Rosemary Beach House

ROSEMARY BEACH, FLORIDA

This interior renovation for this beach house included reconfiguring the kitchen and elements of the primary bedroom as well updates to bathrooms. While these changes were minimally invasive, it was the exterior that received a substantial transformation by converting a small courtyard into an amenity-rich space for outdoor living. What had been essentially a patch of beach grasses became a clearly organized, multi-level outdoor gathering space that packs a multitude of functions comfortably within its four walls.

The design includes an outdoor fireplace and kitchen on one level and the pool on the lower level, helping to expand the sense of space in the small enclosure. A water wall acts as a headboard for the rectangular pool and creates a fountain effect and a focal point for visual interest. The pool also doubles as a spa and hot tub with built in-benches for sitting and lounging. 

The patio, three steps up from the pool, is framed by a fireplace on one side and the outdoor kitchen placed along the wall of the garage building on the opposite side. A bench integrated into the fireplace structure and wall holds the space together. The outdoor room is further unified by the use of cream-colored plaster and pavers with marble accents as a backsplash for the kitchen and the bench seating.

A highly efficient use of a relatively small space, the courtyard offers another dimension of outdoor living for this beachfront home. It also provides connection between the garage and main house, access to the home’s second floor, and a private transition space from the shared boardwalk just outside the gate.