Project Reveal: A life at the edge of LBI

Holgate is a small neighborhood nestled at the southernmost tip of Long Beach Island, renowned for its breathtaking ocean views and natural wildlife. Within minutes due north, you could grab a delicious coffee at Guapos, eat late-night wings at the Chegg, or browse gorgeous shops (my favorites include The Dune Market, How to Live, and The Spotted Whale).

I had the opportunity to partner with a local builder to bring a new home to life by seamlessly blending California coastal style and LBI charm, resulting in a warm and welcoming stunner of a home with outstanding views of the shoreline. Special shout-out to D. Marie by the Sea for coming in to stage the home before it hit the market, perfectly capturing the style.

The front door opens into an expansive entryway with a custom built drop zone for towels and beach bags, with storage underneath to toss in your sandals. The best part? Sand will blend in seamlessly to the light wood flooring!

Right past the entryway is a first floor family room, complete with a four-panel sliding door right into the sand - the ocean is literally steps away. The opposite wall features a built-in bar for easy access for after-beach drinks.

The first floor bathroom was a joy to design, from the emerald penny tile to the zellige squares in the shower to the rustic vanity. Adding a touch of texture with the overhead pendant light and the mirror brings the entire bathroom together.

A full door off the laundry room provides ample natural light, highlighting the white hexagon tile and cabinetry. The organic edge subway tile backsplash in a gloss finish allows the room to shine.

Reaching the third floor is where the views take your breath away, with floor to ceiling sliding doors and windows so that wherever you turn, the ocean greets you. Shiplap on the ceiling with rustic wood beams, white brick fireplace, and custom built-in cabinetry warms the space and creates a cozy, welcoming feeling.

What catches your eye first? The expansive, two-toned kitchen or the stunning blue of the Atlantic Ocean through the windows? That view is why these windows were so necessary in the architectural design. Placing the sink under those windows means washing dishes just became ethereal.

The completely open concept third floor provides uninterrupted views along three sides. This home is on the last street in Holgate, so there’s no neighboring homes and the ocean is actually next door. Once you step onto the deck, it feels like you’re on your own private beach, able to enjoy the ocean view and breeze all the time. This room is just asking for those doors and windows to be thrown open.

This bathroom off the kitchen is my favorite - am I allowed to have favorites? From the marble mosaic floors and the shiplap walls to the gorgeous brass mirror and complementary sconces, this is a bathroom I would absolutely recreate for my own home.

This home boasts six bathrooms so I invested a lot of time creating these to be showstoppers. Here, a horizontal band of wood-style tile accents the white tub and navy blue organic subway tile placed vertically. The navy is pulled through into the bone inlay mirror, complemented by mixing metals in the faucet and light fixtures.

Okay maybe this bathroom is my favorite… The color of hexagon tile along the backsplash and shower floor is a soft sage green, the perfect accent to mid-tone wood vanity and shower wall tiles.

I may have saved the best bathroom for last. The primary suite master bath is luxuriously large, with double vanities on the opposite wall and double showerheads along with jet sprays.

Working on this home was one of my project highlights, and started me on the path of working with local builders. Bringing me into the fold of this project so early on meant that the interior truly reflected oceanside living in a contemporary way, with character upgrades that homeowners usually have to add to builder-grade afterwards. A home so intentionally created to be a coastal oasis means the only thing you have to do is move in.