Sweyer Cottage

Designing a full-time residence on the beach is harder than designing a vacation home. Houses on the beach must be elevated above flood waters. We’ll put up with stairs for a week on the beach. But what if you live there year-round? When Dave and Amy came to us with hopes, dreams, and a list of requirements for their new home, we had our work cut out for us. The house is “modern country” on the outside with dark windows and white siding. Inside the house is warm and bright, with pecky cypress ceilings and all of the comforts of home.

One of their requirements was connecting the house to the ground. We accomplished this by creating an “outside” room opening to the back yard. Using floodproof materials, glass garage doors and working within the limits of local regulations, the room is a place in the shade to watch TV, take a dip in the pool and enjoy the yard.