Published in Coastal Lifestyle Magazine, March 2021 www.coastallifestylemagazine.com/alys-beach-home Photography by Colleen Duffley When Marianne Temple and Robyn Prince, the principals of Home Design Group of Atlanta and Santa Rosa Beach, were brought in to work their magic on a home in Alys Beach, the design phase and much of the construction was complete. They welcomed the opportunity to get involved in the important final stage and to bring fun and whimsy along with casual elegance to the project. The owners – a young family with children and dogs – knew what they were looking for in a long-term vacation destination. They had engaged the services of Domin Bock Architects of Rosemary Beach and general contractor Hufham Farris Construction of Santa Rosa Beach to design and build a home that is child-friendly and low maintenance, but timeless and welcoming at the same time. When Temple and Prince came aboard, their mission was to make the Alys Beach home a reflection of the owners’ personality and lifestyle. “I like to think we were successful,” says Temple. “We were able to source all the bedding, draperies, and other soft goods, and to assist in selecting lighting, art, and accessories throughout the home.” The home is located on the south side of 30A and enjoys access to all of the Alys Beach amenities. In addition, it has a pool, which quite literally seems to be the center – and the heart – of the home. The square pool can be accessed directly by steps from the private courtyard patio and is anchored by a stunning water wall and oversize stepping stones along one side. The expansive great room has unobstructed views of the pool through floor-to-ceiling glass panels. The room is furnished with low, plush upholstered pieces with rich blue accents, and an oval dining table with a stunning chandelier above. The bleached pecky cypress ceilings by E.F. San Juan are punctuated with substantial white-painted beams. Set apart by a sleek oversized island with a farmhouse sink, the open kitchen provides plenty of room for gathering or dining and is topped off by three matching gold-trimmed white pendant lights. The restaurant-quality six-burner cooktop in the arched wall opposite is flanked by tall cabinets and topped by four clerestory windows that admit wonderful light to the entire space. There is one guest bedroom on the main level, with a full bath, spacious closet, and a private sitting area. E. F. San Juan of Youngstown, Florida, supplied all the woodwork details that provide finishing touches to the residence’s crisp white canvas in this quintessential courtyard home. Like many of the community’s buildings, this private residence contains minimal woodwork, maintaining the clean, elegant Alys Beach vision; still, the interior and exterior trim and brackets offer a sleek yet natural feel reflecting the beaches that are steps away from the front door. Their team worked with Weather Shield to provide stunning and functional custom impact-rated windows and Loewen to create custom doors that protect the house from the Gulf Coast elements. “We have had the privilege of creating wood parts and custom doors, railings, and gates for many of the gorgeous homes in Alys Beach,” says E. F. San Juan president Edward A. San Juan. “This home’s minimal trim makes the other wood elements stand out, like the pecky cypress ceilings. The windows and doors are often-overlooked elements that we love collaborating on with our vendors like Loewen and Weather Shield because they make such good-looking products. They open up this home to the beautiful natural light, the courtyard pool, and the stunning views of the town just outside while also protecting from high winds, rain, and U.V. rays.” The broad wooden staircase with open metal handrails leads to the sleeping quarters. The second floor houses the master suite with custom barn doors, also by E.F. San Juan, leading into the master bathroom with its luxurious bath and unique freestanding tub. A second guest room with a king-size bed and full bath also occupy the second floor. “The master bath is definitely my favorite feature of the home,” says Temple. “It is beyond all expectation – a true luxury.” The adult bedrooms are serene and sophisticated, with sleek lines and restful blue hues throughout. Cathedral ceilings, arched openings for the beds, sun-drenched sitting areas, plenty of natural light, and luxurious baths contribute to the feeling of peaceful elegance. The children’s areas are in direct and happy contrast to the adults’ retreats. The bunk room, also on the second level, is just plain fun, with two sets of custom-built marine blue bunks piled high with pillows and whimsical stuffed animals, flanking a tall set of shelves full of toys and books. Oversize baskets provide storage for more toys, and colorful throw rugs provide plenty of sitting space for floor playtime. This kid-friendly space can grow and change with the children who occupy it – it will work well for tweens, teens, and beyond. “We designed the bunk room,” says Prince, “and I think it is a huge success. It may be my favorite feature of the home.” The top floor is dedicated to the children’s den/playroom/media room and the dramatic rooftop lounge. The children’s space is furnished with beanbag chairs, a low game table, a big-screen television mounted on a custom-fabricated aqua wall, and arched French doors leading to the rooftop lounge area. “This area is, quite literally, the icing on the cake,” says Temple. “It boasts a view of the Gulf and great views down South Charles Street.” This secluded deck features a gas fireplace and comfy furnishings for enjoying beautiful evenings year-round. HOME DESIGN GROUP (229) 347-6052 homedesigngrp.com E.F. SAN JUAN (850) 722-4830 efsanjuan.com

Arthur Rutenberg Homes provides a great space to bring people together for the big game or a card game. This loft provides a wet bar and a stunning view.

This custom villa is a thoughtfully designed home that blends warmth, functionality, and refined elegance, creating the perfect haven for a client with a large, frequently visiting family. Every detail was crafted to provide a sense of comfort and connection while maintaining the sophistication of a modern villa. The design emphasizes open-plan living, efficient use of space, and a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor areas. The heart of the home is the inviting kitchen, featuring timeless cabinetry, quartz countertops, and a spacious island that encourages gathering and conversation. A large walk-in pantry provides both convenience and organization for daily living and entertaining. The adjacent great room combines natural textures, a stone fireplace, and custom built-ins to create a cozy yet elevated atmosphere. Oversized windows bring in abundant natural light and frame views of the landscaped patio and power-screened porch—an outdoor living space ideal for relaxation and hosting guests. This villa offers three full bathrooms and three bedrooms, each designed with comfort and privacy in mind. The master suite serves as a serene retreat with elegant finishes and a spa-inspired bathroom. The home’s study, designed for an avid reader, features custom built-in shelving with a rolling library ladder, combining beauty and purpose in one personalized space. Downstairs, the Ohio State–themed recreation room adds a distinctive touch of personality and fun. Complete with a bold red wet bar, game table, and entertainment space, this area captures the spirit of the homeowner’s passion and provides the perfect spot for family gatherings and game days. Beyond its craftsmanship and design, this home demonstrates exceptional energy efficiency. The homeowners proudly share that their energy bills are less than half the cost of their previous home—despite this villa being significantly larger. This achievement reflects not only superior construction techniques and insulation practices but also the thoughtful integration of energy-smart materials and systems throughout the build. Every element of this home—from the crown moldings and custom cabinetry to the efficient mechanical systems—was designed to balance comfort, performance, and timeless style. The result is a warm, inviting, and remarkably efficient villa that embodies family-friendly living without compromise.

A game table was created from a tool chest - providing unique, portable style. An urchin-inspired Varaluz pendant light is the focal point in the kitchenette-bar area, while a roadie-style console can also be easily moved around the space to support various types of entertainment. FJU Photography

Home Staging, home for sale, Staging provided by MAP Consultants, llc dba Advantage Home Staging, llc, photos by Antonio Esquibel, staff photographer for Keller Williams, Furnishings provided by CORT Furniture Rental

This Tudor style custom home design exudes a distinct touch of heritage and is now nestled within the heart of Town and Country, Missouri. The client wanted a modern open floor plan layout for their family with the ability to entertain formally and informally. They also appreciate privacy and wanted to enjoy views of the rear yard and pool from different vantage points from within the home. The shape of the house was designed to provide needed privacy for the family from neighboring homes, but also allows for an abundance of glass at the rear of the house; maintaining a connection between indoors and out. A combination of stone, brick and stucco completes the home’s exterior. The kitchen and great room were designed to create an open yet warm invitation with cathedral ceiling and exposed beams. The living room is bright and clean with a coffered ceiling and fireplace eloquently situated between dual arched entries. This alluring room also steps out onto a courtyard, connecting the pool deck and covered porch. The large covered porch has an eating area and lounge with TV to watch the game or to enjoy a relaxing fire from the outdoor fireplace. An outdoor bar / kitchen was placed at the far edge of the covered porch and provides a direct link to the pool and pool deck. The home’s dining room was designed with a stone fireplace, large recessed wall niche and crown molding detail to add a feeling of warmth and serenity. The master bedroom is a retreat from the main floor level and also has direct access to the pool and patio. A private study was also incorporated with a direct connection to the master bedroom suite. Each secondary bedroom is a suite with walk in closets and private bathrooms. Over the living room, we placed the kids play room / hang-out space with TV. The lower level has a 2500 bottle wine room, a guest bedroom suite, a bar / entertainment / game room area and an exercise room. Photography by Elizabeth Ann Photography.

The Word Puzzle, Chess and Checkers game boards showcase Tactile Porcelain Enamel Metal™ as both durable wall cladding and interactive play surface. The Word Puzzle, Chess and Checker board graphics were produced with integrated digital ceramics, enabling the game boards to withstand exterior conditions and wear over extended periods of time. Working with the client and the architect, our engineering and manufacturing team also developed unique magnetic game pieces in our Tactile Clear Acrylic™ which feature crisp silk-screened graphics and refined edges to provide an enjoyable, user-friendly gaming experience.

A game table was created from a tool chest - providing unique, portable style. FJU Photography
Example of a trendy walk-out medium tone wood floor basement design in Seattle with gray walls

Rich woods and finishes define this lounge area in a great room while the custom cabinetry provides storage and functional space. A recycled gray tone newsprint grasscloth grounds the bold, abstract art. Sculptural crocodile embossed leather chairs sit upon a soft and luxurious hide rug. The black granite and brass table provides a durable space to rest a cocktail. Interior Design: AVID Associates Photography: Michael Hunter

Home Staging, home for sale, Staging provided by MAP Consultants, llc dba Advantage Home Staging, llc, photos by Antonio Esquibel, staff photographer for Keller Williams, Furnishings provided by CORT Furniture Rental

This Tudor style custom home design exudes a distinct touch of heritage and is now nestled within the heart of Town and Country, Missouri. The client wanted a modern open floor plan layout for their family with the ability to entertain formally and informally. They also appreciate privacy and wanted to enjoy views of the rear yard and pool from different vantage points from within the home. The shape of the house was designed to provide needed privacy for the family from neighboring homes, but also allows for an abundance of glass at the rear of the house; maintaining a connection between indoors and out. A combination of stone, brick and stucco completes the home’s exterior. The kitchen and great room were designed to create an open yet warm invitation with cathedral ceiling and exposed beams. The living room is bright and clean with a coffered ceiling and fireplace eloquently situated between dual arched entries. This alluring room also steps out onto a courtyard, connecting the pool deck and covered porch. The large covered porch has an eating area and lounge with TV to watch the game or to enjoy a relaxing fire from the outdoor fireplace. An outdoor bar / kitchen was placed at the far edge of the covered porch and provides a direct link to the pool and pool deck. The home’s dining room was designed with a stone fireplace, large recessed wall niche and crown molding detail to add a feeling of warmth and serenity. The master bedroom is a retreat from the main floor level and also has direct access to the pool and patio. A private study was also incorporated with a direct connection to the master bedroom suite. Each secondary bedroom is a suite with walk in closets and private bathrooms. Over the living room, we placed the kids play room / hang-out space with TV. The lower level has a 2500 bottle wine room, a guest bedroom suite, a bar / entertainment / game room area and an exercise room. Photography by Elizabeth Ann Photography. Interiors by Design Expressions.

The Word Puzzle, Chess and Checkers game boards showcase Tactile Porcelain Enamel Metal™ as both durable wall cladding and interactive play surface. The Word Puzzle, Chess and Checker board graphics were produced with integrated digital ceramics, enabling the game boards to withstand exterior conditions and wear over extended periods of time. Working with the client and the architect, our engineering and manufacturing team also developed unique magnetic game pieces in our Tactile Clear Acrylic™ which feature crisp silk-screened graphics and refined edges to provide an enjoyable, user-friendly gaming experience.

We started with a blank slate on this basement project where our only obstacles were exposed steel support columns, existing plumbing risers from the concrete slab, and dropped soffits concealing ductwork on the ceiling. It had the advantage of tall ceilings, an existing egress window, and a sliding door leading to a newly constructed patio. This family of five loves the beach and frequents summer beach resorts in the Northeast. Bringing that aesthetic home to enjoy all year long was the inspiration for the décor, as well as creating a family-friendly space for entertaining. Wish list items included room for a billiard table, wet bar, game table, family room, guest bedroom, full bathroom, space for a treadmill and closed storage. The existing structural elements helped to define how best to organize the basement. For instance, we knew we wanted to connect the bar area and billiards table with the patio in order to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space. It made sense to use the egress window for the guest bedroom for both safety and natural light. The bedroom also would be adjacent to the plumbing risers for easy access to the new bathroom. Since the primary focus of the family room would be for TV viewing, natural light did not need to filter into that space. We made sure to hide the columns inside of newly constructed walls and dropped additional soffits where needed to make the ceiling mechanicals feel less random. In addition to the beach vibe, the homeowner has valuable sports memorabilia that was to be prominently displayed including two seats from the original Yankee stadium. For a coastal feel, shiplap is used on two walls of the family room area. In the bathroom shiplap is used again in a more creative way using wood grain white porcelain tile as the horizontal shiplap “wood”. We connected the tile horizontally with vertical white grout joints and mimicked the horizontal shadow line with dark grey grout. At first glance it looks like we wrapped the shower with real wood shiplap. Materials including a blue and white patterned floor, blue penny tiles and a natural wood vanity checked the list for that seaside feel. A large reclaimed wood door on an exposed sliding barn track separates the family room from the game room where reclaimed beams are punctuated with cable lighting. Cabinetry and a beverage refrigerator are tucked behind the rolling bar cabinet (that doubles as a Blackjack table!). A TV and upright video arcade machine round-out the entertainment in the room. Bar stools, two rotating club chairs, and large square poufs along with the Yankee Stadium seats provide fun places to sit while having a drink, watching billiards or a game on the TV. Signed baseballs can be found behind the bar, adjacent to the billiard table, and on specially designed display shelves next to the poker table in the family room. Thoughtful touches like the surfboards, signage, photographs and accessories make a visitor feel like they are on vacation at a well-appointed beach resort without being cliché.

We were hired to finish the basement of our clients cottage in Haliburton. The house is a woodsy craftsman style. Basements can be dark so we used pickled pine to brighten up this 3000 sf space which allowed us to remain consistent with the vibe of the overall cottage. We delineated the large open space in to four functions - a Family Room (with projector screen TV viewing above the fireplace and a reading niche); a Game Room with access to large doors open to the lake; a Guest Bedroom with sitting nook; and an Exercise Room. Glass was used in the french and barn doors to allow light to penetrate each space. Shelving units were used to provide some visual separation between the Family Room and Game Room. The fireplace referenced the upstairs fireplace with added inspiration from a photo our clients saw and loved. We provided all construction docs and furnishings will installed soon.

Michael J. Lee Photography
Eat-in kitchen - traditional light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, green backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Nestled at the base of a hillside this covered random flagstone patio features a gas firepit and container plants. Medina, WA.
Large elegant backyard stone patio photo in Seattle with a fire pit and a pergola

Inspiration for a contemporary look-out medium tone wood floor and brown floor basement remodel in Philadelphia with gray walls

The family living in this shingled roofed home on the Peninsula loves color and pattern. At the heart of the two-story house, we created a library with high gloss lapis blue walls. The tête-à-tête provides an inviting place for the couple to read while their children play games at the antique card table. As a counterpoint, the open planned family, dining room, and kitchen have white walls. We selected a deep aubergine for the kitchen cabinetry. In the tranquil master suite, we layered celadon and sky blue while the daughters' room features pink, purple, and citrine.

THEME Inspired by the Magic Tree House series of children’s books, this indoor tree house provides entertainment, fun and a place for children to read about or imagine adventures through time. A blue sky, green meadows, and distant matching beech trees recreate the magic of Jack and Annie’s Frog Creek, and help bring the characters from the series to life. FOCUS A floor armoire, ceiling swing and climbing rope give the structure a true tree house look and feel. A drop-down drawing and writing table, wheeled work table and recessed ceiling lights ensure the room can be used for more than play. The tree house has electric interior lighting, a window to the outdoors and a playful sliding shutter over a window to the room. The armoire forms a raised, nine-foot-wide play area, while a TV within one of the wall’s floor-to-ceiling cabinets — with a delightful sliding ladder — transforms the room into a family theater perfect for watching movies and holding Wii competitions. STORAGE The bottom of the drawing table is a magnetic chalk board that doubles as a display for children’s art works. The tree’s small niches are for parents’ shoes; the larger compartment stores children’s shoes and school bags. Books, games, toys, DVDs, Wii and other computer accessories are stored in the wall cabinets. The armoire contains two spacious drawers and four nifty hinged storage bins. A rack of handy “vegetable buckets” above the armoire stores crayons, scissors and other useful items. GROWTH The room easily adapts from playroom, to party room, to study room and even to bedroom, as the tree house easily accommodates a twin-size mattress. SAFETY The rungs and rails of the ladder, as well as the grab bars beside the tree house door are wrapped with easy-grip rope for safe climbing. The drawing table has spring-loaded hinges to help prevent it from dropping dangerously from the wall, and the table door has double sets of locks up top to ensure safety. The interior of each storage compartment is carpeted like the tree house floor to provide extra padding.