Discover your spa-like retreat in luxury bathrooms of finer Eastern Shore residences from the pages of Coastal Style
Bethany Beach, DE
Photography by Dana Hoff Photography
Literally a tall order—spanning far and wide—the nearly 9,500 square-foot Bethany Beach family retreat Marnie Custom Homes designed and built for a Washington D.C. family is a compound in its own right. Yet every space has a purpose, from two outdoor cedar showers for rinsing off salt and sand to a library with an authentic rolling ladder and a generous bunk room.
All told, there are nine bedrooms, an equal number of bathrooms, walls of windows overlooking the Atlantic, and oceanfront decks for days. The beach breathes into the four-story home, which offers living space for a large family and guests without sacrificing airy headroom, thanks to stealthy engineering for ductwork that preserved ceiling volume.
Harbeson, DE
Photography by Krista Valliant
Treasure hunting in Eastern Shore antique shops is an adventure and pastime for Troy and Tracy Heuer, who purchased a home in Harbeson, DE, and summered there for a few years before deciding to rebuild. The vision: coastal but not kitschy; clean lined but not sterile. With plans from architect Gregory Hastings of Hastings Associates in Ocean View and in partnership with Jim Parker Builders Inc., in Millsboro, the Heuers dug into a project that would serve as a family hub where their three children, in their twenties, could visit, bring friends and entertain.
West Ocean City, MD
Photography by Krista Valliant
Casual elegance—soft yet sophisticated, relaxed yet refined—is the aesthetic at the Karaberis home in West Ocean City, where canal and ocean views offer an ever-changing, breathtaking backdrop. Michelle and Will purchased a three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse that was fully finished, and they wanted to make their own mark on the residence. They partnered with Ethan Allen interior designer Susan Alessi, based in Talsand, MD, and began making custom selections for their second home amid the pandemic, which prompted delivery delays and resulted in a two-year process of fully completing the design. From fixtures to window treatments, furniture to textiles and accessories, not a square foot of the home was overlooked. While the couple aimed for a minimalist vibe, the attention to detail is unmistakable. Every piece was intentionally selected and most customized to suit the Karaberises’ lifestyle and taste.
Bethany Beach, DE
Photography by Krista Valliant
Bethany Beach provides the relaxed, beach-living appeal that quickly drew in the Blazers and brought back a flood of memories. Kiera Blazer visited Bethany Beach during the summers of her youth, and her own family vacationed there when her sons were younger. But three years ago, when one of her sons visited a friend who had a house in downtown Bethany, she realized this was the ideal spot for their second home. Within three weeks of the eventful visit with their son’s friend, the Blazers purchased a lot and began looking for an architect. After seeing a home that Scott Edmonston, AIA, of Sea Studio Architects had designed, Kiera Blazer called him. “I went to him with a blank sheet of paper,” she remembers. He listened intently and understood instinctively what they were looking for in a second home, she recalled.
The attention to detail that both the Blazers and Edmonston required would demand a builder who shared the same precise standards. One builder’s name was continually mentioned in various circles. It was Bruce Mears. Mears designs most of the homes he builds, but, ironically, he had always wanted to work with Edmonston. After reviewing the plans, he knew the project would be a challenge, but he admittedly likes that. “With all the steel in this house, it was like a science project,” Mears said, almost gleefully.
Lewes, DE
Photography by Kyle Toomey, Padula Media
The desire to live in the Delaware Beach region, even on a part-time basis, has never been stronger. For Scott & Michelle Costigan of Bethesda, their interest in a vacation home in Lewes spanned many years, but after starting a family together, the timing never seemed right, or their ideal property wasn’t on the market. Then, a home appeared for sale online that suited them ideally. After securing the lot, Scott and Michele began interviewing local builders to determine whose vision, style and ideals aligned with theirs. The process, according to Michele, proved more time consuming and frustrating than they anticipated, and after meeting with six custom home builders, only one demonstrated the willingness to modify potential floorplans and work within their budget. “Turnstone Custom Homes made us feel that they wanted to work with us from the beginning,” says Michele. “Harvey and his team never once said ‘no’ to us. They made us feel welcomed and important.” The Costigan’s vacation home is 3,006 sq. ft. and features five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and an open floor plan that welcomes an abundance of sunlight.
South Point, MD
Photography by Grant L. Gursky
A drive in South Point revealed an unexpected “exhale” rural beachscape with views of Assateague Island, with its salt marshes, bays and wild horses. Kathleen Schell, a Realtor and owner of Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty, was on a listing appointment when she spotted an idyllic property. “Driving down the road, you can feel your shoulders moving away from your ears… a calm peace,” said Kathleen. It was a perfect surf-and-beach landing spot, thought she and husband Preston Schell, cofounder of Ocean Atlantic Companies real estate development firm and Schell Brothers, which Preston runs with his identical-twin brother, Chris.
An open, airy layout ushers in natural light with views of Assateague Island, and the floor plan accommodates guests, including a regular clan of about a dozen young surfers. Three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms on the first floor include a primary in one wing and two guest spaces in the other. Two upstairs bunk rooms with baths sleep a total of eight and allow space for air mattresses and sleeping bags if need be. A sixth bathroom on the main level includes a shower, “so if you come in from the beach, you can clean up right there off the mudroom.”
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