My Houzz: Beachy Tranquility and Togetherness on Puget Sound
http://www.decor-ideas.org 05/31/2014 18:16 Decor Ideas
Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful thing. Michele Thornquist, development director at a Seattle-area private school, and her husband, John, a business owner in aeronautical engineering, fell in love with a Kitsap Peninsula beach, put an offer on a midcentury modern home there and hoped for the best. But when that home proved to have many unexpected issues, they rescinded their offer. This turned out to be a blessing, as a better house two doors away came up for sale a short time later.
“We heard the owners were considering selling this house,” says Michele. “It took some negotiating, but here we are, on the beach that we liked so much.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Michele and John Thornquist, their 2 teenagers and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Sasha
Location: Kitsap Peninsula, Washington
Size: 1,800 square feet (167 square meters); 3 bedrooms plus a loft
Year built: 1988
Tucked away on the far end of a waterfront lane, the house fronts Puget Sound and the family’s favorite beach, which faces north. “Originally we weren’t even considering a north-facing property,” John says. “But it’s turned out to be very good: We get winds from the north in the summer, cooling the house, and in the winter the winds coming from the south are blocked, making the water in front of the house very calm.”
The roof is cement tile. A deck the width of the house with stairs leading directly to the lawn and beach “has made all the difference,” John says. “We noticed that all the homes along the beach had stairs connecting them immediately to the beach. Initially this home had just a narrow deck with a windscreen, which actually prevented easy beach access.”
The deck is Alaskan yellow cedar, “an extremely hard wood,” says John. “It will last.” The surface was finished with EcoWood, an environmentally friendly protective coating made on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. “The yellow-toned wood turned silver and weathered in just a few weeks,” notes Michele.
Multiple seating areas allow for comfortable conversation and different spots to catch the best sun.
White chaises and table: Martha Stewart, covered with Dupione Celeste fabric, Sunbrella
At 7 feet long each, these end-to-end custom cushions made by North Sails “make it very easy to fall asleep out there,” says John.
Fabric: Dupione Celeste, Sunbrella
Assorted driftwood and a salvaged bench surround a copper fire pit from Frontgate, which the family uses for their frequent bonfires. “The steel fire pit we had rusted out after only one season,” says Michele. “The copper is great; it lasts and lasts.”
After a day outside, the family rinses off saltwater and sand in this new outdoor shower. “But our son’s friends use it just as a regular shower,” says Michele.
The shower walls are built from corrugated steel and wood, and rest on a concrete foundation.
Located on the front, nonbeach side of the house is a window-covered, south-facing sunroom. “This was here when we bought the house, and it looked terrible,” says Michele. “The wood was dark, and it seemed so strange.”
They painted the wood white and filled the space with a mixture of beachy vintage finds and comfortable seating. Now the area is bright and light, and has also proven its worth. “Even in the winter, you can come in here and be perfectly warm,” Michele observes. “And in the warmer months, we keep the doors open to the rest of the house, and this space heats it all.”
The entry opens directly into a vaulted living room. “The glassed entry originally had a solid wood door between it and the rest of the house,” describes Michele. “We replaced it with glass doors to connect the two.”
“Even though the house looked very stark and dark when we bought it, we decided not to paint the walls,” says Michele. “Instead we just painted the ceiling a slightly lighter shade.”
“We wanted tranquil and peaceful,” she continues. “That’s what we were going for.”
White chair: Macy’s; ceiling paint: Linen White, Benjamin Moore; green and blue chair: vintage, Classic Consignment; sofa: Pottery Barn
A bookcase from Michele’s grandmother, at left, holds a collection of vintage items like those Michele sells in her online stores, Beach Lane Vintage on Etsy and Hunter’s Alley.
“I’m always on the lookout for boat-related paintings in thrift stores — they’re all over the house,” she says. “I often paint the frames to coordinate them, but that’s it.”
The living room coffee table is a giant shadow box. Michele grouped items from her family, such as her dad’s childhood Bobbsey Twins books and artwork made at her own childhood summer camps, along with collected agates and shells, vintage keys chosen by her daughter and other special pieces. Color blocking the items gives them some order, “but we can change it up as much as we want,” she says.
Walls painted Benjamin Moore’s Misty Blue look dreamy and just right in the home’s ocean-facing master bedroom. French doors lead directly onto the deck.
“The master bedroom was painted teal green when we bought the house, and there was barely any furniture in it,” says Michele. “‘Stark and dark’ really does describe how it used to look.” Now the room is filled with light and relates clearly to the water just outside.
The couple uses this large, overstuffed chair and ottoman to enjoy their amazing view. The lamp and paintings are vintage.
Chair: Macy’s; bed frame, side table: Dania; duvet: The Company Store; lamp: T.J.Maxx
An array of boat-related vintage paintings have found a happy home in the daughter’s bedroom.
Bedding: Tommy Hilfiger; headboard: Seagrass Block, Pier 1 Imports
Since purchasing the beach house in 2010, the couple has hosted a number of friends and family members. This loft bonus room provides a private space where their teenage kids can hang out, and more beds for overnight guests. “These are our kids’ childhood beds,” Michele says. “The carpenter who built our deck cut down the legs for us on one so the frame would fit under the slope of the ceiling. Our son loves to play his Xbox games with friends up here, and it works for our adult guests, too.”
Bedding: Ikea; pillows: HauteLook
An outdoor dining set provides ample seating for al fresco meals. “We didn’t finish them, because we didn’t want the upkeep,” explains Michele. “We’re letting the wood naturally weather.”
Table, chairs: Integra Omega Group, Jensen Leisure; siding paint: Glacial Till, Benjamin Moore, with Moorwood solid color stain; trim paint: Atmospheric, Benjamin Moore
“The house has been really wonderful — it can easily sleep 10 people,” says Michele, seen here with John and Sasha on the expansive deck. “We invested in big tables that can extend out so we can host get-togethers like Thanksgiving here.”
She adds: “It’s just easy. We don’t have any furniture that we need to keep clean. We don’t care about tracking in sand.”
John agrees. “This is a place to sit down in a chair, set your beer on the table and just relax.”
See more photos of this beach house | Show us your beach house
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
More: My Houzz: Yacht-Inspired California Beach House
Related Articles Recommended
Related Images Recommend
