My mom lives in a beautiful seaside community in Norfolk, VA on the Chesapeake Bay. We love spending time on the beach there and at her gorgeous home. A few miles down the beach from her is a neighborhood called East Beach. It has been a favorite location for many Home-a-rama home shows and twice has been the location for the Coastal Living Idea House. Living in this area, I had the opportunity to tour the home in 2011, but for some crazy reason didn’t blog about it! Well I’ve been craving warm weather and the beach and thought you all might want to take a tour of this gorgeous home.
East Beach is a neighborhood made up of many young professional families. The streets are all pedestrian friendly with beautiful brick sidewalks. The homes are a mix of Victorian and Craftsman styled architecture.
The 2011 Coastal Living Idea house is a 3000 sq. ft., 3 bedroom Victorian with an attached carriage house at the back.
The family room has wrap around window providing tons of natural light and sea breezes. This room has beautiful grayish-white washed bead board ceilings that resemble the shades of driftwood, as does the reclaimed wood coffee table. Plenty of extra seating is provided by comfy window seats. Colors are kept simple and cheerful in classic nautical navy blue, sunny yellow, and white board and batten walls which are topped with just a whisper of sea glass blue (Hesperia by Pratt & Lambert).
Coastal decorating combines natural fibers and elements to layer on textures. Sea grass rugs, baskets, and rattan and slipcovered chairs are seen throughout the home. Natural cotton, denim, canvas, and linen upholstered furniture and drapes keep the look soft, breezy and relaxed. Glass floats and glass accessories give the right amount of sparkle to each room without obstructing views.
The wide planked oak floors have the same gray washed weathered treatment as seen in the family room ceiling. The lower cabinets are kept natural and the upper white cabinets soar to the ceiling providing plenty of storage. Recycled ceramic subway tiles in a beautiful watery blue comprise the back splash.
Beach living involves a lot of sandy, wet, salt covered kiddos! There’s no need to worry about wet suits after a morning at the beach, because this cozy kitchen banquette seating is covered with waterproof indoor/outdoor fabric!
You could always choose to eat outside in one of the home’s two charming courtyard areas surrounded by flowering raspberry colored crepe myrtle trees.
The master bedroom keeps the color pallet quiet with soft hues of sea foam. The mix of textures are kept in balance between the grass cloth walls, sisal rug and the smooth and sleek lacquered side tables, shiny mirrors and glass balustrade lamps.
Just look at the views from the master bedroom! Wouldn’t you love to wake up to that each morning? We have fun at my mom’s house, seeing all the Navy ships come in and out of port or the Seals do their training exercises out in the bay, through a telescope. Norfolk hosts the largest Naval base in the world.
Watch the moon rise over the water on a private deck off the master. The decks are made from maintenance free Azek. The shingles and siding are Hardee lap which is a cement siding, and the shutters are all functional, which is important in our community which experiences many Nor’easters and hurricanes each year.
Many of the homes in East Beach have carriage houses. Sometimes the lower level is used as garage space, but the upper levels serve as efficiency apartments or in-law suites.
Many homes in our area, even inland, have steel roofs. These roofs deflect up to 90% of the summer sun’s rays, helping to keep cooling costs down. The home is 3000 feet but looks so much larger doesn’t it? Gorgeous!
All pics courtesy of Coastal Living.
See why I love living in coastal Virginia? Ready to move here?
You might also like this home tour of an award winning Homearama house I had the opportunity to work on!
Decorating a Dream Home Part 1 & Decorating a Dream Home Part 2
Kim
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great post Kim! (I live in Virginia Beach!)
Gorgeous! I have never been to Virginia Beach but it is on my list! That Coastal Living house has always been one of my favorites!
-Shelley
While we lived in Va Beach we went to many home-a-ramas and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, when I mention it here (DC area) no one knows what I’m talking about. Thought you might want to let your readers know.
Looks like a pretty fabulous home! Makes me despise the winter weather even more now here in New England. Ready for the cold to go away!
These are definitely great ideas. It’s a fabulous home and it’s just perfect for the beach. It’s so very relaxing too.
Gorgeous photos! I want to sit on that porch and sip something fruity.
Ah, thanks for the eye candy, Kim! That kitchen banquette is awesome. So many great details in a gorgeous home. I could totally see myself in this house – lol!
xo Heidi
Gorgeous home! Love all the elements of design this house has to offer!
This is stunning! I live in Newport News (so close to Norfolk) and didn’t even know East Beach existed. My husband is a Newport News native and I just shamed him for not filling me in on this gorgeous gem! 🙂 Love it!
I’m in love with this house! The ceiling in the living room is beautiful. Someone told me that they did not actually use planks of wood on the ceiling but rather just painted the ceiling to mimick the look of wood. Is that true or did she misunderstand?
Hi Brandi! I love this house too! The ceilings were definitely real wood bead board. They were gray washed to resemble a driftwood appearance.
Thanks Kim! I just knew they had to be but figured I’d check. When someone told me they just painted the sheet rock to look that way I thought “that’s odd….they put do much detail everywhere else in the home, why would they cut a corner there?” Good to know! We are currently working with an architect who is designing home plans for us. This home has brought us much inspiration throughout the process! We are in Scottsville, VA and talked about driving down that way tomorrow to see it in person before our next meeting with the architect on Thursday. (Just from the outside of course bc I know people live there but would still love to see the outside from the road in person!)
Just wondering what is the color of those navy kitchen cabinets. Thanks
Hi Alix! I wish I knew the exact color. They never did disclose all the colors used in the home, except for the exterior colors which were provided and sponsored by Pratt & Lambert paint. Sorry, wish I could help you out more.
All my best,
KIM
Would love more info on east beach carriage house. Thanks
Hi Joan,
You can find out more about it on Coastal Living.com. If you type in “East Beach Carriage House” in their search box then all the articles and videos about the carriage house are there.
I think the carriage house is amazing too!
Thanks!
KIM
I live in VB too! I have been a volunteer hostess for the Home A Rama each time it’s been at East Beach and I love to tour the beautifully decorated home! It’s like walking through a magazine!
My mom has been a hostess at Homearama too. East Beach is such a pretty little community. Thanks for stopping by Janet!