Two years ago, the homeowners had a simple wish list for their ultimate seaside abode: comfortable, airy, abundant nearby amenities and walkability. “We wanted understated elegance; relaxed, unfussy and fully functional,” says the wife. In other words, the opposite of a predictable dwelling that “screamed beach.”
No screaming here. The 3,050-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home was aptly dubbed “Coast Awhile” — the perfect laid-back moniker for a three-level sanctuary at Cinnamon Shore, a New Urbanism-style planned community on Mustang Island. Houston-based architect Melton Henry and Port Aransas custom builder Keystone were tapped to bring the couple’s vision to life on the Texas Gulf Coast, just three hours from their Austin home and minutes from Corpus Christi.
Cinnamon Shore principal designer Amy Lutz of Austin-based Butter Lutz Interiors — together with her design team of Titus Muncy and Rachel James — carefully crafted the interior with durability and easy living in mind. For the great room with living, dining and kitchen areas, she chose a sectional, two swivel chairs and one club-style chair from a local store. “The fabrics weren’t pretreated but we had them post-treated,” she says, “so we had fabric protection on anything that’s going to be in a space with wet people and wine.”
In the kitchen, a prominent color scheme emerged with a blue ceramic glazed Daltile backsplash, a kitchen island painted in Sherwin-Williams® Interesting Aqua, and cabinetry in Sherwin-Williams® Alabaster. A double pantry underneath the staircase provides convenient storage for staples.
In the dining area, an oak table from Four Hands Furniture in Austin is illuminated by an Amelia Wood Bead chandelier from Pottery Barn® that mimics the look of dripping pearls. Artwork by Dallas artist Scott Kerr hangs nearby. COREtec® laminate flooring offers a warm balance to white walls and the soaring white vaulted ceiling bathed in natural light.
The five king bedrooms, bunk areas and a pullout sofa provide generous space to accommodate up to 19, especially handy for family gatherings with the couple’s children and grandchildren. “All the beds are really comfortable,” says Lutz, “with bedding that is simple but layered, with fun pillows.”
Two bunk areas serve as a landing place for kids and their own sleep-and-play spaces, with plenty of built-ins for games, toys and books. On the top floor, the bunk room is adjacent to a common recreation area with a television atop a console of reclaimed wood. Downstairs, a “bunk hall” puts younger guests closer to the action (and more easily supervised), nestled in soothing creams and muted blues in bedding from Restoration Hardware®.
One of the features that made this project special, says Lutz, was their use of wallpaper by York® Wallcoverings. “We love wallpaper. We used it in the glass front cabinets in the kitchen, in the second bedroom on the main floor and in the upstairs guest room.”
Each bedroom has either wallpaper, a feature wall or a shiplap wall, using color coordination with their adjacent bathrooms “so that every room has its own personality.” In one bedroom, shades of navy to light blue are in everything from the bedding and headboard to batik-style art and Surya rug, accented by a whitewashed bedside table from ELK Group International. One “happy accident” occurred when a space originally slated for a walk-in attic on the third floor instead became a colorful king bedroom with hot pink and turquoise accents, a cabinet closet and whimsical popsicle-style art work. “It made more sense to have another bedroom rather than storage,” says Lutz.
What’s a beach house without a prime view of the beach? Guests can dine on the second story balcony and then make their way up the spiral staircase to the trellis-covered observation deck one flight up. There, Adirondack-style chairs at bar height clear the railing for unobstructed views of the beach, the Cinnamon Shore boardwalk and spectacular Gulf Coast sunsets. The chairs, rockers and chaise are made of Polywood®, a sturdy yet comfortable all-weather wood alternative perfect for standing up to seaside elements of salt and sand.
The entry off the large front pine-floored porch features a grasscloth-covered nailhead-studded console table. Brick pavers lead up to the two-car garage in the back of the house with room for the all-important golf cart, ideal for getting around pedestrian-friendly Cinnamon Shore to enjoy its many offerings like the community pool, dining, shopping, bonfires on the beach and fun activities such as family movie nights or live music on the lawn in Town Center.
“The overall aesthetic we tried to provide for the client is that it’s beachy but not kitschy,” says Lutz. “We tried to do more of a contemporary spin on the traditional beach house, without using a bunch of birds and seashells. It has welcoming spaces for everybody, not just to sleep but to hang out and plenty of room for kids to play.
“More than anything, I’m happy that our clients are so happy with the finished project, and they feel like we had a really fun time doing this,” adds Lutz. “We were all together at Cinnamon Shore for several days during the install. That’s part of our full service — we wash every sheet, make every bed so the place is ready immediately afterwards.” Ready for homeowners, family and all those new friends and neighbors to come on in and Coast Awhile at Cinnamon Shore.
DESIGN Butter Lutz Interior Design
512-514-1602 | www.butterlutz.com