If ever there was a house that begged to be embraced, it is the unassuming cottage on a small coastal pond in Edgartown, on the southern edge of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Measuring just 1,700 square feet, the three-bedroom house, situated on a compact piece of property, is a year-round refuge that demonstrates how carefully rendered principles of art and science can converge to give homeowners everything they need, while showcasing spectacular views, rugged natural materials, local artisanry, and sustainability.

Finding the right partner to realize the homeowner’s vision was effortless. “They knew about us and followed our work, so they just approached us and announced, ‘We’re ready to do our house,’” recalls Gregory Ehrman, partner at Hutker Architects. “It was the most natural pairing ever.”

Ehrman and Sean Dougherty, principal at Hutker Architects, saw both the beauty and the challenges of the site right away. Where a small decaying house had stood, they knew it would be paramount to weave the design with the natural setting and the Vineyard’s artistic culture to create a house that matched the homeowners’ vision. Today, the property is a joy: at once simple, dramatic, and right at home.

Approaching the residence from the parking court, a ramp gently slopes upward to take visitors to the glass front entry. The door reveals the first scenic look of the pond and ocean, which appear through generous windows on the water side of the house. The structure’s core, topped by a gabled copper roof, is its sturdy center. Adjoining are five flat-roofed cubes, built on helical piers, that appear to float on seagrass. The cubes house the more personal spaces, including a bedroom and bath and an office, appearing to float on seagrass. Says Dougherty, “The home is very simply settled on the land.” The easygoing comfort of the exterior belies the exacting science that went into its design.

“Behind the challenges of the design are very familiar forms,” Dougherty explains. “The center gable is classic New England style while the more contemporary structures are clad in shingles.” At the heart of the design are sustainability principles, where much of Doughtery’s work continues to be focused at Hutker Architects. Because of its proximity to the water, the size of the house was contained to a point just beyond the previous home’s footprint. The upward-sloping walkway that leads to the raised entrance and dwelling is carefully lined with gardens, creating the subtle elevation necessary for rising sea levels.

With a primary focus on resiliency, Dougherty pushed the envelope to create a certified passive, net-zero–energy building by PHIUS + Source Zero. The home generates more energy than it consumes. The foundation and landscape elements are encased in Cor-Ten steel, which has a naturally weathered patina that grows more striking through the years.

Inside, rooms are filled with natural materials and personal artistic stamps of the homeowners, who are longtime islanders and involved in the arts. The central cathedral space, with an exposed structural steel frame and white oak ceiling, defines the dining area and the interior circulation that connects the primary social space with the private, more contemporary spaces. The more modern elements radiate from the central gable form and are tied together with a white oak floor, which changes slightly in pattern where the two types of spaces meet.

Rich details abound. On the side of the kitchen island are symbols dear to the homeowners, cut from a sheet of bronze. The leftover sheet hangs in the breakfast bar. A hutch in the dining area is topped with a wave pattern by Hutker and is reminiscent of a quilting pattern designed by one of the homeowners. Kitchen cabinets are clad in rough-sawn wood.

The work of local artisans and artists appears in almost every room, including work by the artist Allen Whiting. “The origin of the house and all that is within was inspired by our sense of place,” says Dougherty, who lives in Oak Bluffs.

Dougherty and Ehrman reveled in bringing the house to life, especially its sensibility and scale. “It was a wonderful project,” Dougherty says. “The clients are lovely people who are immersed in the local culture. It’s fitting that their home be an heirloom that will be enjoyed for generations.”

This home is featured in Hutker Architects’ latest book, New England Coastal: Homes that Tell a Story, which will be released June 12.

“New England Coastal: Homes That Tell a Story”

Hutker Architects is presenting this spring the firm’s third book, New England Coastal: Homes That Tell a Story. The book, including 200 original photographs, will be released June 12.

“Every house in this book is a residential heirloom,” says Mark Hutker, the founder of Hutker Architects, an award-winning firm in Falmouth, Mass. “Each design is deeply rooted in New England vernacular but with a modern sensibility.”

Several of the 13 houses that appear in the book have been covered in publications, including Ocean Home, Architectural Digest, and Veranda. Others have not been previously published.

New England Coastal: Homes That Tell a Story is available for preorder on Amazon. A collector’s edition will be available for purchase at book signings scheduled to begin in May and run through September. For event dates, visit hutkerarchitects.com.

When a puffball cloud hovers above the terracotta roof, with a blue sky above and a luxuriously tranquil swimming pool below, a sun-starved Northerner knows she has found her slice of heaven on earth.

Everything is a sensory experience at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a Forbes Five-Star property located on the barrier island of Manalapan, Florida. From entering the resort, where guests are enfolded in dreamy interiors and fragrant fresh flowers, to the spa, where an expert massage therapist’s hands knead away post-flight stress, we are encouraged to revel in a decadent “self-centered” stay. Eventually thoughts center on dinner to come: perhaps a plate of expertly prepared local fish and fresh greens, served with a glass of good, cold white wine.

From the start, your only task at Eau Palm Beach is to drop your bags, clear your mind, and start building fresh, happy memories. Service is abundant, skilled, and delivered in a warm, welcoming manner.

It’s no wonder that many of Eau Palm Beach’s guests return year after year. A group of young women in the spa, wrapped in white robes and sipping champagne, were there for a bridal party. A mother and daughter had traveled from New Jersey to relax and catch up, as they do every year.

We’re all here to rejuvenate and refresh; but the way to that special state of well-being is very individual.

At Eau Palm Beach, with tennis courts, a gym (with chef-made cupcakes!) and equipment for paddleboarding, surfing, and snorkeling – plus two large 86-degree swimming pools – visitors can be as active as they choose.

Quieter pursuits are a joy: admiring the color-splashed flower gardens, gazing at a formation of pelicans overhead, relaxing with a book in your Jonathan Adler-designed suite (the fabrics are exquisite), or simply lounging in an oceanfront cabana to watch the waves.

Guests seeking a truly personalized experience may visit the Eau Club, on the fourth floor, accessible by special arrangement.

Eau Spa – measuring 42,000 square feet and one of just 51 Forbes Five-Star spas in the country – is a destination in itself for many guests, with enough treatments and experiences to return again and again. In the women’s spa, water is the center of the experience, with a sauna, a whirlpool bath surrounded by heated stone loungers, and a steam room with personalized body polishes. (Men have their own spa.)

The women’s spa is anchored by a palm-lined courtyard, with pools, fountains, and the soothing soft sounds of lapping water. It is best experienced at leisure, perhaps with a glass of champagne, offered upon arrival at the spa, or a bite of food from Savor, the spa’s cafe.  

Spa treatments begin with a personalizing session: You choose your scent, color, and music, depending on your mood. Beyond spa treatments are places to embrace the moment, including a delightful pool with swing chairs that let your feet move lazily through a shallow pool.

Eau Palm Beach is large enough to accommodate singles, couples, and families in their own environments. Children have their own pool at the Teens & Kids Club. Now and then, a guest is walking the halls with a dog in arms, obviously a bone fide family member; dogs are welcome here with no additional charge. (Eau Palm Beach supports the nearby Big Dog Ranch Rescue, as well as Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Jupiter.)

If the inward traveler urges you to see a bit more of the Palm Beach area, plentiful cultural and culinary adventures await you, all within a 30-minute drive from Eau Palm Beach. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum stands as an opulent gesture to the Gilded Age, a 75-room mansion called Whitehall, which – along with Flager’s extension of the railroad to Palm Beach – ushered in Palm Beach as a winter getaway for high society in the early 1900s. If you’re hungry, you’re in luck. Shortly down Cocoanut Row is Café Boulud, a haven of fine French food in plush, art-filled surroundings.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with Palm Beach Island is The Palm Beaches, a collection of communities that shine in their own way with museums, gardens, and good food. The Norton Museum in West Palm Beach offers a collection of beautifully curated art, including an outdoor sculpture garden. Also in West Palm Beach is Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County, a hidden gem with 25 display gardens and more than 7,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants.

Back at Eau Palm Beach, it’s almost time for dinner, and we mull the menus from six unique restaurants, each with excellent food and always-attentive service. At your dinner table, the pristine attention to detail may relax you as much as did your spa visit. Eau Palm Beach staff are plentiful and always helpful, kind, and filled with good suggestions. All you have to do is ask. As an Eau Palm Beach staff member said, “It really is all about you.”

eaupalmbeach.com

Calm drifts through the newly rebuilt house like sunshine on a cloudless day. The two-story midcentury-style getaway home is in perfect harmony with its setting on Eastern Bay, a tributary of Maryland’s majestic estuary, Chesapeake Bay, offering views and access to the surrounding waters and supreme indoor comfort.

A big part of the home’s sensory experience is the view of the Wye River, within sight through tall windows facing the back property. On the front side, there is a stirring view of the bay.

But also key to the successful rebuild is the uncannily similar views of the designer and the architect who brought it to fruition. Colleen Healey of Colleen Healey Architecture and Kate Ballou of Hendrick Interiors, both located in Washington, DC, sensed the potential for the home’s alluring peaceful feeling, and both were delighted to see that they were of like mind.

It was truly a “full-house rebirth,” architect Healey says. “The existing home was so well built that we really didn’t have to change structural parts or do a utility upgrade. That freed up the budget, so we were able to focus on quality detailing, material modifications, and integrated LED lighting. We really raised the efficiency of the house without a full-scale gut. I’m very proud of that.”  

From the outside, the original house had a simple beachy look. But inside, it was stuffy and a bit overdone, with French country-style ironwork, saturated woods, and dark cherry trim. The new owners, attorneys with children at home, bought the house as a place they could escape to on weekends from their Washington, DC townhouse.

Most of the work, Ballou and Healey say, was reimagining details and creating a framework for the homeowners’ collection of midcentury modern Danish pieces. “We wanted it to be bright and airy, richer wood with a matte finish,” says Healey. “It gives a totally different feel.”

The homeowners were totally on board – especially considering the couple’s Danish furniture, a collection which they have been cultivating for years. As the homeowner says, “my husband and I had a goal, to combine beautiful, clean lines with comfortable, functional pieces. The midcentury modern style of much of the interior pieces enabled us to achieve that combination.”

Before broaching details, Healey focused on architecturally modifying four main areas: the stair hall, kitchen, living room, and primary bath with closet suite. Healey’s namesake business is a full-service architectural firm, and working with her staff – including staff designer Casey Meyer – she chose tiles, lighting fixtures, cabinetry, countertops, and many finishes.

One of designer Ballou’s biggest focal points was providing certain pieces of furniture to complement the couple’s Scandinavian collection. In the kitchen, a group of Series 7 chairs at the breakfast table are a common item in Denmark. They are paired with a special PP75 Stayed table. In the dining room, three walls covered in dark blue grass cloth surrender the spotlight to a beautiful silver coin table by Finn Juhl and a traditional area rug underneath.  

Danish furniture is Ballou’s specialty and a personal love: “I love the organic shapes and forms, use of materials, solid woods, and environmentally friendly finishes. I love its integrity, it’s very honest.” In the living room, an upholstered sofa by Denmark’s Radio House, set with a blue pouf, is a cozy spot. The nearby black stone fireplace was pared back to a simple profile and clad in stone slabs.

Another delicate architectural touch is a modern glass railing on the staircase, with refined treads for a softer Scandinavian feel. Balusters are of sculpted bronze, continuously looped, with glass panes sliding through.

Perhaps the most stunning transformation is the first-floor primary bathroom, an unusually long, narrow space. The original primary suite lacked cohesion and access to sunlight, and a big shower jutted awkwardly into the space. (Two other bedrooms are upstairs.) The team reinforced the bathroom’s length with doors and panels. “Just to clean it up and give it rhythm,” Ballou says. Bronze, glass, and warm wood tones shine with sun coming from larger windows that also allow views of the water and marshes. The room, as most of the rest of the interiors, is painted white. “We wanted the palette to be simple, connected, cohesive,” Ballou says.

With new interiors and beautiful views, the owners have found their home away from home. As the homeowner says, “the house is calm and uncluttered, it feels like a refuge whenever we walk into it.”

When designer Theresa Obermoser’s longtime friend, Tobias Punga, a single man in his 30s, asked her to help him with furniture for his new house in Ibiza, the designer leaped at the chance. Obermoser, the founder and creative director of TO Design, with offices in London and Vienna, coveted another visit to the famed Spanish island for many reasons.

“Ibiza is enchanting,” Obermoser says. “It has so many different sides. Mostly, it’s known for its parties and glam scene, but it also has a magical energy and beautiful landscapes.”

Many others have sensed Ibiza’s ethereal draw: The early Phoenicians who settled the island—a World Heritage Site—believed it to be a magical place blessed by the gods, and by all appearances, it is.

After Obermoser arrived, the consultation on furnishings turned into much more. The client, who works for Morgan Stanley, originally wanted some simple tweaks to furniture, Obermoser says. “But when I arrived, I saw the potential of the place and convinced him to do a whole renovation.”

Right away, Obermoser saw the staggering beauty of the home’s location, in the village of Sant Josep de sa Talaia, on the west side of Ibiza. The property, a sanctuary of verdant green dotted with fig, olive, and lemon trees, is backed by rolling terrain and the foothills of the island’s tallest mountain.

Just beyond is the ever-beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Punga bought the house from a French family four years ago; the interior redesign began immediately. Obermoser, who has won various awards for her work, drew on European design, functionality, and multicultural touches for the project.

Built in the 1970s, the house has the traditional elements of a finca—a rural property with the spirit of a farmhouse—enlivened with dynamic contemporary lines. Obermoser drew on that spirit, creating a chic Bohemian atmosphere punctuated with Scandinavian and African design touches.

Color palettes are earthy and muted, allowing nature’s green and blue hues to shine. A large indoor seating area draws in guests with facing sofas wrapped in offwhite linen, built-in shelving, modern pendants, and one of the Moroccan rugs she purchased for the home at a souk, an openair market, in Marrakesh.

Slender black framing around the room’s windows, including a striking multipaned style bookended by simple wood shelving, plays up the views. Throughout the house, vintage rustic elements, including pottery, baskets, and nubby woven fabrics, lend an intimate air.

The art, including vintage photographs of local surroundings, was curated by Lawrence Van Hagen, founder of LVH Art. Although Obermoser’s work did not change the architecture of the finca, she reached beyond simple décor design. For instance, in the home’s bathrooms and the indoor kitchen’s floor and counter worktop, she applied microcement, a thin cement-based coating that can be used on various surfaces, including wood. The result is a clean, bright look that lends functionality, as well as heightening the finca aesthetic.

Equipped with another kitchen—an open-air space next to the swimming pool and a grove of lemon trees—and six bedrooms, the 5,400-square-foot home affords many opportunities to cater to guests, Punga’s friends and family. The pool, a small cinema, and a garden are perfect for finding quiet solitude or for entertaining.

A house that offers both options, in Ibiza’s seaside setting, is very special, and mirrors the island’s dual identities. As Obermoser says, “the essence of Ibiza can be encapsulated in the phrase ‘detox and retox.’ Families arrive seeking relaxation and quality time, while others come to revel in nonstop partying before embarking on a detox regimen with daily massages to ease back into reality.”

The balance that Ibiza offers — opportunities for both healing quiet and glittery parties with world-class DJs—is what drew the homeowner when he was house shopping. “Every island or destination I’ve been to has had a unique signature experience,” Punga says, “It might be a party place, a spiritual retreat, or a very family-oriented escape. Ibiza struck me that it encompassed it all.”

Henry and Savannah Helgeson fell hard for Nantucket decades ago. As seasonal residents for many years, they were delighted to form a deeper relationship with the quintessential island located off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Right away, the Helgesons deeply understood the world of beauty here, especially the island’s spectacular ocean setting and its burnished place in history.

The couple, who have two young sons, saw more than the setting’s natural beauty, though. Their affection for the close-knit bonds fostered by the island community also flourished. So, when the Helgesons found a house perched on a large property on Swain’s Point in the pastoral village of Polpis, they happily established their forever roots. 

The existing house, a shingled gambrel, was lovely but outdated, and didn’t fully allow accessibility to the outdoors. As Savannah Helgeson explains, “We loved the bones of the house but wanted a more modern, casual, beachy vibe.” She and her husband turned to their go-to designer, Nicole Hogarty, principal of her namesake Boston interior design firm. 

Working with a team, including Steve Cheney of Cheney Custom Home on Nantucket and architect Mark Cutone, Hogarty embraced the creation of a new interior for the house, perched on a 63-acre property. The main intention, Hogarty says, was a cohesive melding of comfort, style, and openness to accommodate indoor-outdoor living. “We wanted it to be something new, something personal,” says Hogarty.

In the redesign, Hogarty leaned on a strong network of Cape and Islands tradespeople, including carpenters, plasterers, artisans, and others. Today, the home’s interior, after a gut renovation, shines with the results of collaborative help. The main entrance area introduces a pleasing scheme of organic textures and color palettes.

Beautiful details abound, made all the more special by a limited scope of building materials: marble, metal, white oak, leather, bouclé, and linen. “Using a limited number of materials, threaded throughout the home, created a subtle flow,” Hogarty says. 

The consistently understated palette of color and materials provides a continuous thread among the kitchen, dining room, and great room, which has a special loft with a wraparound porch. Stained white oak flooring forms a base for rich-toned neutrals, with comfortable seating and intriguing touches, many by island artists, including local photographer Jessica Jenkins. The shared living space, which occupies most of the first floor, is surrounded by water and wonderful views. 

A wood-burning fireplace and nearby sculptural flexible chairs, which open into chaises, form a perfect seating space. To the right of the fireplace is a metal surfboard by sculptor Bates Wilson, one of the many artistic points of interest throughout the house. “It’s a dialogue of West Coast meets East Coast,” Hogarty says. “They’re a young, active family, so pieces were chosen for durability, with performance-grade fabrics.”

Alongside, there are pieces reflecting a quiet sense of fine art: a leg detail on the coffee table, a wall hanging in textured resin behind the sectional sofa. “The rich tones and textures are not what you would expect.” The nearby staircase has another surprise: a handrail wrapped in leather. The stairs’ metal balusters are by Blublk, a metal fabricator in Sandwich on Cape Cod. Leather is also found in the kitchen dining area in the way of leather chairs.

In the loft, a hallway transforms into an intimate nook, with a custom-made daybed and a pair of tables in reclaimed wood, set against a soft-white wall. “I love to find spaces within a space,” Hogarty says. The same curated effect of natural materials appears in a second-floor guest bedroom, which features a freestanding headboard with wood detailing on a “floating” bed. The walls and ceiling are wrapped in a deep-navy-blue paint, New Hope by Benjamin Moore. 

“We wanted it to feel cocooned,” Hogarty says. Near the home are more spaces for guests, including a new guesthouse, plus a cabana and pool. A few steps away is the family’s vegetable garden and paths just right for exploration. The first-floor primary bedroom suite is the crowning jewel of the house, an indoor-outdoor refuge for the couple and the place the Helgesons go to reconnect, catch up, and take in the spectacular views. 

The suite is a stylist’s dream, with a seating area featuring custom facing sofas and walls of Phillip Jeffries grass cloth. Vertigo pendants by Petite Friture reference propellers from Henry Helgeson’s love of piloting.

The primary bath area is a beauty, with black Calacatta marble-slab countertops, a shower fabricated by BluBlk, and a tub of dark charcoal concrete by Native Trails. “From the beginning, our goal was to design a quiet retreat with a few unexpected elements,” Hogarty says of the primary suite. The mood was achieved with a subtle palette, rich textures, and dark stone accents. “For the Helgesons, it’s the perfect balance.”

Summer is the perfect season for celebrating. When my sister retired – and I needed a break from hectic life – we happily embarked on a getaway to Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, Florida. To our delight, the Henderson, tucked in the little-known northwest corner of the state on the Emerald Coast, proved to be a hidden jewel, embracing us with sunny skies and a touch of warm, friendly luxury.

The Henderson was the perfect place to regroup, with three full days to ponder the many lovely mysteries that the Henderson set before us: What single word best describes the exquisite white-quartz sand that stretches into the western horizon? (It’s finer than sugar, for sure.) Who would have guessed that a verbena leaf between dinner courses would clean the palate so beautifully?  (A tiny piece of fruit from a Buddha’s hand citron plant, we learned firsthand, is just as delightful.) Would we choose a massage or a facial in the resort’s spa? (After much thought, the massage won out.)

When we weren’t chatting about these sunny topics, we immersed ourselves in the stunning nature surrounding us (and yes, there was an afternoon of immersion in the spa, as well). The Henderson, with 170 rooms and eight suites, and fronted by warm ocean waters and a private beach, enveloped us with opportunities to try new food, beautiful vistas, and a special focus on our personal wellness.

We enjoyed blocks of time doing nothing but sitting on our balcony, which faces the greenery of Henderson Beach State Park and with a slice of ocean to the side; walking the pristine beach; and sitting at one of the two spacious pools (one restricted to adults) with a bloody orange margarita in hand and a lazy river beckoning.

The Henderson attracts a variety of guests: multi-generational families, wedding parties with couples who come to marry on the resort’s Grand Lawn, and women of all ages who visit for the Girlfriends Getaway package.

The spa offers several treatment rooms with private space for men and women. Wrapped in robes and awaiting a massage, we sat quietly in the Relaxation Room on velvet chaise lounges and drank in the views from the deep windows. Women around us sipped prickly pear champagne. (It was water for us, after a big night of food and wine.) My massage, given by Zoy in a quiet candlelit room, was a dreamy getaway in itself, quieting my mind and relaxing my tight muscles. Afterward, we happily took time in the steam room and jacuzzi.

Though it was built just five years ago, the Henderson has the elegance and comfort of a classic old resort, including a long hallway off the lobby which displays mesmerizing photographs of 1950s beach life in Destin. Owned by DiamondRock Hospitality and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, the resort easily fulfills a variety of wish lists.  

One evening, we were asked to join the Chef’s Table, a very special meal prepared by the Henderson’s Executive Chef Gary Palm. Palm prepared a five-course meal, featuring exquisitely assembled dishes and handpicked ingredients (some grown on site). Just as delightful is the setup of the table – a high-top, covered in a white cloth, in the kitchen itself. We watched, mesmerized, as Palm and his 10-person staff prepared our meals, including Heirloom Carrot Soup with Pickled Ginger and a divine Vanilla Bean Butter Cake with an impossibly delicious flavor and texture.

Between courses, Palm presented us with five “mysteries,” piquant little tastes of foods that we were asked to identify. Even as much as we see ourselves as experienced foodies, we failed all five mysteries (one being asked to identify one lemon verbena leaf). The Chef’s Table is a limited offering but is very well worth the wait. 

Our last night, we visited the rooftop bar for a drink and to see the sunset, one of the most beautiful I’ve witnessed. Early the next morning, bags packed and coffee in hand, we stood on the balcony, listening to birds chirping with their morning song, and watching the rising sun chase away puffball clouds and lighting a distant building with a golden glow. It was a purely sensory experience, the perfect farewell, and all the enticement we needed to make a promise: We will be back.

hendersonbeachresort.com, (855) 702-3087

For Jeffrey Dungan, architecture starts with art, pure and simple. The features of fine art that pull our eyes and imaginations—an instinctive play of light, the sensuous use of curves, and shapes that feel inborn—are some of the longtime architect’s favorite principles to draw on in his work. 

So it’s only natural that when Dungan, the principal of Jeffrey Dungan Architecture, was asked to design a home in beautiful Alys Beach, Florida, he immediately began to think of natural, pleasing shapes and malleable materials—something, in fact, like a sandcastle. 

“One of my favorite things is to dig into walls, nibble around the edges, and carve, like we did as kids with sandcastles,” Dungan says from his Mountain Brook, Alabama, office. “I also wanted to do something that felt simple.” His materials of choice for the three-story Alys Beach vacation home, concrete and stucco, fit his vision perfectly. “With concrete, unlike wood, you have this great flexibility in formwork, and I’ve always been drawn to curves. I just wanted to play with different opportunities.” 

Rather than a hindrance, Dungan found the Alys Beach design dictum—that homes have a white exterior—to be a lovely opportunity for creativity. “White is powerful; it’s a monochromatic palette,” Dungan says. “You’ve got all this white stucco. Shadow striking a white surface is very pure. I found that to be fascinating. What you’re left with is the detail.”

The home’s exterior details are stunning: deep windows with charcoal-colored frames; a porch with fluted walls; a chimney that becomes an artful creation, complete with teardrop shapes on top, almost like tiny fish. “The voids are also curved,” Dungan says, “so you get these delicious shadows.”

The interior architecture is more complex, with its varying layers, shapes, curves, and occasional vaulted ceilings. On the main level are the primary living spaces, including an elegant little pool set in a courtyard. The second floor holds the bedrooms, a den, and balconies for faraway views. The third floor is reserved for a terrace, bar, and hot tub. White oak cabinetry, designed in-house, and floors are bathed in a warm-hued stain. The creative work of many people—carpenters, builders, masons, metalworkers, artisans, and plasterers—lends the house a one-of-a-kind, easygoing spirit.  

“The house exterior has some muscular moments,” Dungan says. “We wanted the interiors to feel a little soft, a little quieter.” Paint colors in the interior, harmonious with nature, work beautifully on stucco, which takes on a creamier hue indoors. Interior designer Ohara Davies-Gaetano supported the interior’s architectural detailing with a light touch that is both sophisticated and calming. 

Dungan worked with meticulous detail on the play of light and the strong heat of the Florida sunshine. “When I design a home, one of the first things is to have an understanding of how the sun moves across that particular piece of dirt. Then you can understand your light source. I’m always interested in making the most of the natural light. I find natural light and the way it moves into the box can be very powerful, very emotional.” 

Unsurprisingly, Dungan entered architecture through an artist’s portal. Long before he designed homes, he painted watercolors and drew. The author of The Nature of Home: Creating Timeless Houses (Rizzoli), Dungan takes his cues from natural sources. He was very happy when the homeowners told him their simple request: that their vacation home have a relaxed vibe and be welcoming to children. Alys Beach, with stunning vistas and white sand like powdered sugar, was the perfect setting. 

The home’s north side, long and broad, has plentiful glass, allowing natural reflected light to drift in. “I was able to construct a carefully considered structure to allow in morning light but largely avoid direct sun. It’s fabulous,” he says. The garage is tucked on the west side, which in another location could have introduced harsh sun. 

A visitor senses that the house is exactly where it should be, in this stunning beach community. “Every house tells a story,” Dungan says. “The story starts with the roofline. It continues on the interior, but it’s more intimate. There is continuity. You want it to be the same story. Here, it’s the emotional feel, the vibe.” 

For more information, visit  jeffreydungan.com

When interior designer Allison Babcock set her sights on her own new waterfront home, she relished the chance to sit at both sides of the worktable, as client and designer. 

“It was exciting and intimidating,” says Babcock, principal of Allison Babcock Design in Sag Harbor, New York. Like so many homeowners, she had a timeline, a budget, and many ideas from her family to sift through. But thanks to her intuitive sense of design and how it relates to architecture, she and her family love the house and its potential to evolve over time.

Overlooking Morris Cove in the Hamptons, Babcock’s home reflects the easy livability of the interiors that she designs for her clients, with a focus on comfort and color palettes that jibe with the tremendous views. The mix of vintage and new furnishings, artworks, enticing colors and fabrics, and abundant ocean views, bathed in soft sunlight and shadows, is perfectly at ease.

Inner reflection has long been a springboard for Babcock. “I started by osmosis,” she says. Growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, surrounded by the influence of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and other classic architecture, she felt a spark early on. “As a girl I was constantly rearranging my room,” she says. She eventually worked with the Richmond, Virginia, designer Nan McVey, and thoroughly learned her craft with Cullman & Kravis in New York City.

Reflections of her rich background pop up throughout Babcock’s home, which she shares with husband Luke and their two teenage daughters. In the first-floor open living area is a striking vignette of a 1960s teak console, 1970s cork lamp, and a painting by the Vietnamese artist Le Than Son, all topped by a whimsical chandelier from Moooi Lighting. More soft sunlight spills from the adjoining French doors, where lush ferns provide their own deep color. On the other side of the house are views of Morris Cove, part of Upper Sag Harbor Cove.

“I migrate toward more transitional and minimalist; cleaner lines and fewer things,” Babcock says of her philosophy. “We’re bombarded with messages all day long. I like the home to be quiet and restful.” She has long been attracted to barns and small farmhouses: the coziness, simplicity, and lack of pretense. 

Her own home, designed in collaboration with the architect Blaze Makoid of nearby Bridgehampton, along with local builder Greg D’Angelo, is a modern take on a barn, with three rectangular structures topped by a pitched roof and centered with a courtyard. The house is a fit with the Hamptons’ laid-back mood and outdoor lifestyle. “I really appreciate natural light, bringing the outdoors inside,” Babcock says. In fact, she and her family rarely need to turn on lights during the daytime.

One prime gathering spot on the first floor is the kitchen, with an island and countertops of Jet Mist Granite with a honed finish. A divider separates the kitchen from the dining room and cunningly hides any kitchen mess. It also serves as a niche for cookbooks. Curtainless windows shed just the right amount of light. Throughout the house, white oak flooring and cabinetry, and walls painted in Calm by Benjamin Moore, create a tranquil background. 

The adjoining dining room is anchored with a table by Rotsen Design in Miami. The table’s single walnut slab sits on an acrylic base, appearing to float. When the Babcocks have a party, the chairs, from the online marketplace 1stDibs, are easily moved. Upstairs, two bedrooms and Babcock’s office are tucked off a hallway lined with family photos.

The yard is filled with low-maintenance plantings, including evergreens, ferns, boxwood, and Japanese switchgrass. Sweet box shrubs scent the air in springtime. Separating the front of the house from the backyard and the pool is a slatted gate that casts bands of light and shadows.

Indoors and out, Babcock mostly wanted her family’s Sag Harbor home to be welcoming. “We live a very active life,” she says. “I needed the house to be low maintenance, clean looking, and relaxed, without it being a lot of work. I don’t believe in things being absolutely perfect. That would be very hard to live with.”

For more information, visit allisonbabcock.com

Before hammer hit nail, there were 21 schemes—meticulous line drawings—for the new home that would be positioned a stone’s throw from Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway. After an intense six months of sketching, it clicked: The staff of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects in New York City found the key to unlock this treasure of a house in Jupiter Island, Florida. 

Stephen Chrisman, one of the firm’s six partners, recalls the process, which included countless conversations with the homeowners. Says Chrisman, “A lot of work went into making this look effortless, to make the project feel like it’s always been there.”

With a spirit that is both easygoing and balanced to precision, the Anglo-Caribbean style house, with nuances of Colonial character, is welcoming and stately. The central portion of the home—including a centered front entry that provides a view straight through to the water—remained mostly unchanged throughout the 21 iterations. Wings, which extend forward to hug the property, encompass the kitchen, shared family space, and bedrooms. 

The entire second floor is the spacious primary suite with an adjoining covered porch. A separate guesthouse provides space for the couple’s grown children to visit. Terraces, decks, and porches add space and a charming touch. 

The exterior is right in step with Anglo-Caribbean style with a large hipped roof, simple framework enclosing five bays, and custom mahogany window frames. The windows, with large glass panes, render views of the Intracoastal. Shutters, painted an appealing gray-blue shade suggested by New York City interior designer Victoria Hagan, add warmth to the stucco walls. 

The couple had fallen in love with the two-acre setting and the Jupiter Island community, and committed to full participation in their home’s design—enough so that they practically lived on the property for long periods. “They wanted to know where the sun came up and set; the views and the landscape; what you see at different times of day. They wanted to truly learn the land,” Chrisman says. Having worked previously with Ferguson & Shamamian, the couple confidently depended on Chrisman and the team, including partners Oscar Shamamian and Tom McManus.

For the landscape design, the homeowners and designers wanted an easy flow of native plantings, which would gently segue into spacious neighboring properties. Jorge Sanchez of SMI Landscape Architecture in Palm Beach spoke their design language. Sanchez’s philosophy started with an emphasis on the relationship of the house and its lush setting, allowing much of the property to remain a bit overgrown. Layers of plantings edge the lawn, while palm trees and old ficus trees grace the property. 

It was imperative, Chrisman says, that the architect, interior designer, and landscape architect work closely together for a seamless whole: “We thought about architectural character of the property a lot.”

Inside, each room stands on its own, enfilade style, directly linking the spaces rather than depending on corridors. The arrangement encourages the interior’s beautiful natural lighting and gives the house a cozy feel. An interior palette of light, neutral shades and minimal but very special art, allow the architectural lines to fully shine.  

The home design’s biggest challenge, and the way Chrisman and his team approached it, resulted in one of its most appealing features: a covered porch off the second-floor primary suite, which the clients had specifically requested. Considering the hipped roof and the home’s overall style, the team at first was puzzled. Then the answer emerged in somewhat nontraditional fashion—creating space for the airy porch by incorporating an open-ended bay. It has become one of the homeowners’ favorite places, sitting on the porch, amid the tree tops, morning coffee in hand.  

The challenge also became one of the best moments in the design process, says Oscar Shamamian, who founded the firm with his longtime colleague Mark Ferguson: “It was fun and scary. The homeowners put us to the test, in all the right ways.” 

Learn more about the project team

Architect: Ferguson & Shamamian Architects
Interior designer: Victoria Hagan
Landscape architect: SMI Landscape Architecture

When architect Grant Kirkpatrick met his new clients, a young married couple, his ears perked up at their unconventional approach: There were no demands, no preset notions. They were ready to hear any and all ideas. 

Their only wish for their new oceanfront home was that it offer easy movement between indoors and its nature-oriented setting, on The Strand in Manhattan Beach, a quintessential stretch of lovely Southern California coastline. The couple knew that freedom and space to play—inside the home and beachside—would be ideal for their children. 

“For the most part, they had no agenda,” recalls Kirkpatrick, the founding partner of KAA Design Group in Los Angeles. He and his staff were delighted with the world of possibilities set before them. 

The goal of establishing an easy transition between the house and outdoors was perfectly in sync with KAA’s philosophy of placing as much importance on a property’s setting as on the house itself. “Our work always starts with the architecture and the landscape architecture. It’s all about the indoor and outdoor environment and taking advantage of the beautiful setting,” Kirkpatrick says. “It’s interwoven.”

Today the airy three-story, five-bedroom home is warm, comforting, and elegant all at once. Louvered shutters both inside and out give an expansive feel. Other large features—such as the outdoor room that tops the home and offers a stairway to the pool—make the spaces even more accessible. Below the middle floor, where visitors enter the home, is a playroom with a pool table and bar. 

Many layers of materials give the home interest and a dash of sophistication. “Chiseled stone forms the walls for the home, indoors and outdoors,” Kirkpatrick says. “We used the warmth of the stone to provoke the notion of indoor-outdoor living. The stone is interrupted only by doors or beautiful millwork.” Interior décor, by Lynn Pépe of Pépe Studio, Inc. in Manhattan Beach, embraces the tones and textures of the rugged yet refined architecture. 

Custom-built cedar louvered screens by Louvertec, are an easy-on-the-eyes way to control the effects of weather and address privacy concerns. The louvers work in a “lift and slide” system, which seals tightly. As Kirkpatrick says, “You want the views and breeze, but need some privacy and sun control.” Limestone floors are refined, sturdy, and easy to clean.

In close collaboration with KAA Landscape Architect Michael McGowan, Kirkpatrick and his staff created the symbolic and physical center of the home: a private courtyard, which replaces a traditional front yard. All the rooms revolve round the courtyard, a beauty with a gentle tropical feel and shade-loving plants such as bamboo and philodendron. The courtyard brings in light and provides a sheltered outdoorsy space where the couple’s three small children can play. It also offers a pleasing view through its interior and toward the entry gate and a linear garden. 

Nearby is a swimming pool with a hydraulic lift that can lower a stone roof over the pool when more standing space is needed. Within view of the pool is the top-floor outdoor room, located off the primary bedroom suite. Covered with Alaskan yellow-cedar stain for a light driftwood effect, the space gives the parents a view toward both the pool and the ocean.   

At its heart, the house is very family-centric, Kirkpatrick says: “The clients were very interested in exploring ways for young families to live. Everything is about ease and flow.” 

For more information visit kaadesigngroup.com