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A Texas couple divides their time between Dallas and their luxe new Northwest Florida beachfront residence.
Melissa Skowlund, of Summer House Lifestyle and Melissa Skowlund Interiors in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, was thrilled to be selected by a Dallas couple to provide comprehensive design services for the home they were building on the water in nearby Seagrove. The magnificent four-level home was designed by architect Geoff Chick, of Geoff Chick & Associates of Freeport, Florida, and built by Chris Clark Construction, Inc. of Santa Rosa Beach.
“Luckily, the project began before the pandemic,” says Skowlund. “We had already made a lot of decisions and ordered a lot of the furnishings and fixtures for the home. We did encounter some delivery delays, but we were ahead of the game in many ways. Everyone involved put their best effort into this home, and it definitely shows.”
The house is situated right on the beach, with the Gulf of Mexico practically in the front yard. Everything inside and out is oriented toward the sparkling blue water and the endless sky, and outdoor living spaces are a huge part of the picture. The home has a full basement, plus three stories of living area. The first floor features expansive living and dining spaces, plus a magnificent kitchen designed for entertaining and family meals and gatherings. In addition, there is a prep kitchen, which is an asset when there are large groups and caterers involved.
“One very special feature in the kitchen is the lighting,” says Skowlund. “We did a lot of custom lighting throughout the home, and I particularly love the Julie Neill-designed pendant lights we used over the kitchen island.” In addition to the custom-designed lighting, the home boasts two pieces of original artwork by Houston artist Austin Allen James, one in the expansive game room and the other over the vibrant green bed in one of the second-floor bedrooms.
The second floor contains two bedrooms with baths for the grown children of the family, plus another guest suite. The top level is the master suite, with bedroom and spacious bath, a well-equipped workout room, and a home office. “This is a completely self-contained and self-sufficient space,” says Skowlund. “It’s so private—an oasis unto itself.” The master’s custom-crafted bed features a wooden surround with wallpapered panels, a gently vaulted ceiling with bleached wood beams, and a barn door separating the bedroom from the bathroom.
All of the levels of the house have porches or patios overlooking the pool and outdoor living spaces, as well as the Gulf. There’s also a carriage house with two bedrooms, two baths, a guest kitchen, and its own indoor-outdoor living areas.
“There is a subtle theme and color scheme that runs through the home,” notes Skowlund. “The homeowner loves navy blue, and we used it as a unifying color throughout. It’s balanced by lighter blues, soft grays, and sand colors, plus lots of white and bleached wood. There are pops of strong color as accents as well, like the brilliant green walls in one of the bedrooms and the wonderful coral-colored beaded chandelier and bright-print window shades in the bunk bed room.
The homeowners have a large extended family and love to entertain, and all of the spaces were designed and furnished with that fact in mind. Even the laundry room is ideal for the active family, with its two stacked washer-dryer combos, natural light, and sliding barn doors to keep it out of view. The expansive beachfront patio, just a few steps from the sand, is furnished with wicker chaises and is shaded by a generous overhang from the floor above. The bi-level pool is encased in patterned tile on the upper section and features a waterfall flowing into the lower portion.
The homeowners currently spend about half of their time in the Seagrove house. Take one look at their beautiful Florida residence, though, and you’ll be hard-pressed to see how they can pull themselves away.
Melissa Skowlund Interiors
57 Uptown Grayton Circle
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-0133
melissaskowlundinteriors.com
Melissa Skowlund’s range of services includes Design Bar, a creative space for providing design services, room layouts, and color and paint consulting, and Summer House Lifestyle, a retail shop that is the 30A area’s only provider of Farrow & Ball paints. The shop also carries high-end custom fabrics, wallpapers, and finishes.
