When I was in high school, my family moved to Virginia Beach and I absolutely fell in love with the beaches, people, lifestyle, and culture! My extended family still resides in the Norfolk/VA Beach/Chesapeake area, more commonly referred to as Hampton Roads or Tidewater. Although I’ve lived in Pennsylvania for most of my adult life, I am a VA Beach girl at heart and love to go “home” whenever the opportunity arises. You just can’t beat living near the beach! Today I’m taking you with me on Part 1 of a house tour of the 2015 Coastal Virginia Idea House. This home, created by Stephen Alexander Homes & Neighborhoods, embodies everything I love about my hometown. It is a Coastal Victorian Farmhouse located two blocks from the beach, and I think I see my name written all over it! Or is that your name? I know I had you at “Coastal Victorian Farmhouse” so let’s get to it!
I am a bone-fide, card-carrying lover of old homes. Seldom can you find the moldings, millwork, staircases, transom windows, and overall architectural details in newer homes. Stephen Alexander gets this about us old-home-lovers, and therefore sets out to “old-date” all of their homes. They add all of those rich architectural details that many builders just don’t bother with. Whenever I tour a Stephen Alexander home, I admittedly want to break out into my best Julie Andrews impression and sing, “Millwork and moldings, and staircases with newel posts, wainscot and transoms for houses on the coast, Hand-scraped wood floorboards that make my heart sing, These are a few of my favorite things!” Five points if you sang along with me! 🙂
When you enter the home, you are immediately embraced by the casual elegance that encapsulates the best of Virginia Beach culture. There is nothing stuffy or over-stated about the house. It’s relaxed yet sophisticated. You don’t feel like you have to tuck in your shirt or remove your flip-flops upon entry–a little sand still stuck to your beach-kissed feet is expected!
To the immediate right is the formal dining room, straight ahead is the spectacular kitchen, and to the immediate left is an adorable mudroom. I love the flow of this house and how one room seamlessly blends into the next. It is open floor concept living at its finest!
Didn’t I tell you the mudroom was cute? And yes, oversized-typewriter-key question mark art. In case that is what you are asking, you are adorable too. BTW, I can see many of you DIY’ing that art piece! (In case you want to make one for yourself, all you’d need is a wood round found in the lumber section of Lowe’s, a vinyl question mark, and some black paint.) Let’s walk back to the foyer and tour the formal dining room.
Oh yes! Thick doorways are my jam! Do you see what I did there? Doorways? Door jamb? Ba dum tss! I’m also loving the double coat closets on either side of the dining room entryway. Not only are they practical but they lend symmetry and beauty to the foyer.
The formal dining room is inviting and spacious with board and batten walls, pleated linen curtains, and weathered furnishings. I think steamed shrimp in garlic butter, crab cakes, and hush puppies would taste rather nice in this room, don’t you?
The gray-washed hexagon table offers a unique way of accommodating more guests around the table when entertaining. It also eliminates that awkward moment of whether or not you should choose the seat at the “head” of the table. I hate that moment, don’t you? King Arthur was a wise man…and so was the inventor of the hexagon table.
Keeping with the open floor design, the dining room is partitioned off from the living room with knee walls and square columns. Let’s go explore the family room!
Do you see what I mean about the flow of this home? One room continues to the next which opens up and leads to the next. If I were the Chi in this home, I would be very happy indeed!
The family room is cozy and perfect for catching up on your favorite shows.
The gas fireplace is tiled with white-washed pebble tile with a simple surround. I appreciate its straightforward beachy-beauty. Everything in this house is classy yet approachable.
We would be remiss if we didn’t look up and appreciate the coffered ceiling with just a hint of blue. Gorgeous!
Adjacent to the living room is the glorious kitchen, but honestly it deserves its own dedicated post. For now, you will just have to admire her beauty from afar. (Don’t worry. I’ll let you make out with her later.) Let’s go explore the casual dining room and see what we think of that space!
Beadboard treatment, Rainwashed or Watery walls, farmhouse table, jute rug, and shaded chandelier would be a welcome greeting at any meal! I also love the mini-moment they have going on in the window.
The skirted armchairs with cute pedestal table create the perfect spot to curl up with a good book.
Double doors opened wide lead, yet again, to another room!
The lines between outdoors and indoors blur as we step into the all-season porch.
To orient you a bit, you can see that the kitchen and casual dining room is to my left, the guest bedroom (hello lucky guests) is to my right, and behind me is the outdoor paver patio. Please note those transom windows! Sigh. The other windows look into the walk-in pantry which I’ll show you soon.
This is the perfect spot to settle when you’ve had too much sun for the day but aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the outdoors! Let’s stop here and sip some iced tea–we might as well make it a Long Island while we’re at it–and just enjoy the lazy summer day!
Or we could wander outside and dine under the pergola, or perhaps roast a s’more over the fire. With so many amazing choices it’s going to be hard to sit in one place for very long!
Click to continue the the tour——>Kitchen is NEXT
Coastal kitchen and walk-in pantry
*All photography is copyrighted and used with permission.
Coastal Virginia Idea Home Credits:
Stephen Alexander Homes & Neighborhoods
Source List:
- Furniture supplied by Esprit Décor Home Furnishings
- Architectural Style – Nantucket – 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths
- This beautiful home is for sale at 1,275,000.
- Exterior Paint – Soft gray with a hint of green
- Interior Paint – Foyer, Dining Room, Boys Bedroom partial, Stairs, Closets, Mudroom, Pantry, Garage, Hallways – SW7547 – Sandbar
- Interior Paint – Family Room, Multi Gen Suite, FROG – SW7506 Loggia
- Interior Paint – Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, Master Bedroom, Laundry Room – SW 6477 – Tidewater
- Hall bath & Boy’s Bedroom – SW6478 – Watery
- Trim color – SW7005 – Pure White
- Wood Floors – Shaw – Nottoway Hickory 5” plank 3/8 engineered wood flooring with 50 year warranty – Weathered Saddle
- Tile – Fireplace – Antique Timor White
- Lighting – Progress Lighting throughout home, Foyer, Breakfast Nook – Nisse, Dining Room, Powder Rm, Staircase, Up Hall, Master Bath
- Insulation – Blown cellulose and closed cell spray foam exterior walls making the home extremely affordable to heat & cool. The spray foam adds substantial rigidity to the structure
- Exterior Siding – Allura Cement Siding
- Exterior Trim – Composite Smart Siding
- Decking – Trex composite with hidden fasteners
Nikki says
Came across this page…was wondering what color are the drapes in the dinning room…or if you know the source for them…I’m having a house build dry close to this plan and the colors I’m using…I was going with white drapes until I saw this for inspiration. Thanks much for your help.
Beth says
Thanks for visiting! Unfortunately, I do not have the source for the drapes.
Bethany Thomson says
The house is just perfect – so big and at the same time so cozy!
Lorie says
Everything about that house is gorgeous!!!
David says
boy that is one gorgeous house! I’m not sure I could ever be classy enough to live it!