Beach Bungalow Daydreaming

School is officially out this week and with the kids on vacation all I can think about is a little beach bungalow to escape to! Well that sounded bad, I mean a bungalow we could ALL escape to! This Tim Clarke designed house does just the trick. Small enough to be cozy (and not take too much maintenance) but open enough to pull the beach in!

Dreaming of a welcome home!

 

This is the master bedroom sitting nook! Who wouldn't want to be wrapped in sunny windows while reading a book? The roman shade pattern is perfect as it doesn't take anything away from the view but adds just a bit of interest to the space.

The mix of wicker chairs and wood settee creates a casual feel to the dining room.

 

Hello horizontal cabana stripes, I love you!

So what do you say, want to join me at the beach?

(images from Coastal Living, Tim Clarke, Photographer David Tsay)

Beach House Daydreaming

Since this week has been about my "Dream Home" it is only fitting I continue with the Beach House Dream Home. So the question remains; am I more of a waterfront beach house girl or a pool side lush green grass kind of girl?

I do love my decks and this would be the perfect space for dinner parties...

though if I am going to swim I prefer to be in a pool! This looks so inviting!

 

To be honest if a girl is going to truly dream than I guess I would like the best of both worlds!

Which one do you prefer?

If you are in the U.S. I hope you have a wonderful long 4th of July weekend! Everyone else visit me over on Pinterest (if you need an invite leave your email in the comments below) while I take a 3 day break!

jul

(images from Ocean Home & Malibu Colony, Southern Accents via My Home Ideas, Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc via Cococozy)

The beach elegance of Ocean Breezes

Let's just start by saying AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, BREATH TAKING as words to describe this 5200 sq ft "Ocean Breezes" beach house in New Hampshire! The "Sea Salt" color which weaves its way through the main floor mimics the sea and sky while creating a calming feel. Rooms easily open from one to another with views of the Atlantic from every angle, heavenly! One aspect of the house I love most is the reverse layout, the guest bedrooms are on the first floor and the living spaces including the kitchen are on the second floor. This house has a more elegant beach house feel but regardless of your taste in beach houses I think we can all find something to love about this one! Did you see the black and white toile bedroom, the bold stripes in the hall with the sweet lighthouse, oh and the master bedroom with that old world Hollywood feel? That is a room I would like to wake up in every single day and end my day with dinner on the terrace! I am going to stop writing now so you can all take the tour. You all know what I think, but what are your thoughts on this house? Do you like the idea of a reverse home?

All of these daydream worthy photos were found in Coastal Home's Spring Magazine. They are a new local magazine straight out of New Hampshire and have been giving me many reasons to fill my beach inspiration folder! I suggest following them on twitter and facebook as I promise they will have you dreaming of your own beach retreat!

(images from Coastal Homes, TMS Architects, Lovelace Interiors, Photographer Rob Karosis)

Reclaimed Beach Bathroom

Beach houses, they have invaded my mind! Maybe it is the 90+ degree heat or the idea of escaping every day life for the beach but it is all I can think about. I even have a folder of beach inspiration photos labeled "daydream"! One theme which continues to show up is the idea that the "beach house" should have pieces which are reused or reclaimed it should be a space with a more relaxed feel. It would still flow but not necessarily have that "together" feel, if that makes sense! When I stumbled upon this photo I immediately knew it was going straight to the folder.

The white washed horizontal paneling, the turquoise painted molding (notice the thin white stripe? love it!) and the reclaimed hospital wash stands, painted and used as side by side sinks. Since they are small they take up little room and with the faucet in the corner, it is an even better solution. By thinking outside the ordinary the home owner uses vintage sand pails as towel holders. All fantastic ideas!

(image from My Home Ideas/Cottage Living)

Escaping Cape Cod Style

With this being the first week of Summer I can predict exactly what will happen come Friday afternoon. The city will feel lighter and quieter because everyone will have escaped to Cape Cod! We are so lucky living here in Boston as just a few short, albeit traffic filled hours away is a little slice of beach heaven. This house I found over at Veranda is the perfect visual story of a Cape Cod Home. Classic Cape elements include white beadboard, blue & white striped fabrics, sisal and hooked rugs, driftwood & nautical accents, wicker and anything light colored pine wood! As with most homes on the Cape, this one was in the architects family for decades and was much smaller. With generations of the family now enjoying the summer in the home they decided to renovate, below is the gorgeous result!

How about we all meet on the beach?

(images from Veranda/Meredith Hutchison)

Meg Ryan escapes to the Vineyard

Living in Massachusetts Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer which means the ferries are packed with people going over to Martha's Vineyard for a quick getaway! So when I saw Meg Ryan's fresh MV home in the new Elle Decor I just had to share! Her practical rules for designing are ones we could all use when moving in to a new home!

"The decor should reflect the structure and setting"

"Live in a place for a while before making any decisions"

"Practicality Rules"

"Textures soften a space"

"Never stop looking for inspiration"

My favorite part of her home is the kitchen with its ample windows and the vintage flower sign in the dining room! Fantastic! For more info pop over to Elle Decor and read all of Meg's tips!

(images from Yahoo Shine and Elle Decor)

The Cottage Guest Room

Recently I was daydreaming with a friend about Beach Houses and she said well don't you want a big beach house with lots of rooms and my response was NO WAY! I dream of the cozy spaces where kids are jammed into fun bunk beds and the main living spaces are spacious. A small cottage is much more my style. So when I saw this sweet guest room my fingers could not move fast enough to put it in the inspiration folder!

The room is so airy with the pale colors but is balanced out with the strong pop of turquoise. I especially like the green and blue patterned rug its great movement under foot. The solid curtains are perfectly placed as they allow your eye to wander from inside to outside without stopping! Of course you can never go wrong with a balcony off a bedroom. Ahhh, OK who wants to move in to the beach cottage?!

(image from Coastal Living)

An escape from the rain!

It rained the entire weekend, the wind swept get soaked even with any type of umbrella rain. This Monday I needed a little sunshine escape, let's just say a moment to daydream! This picture fits my daydream right now, I imagine a group of all my favorite people gathered around the table for a casual dinner than retire to the deck for cocktails! Ahh complete bliss! Isn't the vaulted ceiling just stunning? I can only imagine how spectacular it would look at night and of course you know I love the chairs with numbered pillows, very fun! Hope you all have a great (dry) Monday!


(image from Coastal Living)

Escape the Winter Blues with Summer Blues

Check the date, it's Feb 9th this is about the time of winter when I have just about had enough of it! I am dying to shed my wool coat (even if it is adorable), peel off the layers and open the windows to let some fresh air in (my shriveled dried skin would be oh so happy). Just as I am about to go under the electric blanket I come across this Southhampton home in House Beautiful and just like that I am transported to July. A gorgeously warm day spent at this amazing beach house is just what I need. The variation of blue throughout the home evokes a relaxing vibe while the large picture windows make you feel like you are sitting in the sky! Come on let's go for a tour!

the guest house

The blue-green soothing great room with enough space for all the guests to gather and relax. Notice the lack of pattern in the fabrics? This leads to less movement by the eye and creates a purely calming space.

Screened in porch perfect for brunch, dinner and nightly board games! I love the reflection of the iron coffee table on the floor...the sun is definitely out!

Lounging on my favorite Janus et Cie furniture would be a little slice of heaven!

If you were to have your choice of any of the 3 bedrooms above, which one would be your pick to relax?


A clamshell sink?! The perfect way to bring the outdoors in!

A driftwood chandelier and artichoke lamp are the little accents which make this space oh so beachy!

When winter gets to be just a little too much how do you escape? If you have a favorite beach house photo please share with a link in the comments!

Well I best get back to my layered sweaters and warm scarf with the thought we are a bit closer to the warm days!

(images from House Beautiful)
Designers Kim Coleman and Michelle Green

Cape Cod's Casual Elegance

This Cape Cod house is spectacular! Even though I live in New England I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the Cape but when I came across this house there was no hesitation, I wanted to move right in! Built on 3 acres in Osterville the owners of the home wanted to create an estate with plenty of room to entertain but also have a feeling of casual relaxation which can be hard to accomplish with such large rooms. Take a look below, I do believe they have succeeded!

This is the picture that made me stop and SWOON! I absolutely love these chairs. It might be difficult to see but the chairs have turned legs with a solid navy upholstery and what looks to be a grasscloth effect on the back, it could be fabric as well! The dark wood floor with the contrasting jute rug is just delightful! Not to mention my love of built-ins and fireplaces, I say this one is a keeper!

Nothing more to say than perfection! The chandelier is simple which I like, keeping the focus on the view. The seagrass lounge chairs, warm fabrics and the dark tables blend beautifully. Leading again to that casual feel.

This kitchen would make anyone want to gather even if it is just to get after beach munchies and enjoy a few glasses of wine! Do you like the pop of yellow stools at the island? Look up, the ceiling is a piece of artwork in itself!

Click below on the links to see even better pictures of this home and if you have a direct line to the owners let them know they have converted me to a Cape Cod loving girl!

(images from Design New England - Photos by Sam Gray, Design by Bierly Drake Assoc)

My new beach house....sort of...

If you have been reading CreateGirl for a while you know my style has a very wide range. You never know what I will be into day to day and I am sure that has to do with my Jace Interiors clients all being very different. So when I came across this GORGEOUS beach house in Malibu I just about fell over. This is the epitome of my beach style. Clean, crisp and without much fuss. The real color comes from the sand and water outside the windows. Yes I am daydreaming and can see myself lounging on one of those amazing chaise lounges just outside the living room. The iPod is playing fun beach music and there are many pitchers of fruity drinks. Oh and of course there is a STACK of magazines for me to peruse. Notice the absence of any laptops, Love it!





Look at this kitchen! Big enough to have a great gathering, see the people jumping from beach chair to kitchen stool to living room sofa! Ahhh take me there now! Hope you also have some beach time this long weekend.

To see larger pictures click on over to Room Service Home. Many of their products are featured in this Celebrity Beach House!

(images from RSH)