Whats the first commandment of good beach-house style?
Jim Howard: Let the beach house be relaxed. Nothing too dear. I’ve done fancy beach houses, but when I go there, I see people walking around in shorts and flip-flops: a disconnect. Beach houses should be places where everyone can kick back. Open windows, people coming and going, grilling and spilling cocktails it all has to be okay. What’s the second commandment? You need distinct public and private spaces. Because so much nonstop entertaining happens in beach houses, at some point you’re going to need private time, less light, and solitude. It’s a necessity to have a retreat preferably upstairs for when you say to everyone, “I love you, but I’ll love you more tomorrow.” I know that feeling! This house is on Sea Island, Georgia, a place rich in live oaks, palmettos, and gracious vacation houses. Could it be anywhere? Probably, but it is right at home here. Sea Island was developed in the 1920s with lots of Mizner-esque Mediterranean Revival houses, as in Palm Beach, but there are other
