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Regional Style: The Jersey Shore
Beyond reality TV and big hair, the Jersey shore is a happening hotbed of colorful seaside design
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
Take a trip down to "the Shore," and you'll most likely be greeted by salt spray in your hair, summer sun blinding your eyes and endless lines of traffic. If you're like me, though, you aren't even thinking about any of those things. You're thinking about the houses.
Forget the amazing seafood and boat rides on the bay. Forget the boardwalk and frozen custard. I want to walk the sidewalks and ogle the scores of homes up and down the tiny towns along the shoreline. Join me as we check out the seaside beauties below.
Forget the amazing seafood and boat rides on the bay. Forget the boardwalk and frozen custard. I want to walk the sidewalks and ogle the scores of homes up and down the tiny towns along the shoreline. Join me as we check out the seaside beauties below.
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| The Jersey shore used to be littered with shacks, shanties and beach cottages, but the tides have turned. Now, the real estate along the shore is hot and high priced, and the homes that stand upon it tell a story of wealth and luxury. |
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That expensive real estate means that new homes here expand up instead of out. Most new construction within the little sea towns takes the form of duplexes, some as high as four stories. This particular home is a luxurious three-story duplex.
To keep the houses from looking like cookie-cutter rectangles, architects are forever coming up with new ways to differentiate their creations. Trim, stone and clever porches and roof lines define this one.
To keep the houses from looking like cookie-cutter rectangles, architects are forever coming up with new ways to differentiate their creations. Trim, stone and clever porches and roof lines define this one.
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Built on a double lot, this newly constructed building makes the most of the vertical space. Notice the deep slate-colored roof lines throughout the facade that break up monotonous seas of sandy siding.
This home also deals well with the affliction of "prominent garage" by making the two garage doors a design element.
This home also deals well with the affliction of "prominent garage" by making the two garage doors a design element.
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Some homes ditch run-of-the-mill windows for clever sea-inspired "portholes" to provide a sense of place. The roof lines add interest to long, flat walls of siding.
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Another unique trait that defines Jersey shore homes are their colors. From bright blues and greens to salty whites and brilliant corals, the colors say "beach" all the way.
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These large and luxurious beach homes are sometimes thwarted by the lack of a real yard. The space is so limited that most homeowners resort to landscaping with stone instead of plants so they can spend more time on the bay or swimming the tides.
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The stones are picked to coordinate with the home colors. I have never in my life seen so many varieties and shades of gravel.
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Of course, there are always a few who deck out their little strip of land with salt- and drought-resistant plants. This walkway brings a breath of life into a side entrance.
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These homeowners didn't want to stop at a small garden to define their space — they also went bold with a brilliant blue-purple front door.
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A few simple evergreens boost the facades of these homes, drawing attention to their grand height rather than those prominent garage doors.
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Beach homes are sometimes set on an angle to create more of a lawn area. This home sits around the corner of a narrow city street. The angled front door and entrance call a hello to passersby.
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| Corner homes also have a bit more of an opportunity for plantings along the long, narrow side yards. |
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| Of course, the shore hasn't been taken over entirely by new construction. There are still older homes that hark back a few decades to the way things were when fishermen ruled the town. Standard characteristics of these beach homes include massive, twining decks and clever awnings and skylights. |
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| Look hard enough and you might stumble upon an actual beach cottage. Hanging planters cheer up this tiny little house in a sea of multistory beach homes. |
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Look even harder and you'll run across beach homes that are still sided in wood. The look is beachy, yet architecturally striking — a happy surprise amid all the contemporary homes.
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| The most desirable homes here sit along the bay or the oceanfront. A hallmark of these bayside dwellings is a beautiful deck on every level to take advantage of each piece of that expensive real estate. You literally can dive off the decks and go swimming with the crabs if you choose. |
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Whether you go to the Jersey shore for the sea or to gawk at the latest in architectural design, keep your eyes open for design ideas. They abound here and are always evolving.
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| And don't forget to enjoy the ocean breezes, the salty spray from the waves and a boat ride on the bay. Those are other reasons you came, right? Tell us: Have you been to the Jersey shore or another beach town with beautiful homes? Leave a comment and tell us what inspired you most! |
Ideabook published on July 12, 2012.
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Visionary Concepts -- sounds lovely! That is very close to the town these photos were taken in :) Did you hit the boardwalk at Wildwood?
Cricket -- I hear you on the ocean. I'm not a huge fan of laying on the beach, but OH those ocean breezes - love those!
designwiz -- Spring Lake is next on the list - I'd love to see it!
asherarchitects.com
I don't know how you can prefer the look of the new places to what you called "shacks, shanties and beach cottages." There may be the odd new gem, but most of the houses built within the last ten years are trying to squeeze a lot of hubris into a very small space. Building a four story McMansion on a cottage-sized plot of land is tacky and grabby. Between the huge houses and the huge cars, there is no space or relief from the noise of the giant air-con units, jetskis, powerboats, etc.
There's one overblown palace in my mother's road we refer to as The Sopranos'.
Ocean Grove is nice, as is Asbury Park in its current evolving state. I suspect you're not allowed to just move in and knock those houses down. But then I quite liked it when it was all peaceful and pretty down there, so I'm probably the odd (wo)man out.
I must add, though, that it wasn't the architecture I was interested in at the age of 16. Now I have to make a pilgrimage and see how the place has changed.