She yearned for the country club lifestyle. He pictured living beachside with views of the water. Since they couldn’t find a hybrid of the two in the Boca/Delray area, the family of five decided to have two homes: residing in a country club in Boca Raton full-time with a beach house nearby in Delray Beach.
Local designer Susan Lachance was commissioned to design the beach house, which not only offers water views, but also features a design perfect for a family with young children. Lachance, who has been working with the family for years (and also designed their country club home), included leather furniture, easy-to-clean counters and floors, and a comfy yet modern feel to make the home away from home as functional—and beautiful—as they come.
Home Tour
The three-story home is located directly on the beach in Delray Beach. It was gutted and redesigned to feature four bedrooms, a theater, a large game room, living and dining rooms, and an outdoor oasis facing the ocean. The original features of the home, like crown moldings and walls, were taken out to allow for better function. “They entertain a lot in their beach house so they wanted something that was user-friendly,” Lachance says. “We simplified it and put in new wood floors throughout, changed some walls and ceiling details, and redesigned the spaces.”
The Design
It was a given that the beach house would use a main color scheme centered around the shades of the ocean: blues and greens. The crown molding was taken off everywhere except for in the kitchen to accomplish a Southern feel, and wood floors were placed throughout with modern aspects, like the abstract mirror in the main entrance.
The Kitchen
While the rest of the house has a modern feel that focuses on function, the kitchen breathes a homier air. “We wanted a more country feeling to the kitchen and breakfast room so that’s the only place with crown molding,” Lachance says. “In the kitchen, we added boards for the ceiling and painted it blue, which gave it a homier feeling.” Shaker style cabinetry is placed above subway tile on the walls, and a breakfast bar was added as a gathering place for the kids. But to ensure the kitchen didn’t feel too country, Lachance and her team put in stainless steel details and a large island. “We added an element of strength with the island, which has large stainless steel legs and a base supporting the countertop,” she says. “It grounds the kitchen with the dark walnut fronts of the cabinets. It sort of resembles a work kitchen.”
Living and Dining Rooms
The family wanted to use their beach house to entertain, so Lachance created a bar in the living room to serve as the focal point. “The bar is a central part of their social gatherings, so it takes up a good portion of the living room,” Lachance says. “The remainder is a large seating area [with a] sofa and chairs that are all leather and maintenance-free.”
The dining room brings a bit of elegance to the space, with a Swarovski crystal light fixture hanging above the dining table. “The light fixture resembles a wave, so we thought it was appropriate for a beach house,” Lachance says. “The strands of crystals glisten and if the doors are open, you can hear them tingling.” Beyond the chandelier, walls with glass doors were put in to create a wine cellar and an extra long buffet console was added for easy serving.
" [We kept it] very neutral to keep it calm and let the ocean be the color " - Susan Lachance
The Master Suite
A neutral palette in the master suite allows the view in this room to speak for itself. The ocean surrounds the bedroom, which features a wraparound balcony accessed through French doors adjacent to the bed. “[We left it] very neutral to keep it calm and let the ocean be the color,” Lachance says. In the master bathroom, it’s the geode wall panel behind the bathtub that truly catches the eye. The freestanding bathtub joins two showers (a standing shower and a steam shower) and a double vanity featuring the same walnut cabinetry from the kitchen.
Kid and Game Rooms
The house is engulfed with neutral, peaceful tones, but inside the kids’ room, things get a bit more fun. The youngest daughter’s room lets in the blue from the rest of the home, but enhances it with a teal color that instantly brightens the space.
“The older daughter is in college, so we wanted her to have a sleeping area, a TV area and a makeup area,” Lachance says. “We did bold stripes behind her bed because we wanted it to feel young and happy.”
The game room features a pool table, a Ping-Pong table, a large TV and a lot of storage cabinets for games. “We did graffiti on the wall because we felt that was kind of a cool thing to do to bring a bold statement to the room rather than use framed art, which would have been too adult looking,” Lachance says. “We wanted it to be fun.”
Outdoor Space
While the inside is beautiful, it’s the outside that truly makes this home a beachside paradise. The pool deck features lounge chairs, two fire pits and various seating areas. The blue hues continue outside, accompanied by batten board on the ceiling, matte metals and woven textures throughout to create a tropical feel. “With the beach as the background, you don’t have to do too much,” Lachance says.
It’s been three years since this family of five moved into their dream beach house, and with an oasis this beautiful, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be leaving anytime soon.
Local homeowners decide to have their cake and eat it too, buying a home in a country club and splurging on this annex beach house.