This three-story Dutch Colonial-inspired beach house features elegant yet relaxed interiors, designed for family living by McAlpine Architects, located in Rosemary Beach, Florida. This 4,800 square foot, five bedroom, six bathroom coastal home is a study in contrasts.

A creatively designed space with stucco over masonry, wood and tile, blended with layered textures, tranquil color and romantic light. The designers objective was to create a timeless home with evocative interiors that reflects the vision and lifestyle needs of the homeowners.

A stunning open plan living and dining area is the centerpiece of the home, which offers breathtaking views of the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This is not your typical beach house, instead you find a sophisticated mix of muted shades with gradations from space to space. There is a lot of layering of textures, with distressed woods and plush, organic fabrics. You will find clean lines throughout this Dutch Colonial home, whether it be gridded panes on the windows to traditional furnishings with simplistic styling.

The designer made her own interpretation of what a beach style aesthetic should be, by creating a relaxed, calming vibe through furnishings and decor. A respect for the surroundings was incorporated into the design through color scheme selection. The living room features light and airy shades of sky blue, creamy whites, sandy taupes and driftwood grays, dotted with earthy browns to ground the space. The spacious room features soaring ceilings of eighteen feet, so furnishings were selected based on scale to fit the space.

The dining room features an expansive dining table to accommodate the large family of six that loves to entertain. The focus was on the beach, so the table and chairs were selected so as to not block out the view.

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What We Love:  The dining room space as seen in the above image is pretty spectacular. The thought of beginning your day enjoying breakfast in this space with the doors swung open and fresh sea breezes blowing through… heavenly! How about you, what do you love most about this beach home?

This beautiful sea-inspired kitchen features custom designed cabinetry in a pecky cypress wood that has a wash finish to allow the grain to show through. The effect of the wood cabinetry gives the kitchen a rustic aesthetic. Calcutta gold marble countertops are complimented by a mosaic tile backsplash against one wall of the kitchen. A kitchen island provides extra chopping space and a place for casual dining or for guests to sit on slip-covered (with outdoor fabric for easy clean-up) bar stools and make conversation with the chef. The light fixture suspended over the island was something the homeowners picked up from their travels to the South of France.

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The chaise in the master bedroom retreat in this Dutch Colonial home was custom designed to fit the window nook. It allows two people to curl up, relax, and enjoy the captivating views of the ocean through the windows.

Tricks of the Trade: Emulate the image above by running your window treatments along the wall behind your bed, which creates a luxurious contrast to planked wood paneling. If you have a beach house, use lighter colored linens on your bed (as the designers have done in this home) so they won’t fade from the sunshine streaming through windows.

Photos: McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors