Shore Things
I know we were supposed to be devoting every blissful second to relaxing, but we caught ourselves taking beach decor inspired mental notes throughout our entire trip. Talk about inspiration overload.
This house literally took our breath away. Situated right on the water and within walking distance from a number of yummy seafood joints, we think this traditional beach house is perfection. The all white exterior and tin roof keep it simple and allow the linear details (those railings! those windows! that awning!) to shine.
This adorable beach bungalow’s exterior color palate made a major impression. How great are the pops of green with the tan and white? Thanks to two dominant house colors and a third accent color, no detail is lost (like those fabulous green brackets and that white square runner above the porch). And those blue-green planters on the railing along with the hanging fern baskets totally finish off the look. Swoon.
Perhaps the most unexpected discovery was this amazing modern beach house with balconies and windows a plenty. The calm blue color blended with the sky and the gulf that it overlooked, and the white trim accented all those windows, balconies and that fun exterior spiral staircase.
The excitement continued when we ducked into some nearby shops. The first was a store called Being in St Petersburg. And it didn’t disappoint. Choc fulla gorgeous (and wallet busting) furniture and accessories, every inch of the place was an inspiration. And although the price tags were laughably cost prohibitive, we love stealing ideas from expensive shops for free. This little snapshot begs the question, why not go a little crazy with pattern and color? The bright pillow + those patterned canisters + red coral = jaw droppingly unexpected eclectic excellence.
Then we headed over to Coastal Cabana in Dunedin (cause I love me some shells). When you’re living in a beach town, there’s no such thing as too many, and although I think an abundance of shells in a non-beach setting can be a little strange, I was so inspired by the shell encrusted objects that I immediately had dreams of DIY. Glue gun + shells + (insert object here) = a high end look on the cheap. I think a bunch of tiny white shells covering a pair of candle sticks, a round mirror or a few small frames would be beachy keen.
So as you can see, there was lots to look at everywhere we went. And it left us wondering what kind of beach house we’d prefer… the stately traditional? the adorable bungalow? the modern masterpiece? So why not take a poll. Which one do you guys prefer?
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Comments
I don’t usually go in for modern, but I sure could see myself in this one. Thanks for taking me along on your vacation and for all the interesting ideas.
It’s almost a tie between the first two houses. . . But the traditional one wins out, imagine the size of the craft room you could have in that place!!
I’d probably have to go with the stately traditional, but only by a slim margin. I love bungalows and I bet that modern house is stunning inside. Thanks for sharing your vacation pics!
Hi guys! I’ve spent the last three weeks reading your blog. Everytime I can sneak a spare minute online I run over here hoping to make it through 1 or 2 more posts. I’m finally finished…and truly inspried by all the hard work you guys have put into your home.
And who doesn’t love a beach house? I’d pick stately traditional, if for nothing else other than those transom windows over the front door. Perfect details like that get me every time.
I’d certainly go for the bungalow. I don’t believe in heavy vacation cleaning, so the less space, the less clening that has to be done!
I’m not surprised to see some indecision from the group. We’re were pretty evenly split as well, especially when you see the adorable neighborhoods and stunning views. Sherry was so in love with all three that I practically had to drag her away so she didn’t creep out the locals.
-John
The one at the top of the post would be my dream home–white picket fence and all! Love it. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us! -Julia :-)
wow! how could anyone choose just one? but that first house, gorgeous!! i would live there in a second. :)