For a new construction beach house in St. Simons Island, Georgia, Atlanta-based interior designer Liza Bryan and Harrison Design principal Chad Goehring played the long game. Their aim? To create a home that would stand up to the demands of sand and sun but also feel warm and welcoming for family and guests.
“I have great clients who appreciate both quality and practicality,” says Bryan of the homeowners, who also worked with her on their primary residence. “It’s not always easy to achieve the balance of beauty and utility, but this house is a wonderful place to gather. Craftmanship and authenticity create warmth and substance, yet grandchildren and dogs are welcome everywhere all the time.”
Bryan blended old and new to create a timeless appeal for several generations of family who use the house. From vintage brick and cypress shiplap to hand-hewn beams and heart pine floors, there's a mix of textures and time periods.
The house begs for visitors. There's a primary bedroom on the main floor, multiple beds and baths upstairs, and not one but two sleeping porches with swings that can be converted to beds (!) when the weather is nice. Bryan mixed the owner’s antiques with newly sourced vintage pieces, as well as new upholstery and lighting, to create a comfortable and inviting retreat.
Custom furniture, luxury-level tile and fixtures, and performance fabrics ensure the house will always look lived-in, as if it’s been in the family for decades. “I love the way the house nestles under the trees,” says Bryan. “It’s a beach house, but the large river oaks with the Spanish moss make it feel secluded and private, and they perfectly frame and shade the house.” Even though the house is technically new, Bryan says, “it’s as if it’s been under those trees for a long time and will be here for generations to come."
Living Room
Shown above.
Heart pine floors and a stained cypress shiplap ceiling, complete with hand-hewn beams, add warmth. The interior shutters are custom and painted by Steve Shoettle. The antique sofa is covered in performance fabric to withstand whatever the grandchildren, dogs, and countless wet bathing suits throw at it.
Game Room
Bryan used hand-hewn beams as window trim.
Kitchen
The use of old beams continues in the kitchen, mixing with random heart pine flooring and stained cypress shiplap.
Foyer
Vintage brick floors line the entryway, with stairs in heart pine.
Powder Room
The powder room vanity was made from a piece that was repurposed from Liza Bryan Interiors' inventory.
Primary Bedroom
The heart pine floors continue in the the primary bedroom, where chairs from Wisteria are covered in fabric from Duralee. Bryan used Duralee fabric for the drapes, too.
Hallway
Vintage brick opposes the wall of windows. The trunk is a family heirloom.
Sleeping Porch
Bryant had one of the client's existing wicker chairs painted, and found a mirror made of oyster shells for the walls.
Back Yard
Landscape architecture by Bryce Frazier creates a welcome atmosphere by the pool.
Porch
Stained brick lines the floors while the ceiling is cypress shiplap.
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