, the 2oo7 House was sooooo fantastic, hard to top that! I also agree with MissCaron, I’m not really impressed with this house and it does seem a little bland. It just seems to be missing some pizazz and personality. Linda Woodrum has always done such a beautiful job with the Coastal Living Ideas houses. I just love her work!
You know that house really doesn’t make me think ‘beach.’ I didn’t love the staircase with all those open wooden spindle type things. The bathroom was very pretty. But, I agree the mirrors in front of the windows probably would make for an interesting make-up application. However, when at the beach it’s not like you wear a ton of make-up or even take a long bath for hours. I wish the kitchen had been pimped out more. I feel so bad whenever I say anything about a house that is not a rave given I have knock off pergo on my floors in my kitchen and cabinets that we just recently figured out are actually WOOD. Thought they were laminate. So what does that tell you!
I am head over heels over this house. I got to visit it in person on my birthday in September and my husband and I agreed we were both ready to move right in, if only it were possible. What is missed in the photos above (besides that you just have to see it in person to really get the effect) is the scene which hits you when you walk in the front door. The whole wall facing the ocean is immediately in view. Breathtaking.
The interior also has gorgeous pops of a pumpkin color which the decorator picked up from the orange cliffs seen from the windows. There is also a very colorful media room.
I grew up on those beaches and I thought that Tim Clarke did a masterful job of capturing the feel of them. We live within walking distance of Puget Sound now and we decided after that visit to transform our current decor to look more like the dream house, in our own humble way. I’ve been all paint chips and fabric swatches every since.
Thanks for featuring the house here. It brings back good memories of a perfect birthday.
.-= Donnell Allan´s last blog ..National Coming Out Day =-.
Thanks for the first-hand account, Donnell! Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a birthday. -Julia
I too love beach houses, it’s my dream to live in one. This house is just divine, I could move straight into this one x
.-= Sarah @ myfirstlittleplace´s last blog ..Good News =-.
This is totally my style of decorating! I love the peaceful look! The light colors, everything is me! Awesome!!!
Just beautiful x
.-= Liz@VioletPosy´s last blog ..Hospital =-.
It doesn’t feel like a beach house to me. It’s too contemporary looking for my taste.
I like the stripes on the stairs, that’s neat!
.-= Our Nifty Notebook´s last blog ..Wordful Wednesday- Safety Fair Field Trip =-.
I loved this house! Location and colors!
.-= Desiree´s last blog ..The 2010 Ultimate Beach Beach- Seabrook-Washington =-.
I like the painting in the bathroom but overall the palette is too gray for me.
.-= Juju at Tales of Whimsy…´s last blog ..I want to read that- An Unexpected Mystery & Fairytale =-.
This beach house is much more beautiful than the 2007 one. That looks like a palace compared to this one; too big. Love the beautiful fireplace. When can I move in?
.-= Daisy´s last blog ..Top 15 Christmas Toys 2010 =-.
I am happy you posted about this house! I actually toured it in person as my parents have a house near buy. Overall I thought the house was gorgeous, I loved the bathrooms in particular as the mirrors, sink cabinetry and tile were rather unique. I also loved the wheeled track doors, very rustic. But it did lack color and considering we have a ton of gray days on the Washington coast it would be nice to have something brighter inside…Oh and my fiancée mortified me as he.. ahem…peed in one of the bathrooms! So embarrassing! In the bathroom right next to the kitchen were all the staff was. Lovely. I can’t take him anywhere
Love hearing first-hand accounts. And your bathroom story cracked me up. Too funny! -Julia
I agree – too neutral. Where are all those beautiful blues and greens?
.-= Sally´s last blog ..Psalm 143-8 =-.
Not my style. The kitchen looks like an Ikea ad and a lot of gray was used in a home with lots of gray weather. Over all just kinda blah for my taste. The worst though was having to climb over the plumbing to get into the tub in the master — who does that?
Loved the 2007 house, such fun details.
Love Seabrook! All the homes and cottages are lovely in that little village. I would live there if it were not so far from the airport.
Hiya! I just wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you’ve got here on this post. I will probably be coming again to your blog soon.
I was so excited to see this feature of the Coastal Living house! We’ve since bought it, and it’s available to rent in Seabrook! We also have another home we’re adding to our collection in Spring 2013 that is right next door and being designed by the Bob and Cortney Novogratz! It’s going to be such a fun a vacation home! Here’s a link! http://anthologydestination.com/property/coming-spring-2013/
Really?! Wow! That’s so cool. Thanks for letting us know!
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