{"id":324284,"date":"2026-06-30T05:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/324284\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T05:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:04:13","slug":"this-joyful-florida-beach-house-brings-a-fresh-take-to-coastal-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/324284\/","title":{"rendered":"This Joyful Florida Beach House Brings A Fresh Take To Coastal Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

“There are lots of nice beaches<\/a> in the world and in the South,\u201d concedes Elliot Maisel, but after decades spent vacationing on the Gulf, he says he\u2019s partial to the Perdido Key area in Florida<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty special place.\u201d So when a lot became available there, he and his wife, Nell, leaped at the chance to build a home where they could host their three grown children and their families. Also a no-brainer: Tapping their designer daughter-in-law, Hattie Sparks Collins, to infuse the cookie-cutter construction with an abundance of sunny soul.<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Alison Gootee<\/p>\n

Although she\u2019d worked with her in-laws on a number of projects over the years, this go-round, Hattie looked to her own childhood happy place for inspiration. \u201cWhat always stood out to me were those special details\u2014a wallpaper<\/a> or bedspread or piece of art,\u201d she says of the Texas farmhouse where she grew up spending weekends with cousins. \u201cThat\u2019s really what I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Lucy Bamman; Design: Hattie Sparks Collins<\/p>\n

Re-creating that sense of nostalgia at this new family spot became as integral to its design as comfort and longevity. Art<\/a> was a character-building through line: Framed vintage swimsuits make a retro splash in the girls\u2019 bath, a needlepoint sailor smokes a pipe in the boys\u2019 bunks, and a chirpy maritime painting harbors cheer in the dining area. \u201cI know we all want our kids to have wonderful memories of this place, so when choosing things, I had that in the back of my mind,\u201d says the mom of young daughters. \u201cHow is this going to stick in our kids\u2019 memories when they\u2019re older and telling stories like, \u2018Remember that cool painting we had in the pink bathroom<\/a> at the beach house? I loved that!\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Lucy Bamman; Design: Hattie Sparks Collins<\/p>\n

Sentiment aside, a home by the sea calls for a uniquely spirited and durable tack. Hattie answered in kind, dousing each space in buoyant shades pulled from the Gulf shore (horizon blues across the open-concept main floor plus beach grass greens on an upstairs porch) and wrapping furniture in stain-treated fabrics that can withstand wet bums and sandy toes. She steered clear of overly precious pieces and called for battle-tested ones instead. \u201cEverything has to be able to actually be used\u2014sat on and lived in\u2014and not look like it\u2019s falling apart within a year,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Lucy Bamman; Design: Hattie Sparks Collins<\/p>\n

The designer also applied this hardworking sensibility to the interiors\u2019 functionality, designating a cozy den as a children\u2019s area and approaching bedrooms<\/a> with relaxed hospitality in mind. \u201cThat was really important to everybody as a family\u2014having spaces that are the kids\u2019 domain, where they can gather and play,\u201d she says. As for the adults\u2019 own retreats, she stuck to her typical formula and supplied them with creature comforts\u2014extra throw blankets and plush robes. \u201cI always like to put a chair in a guest room,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you want to take a break, it\u2019s nice to be able to go to your room and not have to sit on the bed, especially at the beach when you\u2019re wet or sandy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Alison Gootee; Styling: Lucy Bamman; Design: Hattie Sparks Collins<\/p>\n

Outside on the deck<\/a>, Hattie aimed for easy togetherness, forging distinct destinations for lounging, dining, and enjoying the shade. \u201cYou can have different groups of people out there doing different things all at the same time,\u201d says the designer, \u201cwith the kids eating dinner while you\u2019re in the seating area reading a book and somebody else is on the lounger taking a snooze…. I feel like it serves us so much better this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The house is at its best when it\u2019s full\u2014cousins clambering into bunks and three generations squeezing around the porch\u2019s long dining table. \u201cIt\u2019s comfort; it\u2019s family; it\u2019s a lot of fun,\u201d says Elliot. \u201cIt\u2019s exactly what we wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Southern Living<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“There are lots of nice beaches in the world and in the South,\u201d concedes Elliot Maisel, but after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":324285,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[134172,28,30,29,134171],"class_list":["post-324284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-elliot-maisel","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-hattie-sparks-collins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324284\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/324285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}