My work has always been heavily influenced by the land—growing up on a farm can do that to you. Understanding and listening to the subtle but important clues the land whispers yields much wisdom for the design approach, particularly how to create a home that feels like it belongs just where it is. On this amazing site there were wonderful views over the coastal marshes filled with rushes, cranes, ibis, and even some eagles—and just a few alligators. The site was perched along the pine-lined edge of a marsh, with views beyond to the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean’s waves break onto the beach about a thousand feet away. The whole island feels like a nature preserve, and the community has taken great care to keep the serene beauty intact.
In the first moments on a property, I enjoy absorbing its beauty and hope that time will allow inspiration to seep in. When I first arrived, I noticed the morning sun flooding over the ocean side on the back part of the site. This created a wonderful situation for getting light into the house as well as opening up views to the marsh and the beaches at the back of the house.
The interiors of this house consist of large sections of character-grade white oak with a natural stain, which gives the wood a lot of interest and texture. I love checks and cracks and holes that create a patina. The carpentry, the plaster, and the cabinetry, down to the trim and moldings, were carefully considered to create rooms that all sing in the same key.
There were many details and elements involved in the making of this house, too many to do justice to them all here. I believe a good house leaves us with a feeling, or what could be called a vibe. For this house, that feeling is one of the warmth and comfort of a historic place—one that appears to have grown out of the ground just high enough to peek over the marshes. I imagine it peering out from its slightly elevated perch to see the boats and the beach and telling stories—perhaps with a slight British accent—of ships, the tides, and passing storms, all to the gentle rhythm of rushes swaying beneath the canopy of mossy trees nearby.
