The living and dining rooms are in the same open space so it was important that the design flow together. Architecturally, we tied the whole space together with a coffered ceiling. We maximized the windows and kept the color scheme bright and airy. The dining room is anchored with large windows framed with breezy white linen curtains. Some serious polish was added with a large gold and seed pearl chandelier. I love striking a balance between the rustic and the more elegant elements in a space.

The living room is centered around a tabby shell stucco fireplace. Here's a closeup of the surface. It is truly beautiful.

Alex found a gorgeous live edge piece of cypress at the lumber yard. My jaw dropped. It has the most amazing natural color and texture- gray and weathered like an old piece of driftwood. Alex cut it to size and we hung it in place and tried to imagine the completely blank space as a finished room. After a lot of back and forth we agreed to use it. A lot of people thought it was too rustic, but we just knew it would be perfect once all of the furnishings were in place.

This coffee table was the perfect elegant counterpoint.

The sea glass gliders are an especially great addition because they can swivel around to look out the infinity door that opens to the swimming pool and outdoor living areas.

Alex and I designed this home from the ground up. We wanted it to be traditionally classic, but also to be filled with the charm and character of Seagrove Beach. Because this home was built with a large family in mind (kids, cousins, grandparents, friends...) we made sure to incorporate plenty of entertaining and gathering spots.

One of my favorite gathering spots is the kitchen. In our home, it's always the center of activity. Our first consideration was to give the space a ton of natural light. So, we put windows to either side of the range as well as three windows above the kitchen sink. The whole space is awash in sunlight and feels so airy. The kitchen design incorporated elements such as inset cabinets, Bianco Macaubus Quartzite, a cypress island, curved kitchen hood, floating shelves with inset lights and a beautifully designed cypress cabinet for extra storage. Perhaps the most striking element is the cypress feature wall behind the sink. Alex handpicked each piece for it's color and texture. The polished chrome pendants and the sconces above the sink, top everything off as the perfect polished complements.

The breakfast nook turned out just beautifully. A U-shaped built in bench, surrounded by a wall of windows is light, sunny and airy. We built a custom pedestal table and added sconces between the windows. A classic navy color scheme completes the space.

Stay tuned...... next up, I'll be featuring the living and dining rooms.