When a Dewey Beach residence is expanded to its neighboring lot and outfitted with state-of-the-art technology from Overture Ultimate Home Electronics, the results is a picture-perfect beach paradise
Written by Jonathan Westman
Photography by Grant L. Gursky
Perfectly content with the vacation home they had purchased in Dewey Beach in 2015, a tight-knit family from Montgomery County, MD, envisioned years of enjoyment while relaxing at their seaside retreat. But when the lot next door went on the market in 2018, a few discussions took place about acquiring the adjacent land.
“Maybe we should buy the lot and put in a pool,” the husband recalled saying to his wife. “If we do that, we’ll need to build a bathhouse and a couple of units above it for guests.”
What quickly evolved from those initial conversations was a concept to expand the house across both lots, quite literally, into a spectacular residence that was seamless in its appearance —
as if it had been there all along. After completing the purchase, this giant-sized vision required a massive demolition phase during which the house’s drywall, plumbing and electrical components were removed and modernized from the ground up.
The rebuild involved a number of local contractors, including the talented trio of Overture Ultimate Home Electronics, Lane Builders and interior designer Barbara Anderson. Although it has taken more than two and a half years to complete, in large part due to a town ordinance that quells construction between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the time frame seems completely reasonable given the amount of ingenuity, technology and detail in the home.
Starting at the top, the rooftop level of the home is reserved for the family’s sunset-viewing deck, which will later be finished with a bar and a high-definition TV. The master suite occupies the fourth level of the home. Its adjoining outdoor deck is accented by a stunning linear gas firepit. Inside, the homeowners enjoy spectacular views of the Bay and understandably don’t want furniture or a TV obstructing it.
To remedy the situation, Overture manager Michael Patille designed a system that secured a 75-inch TV, recessed in the tray ceiling, for viewing TV and the Bay simultaneously.
The third level’s features include a professional kitchen, spacious, open living room and the aforementioned swimming pool. Overture secured an eye-catching 86-inch outdoor TV above an entrance so that pool-goers and those on dry land could take in whatever is on from just about any location on the deck.
The second level includes bedrooms for the 8- and 11-year-old children, a game room with a pool table and a custom home theater boasting what is supposedly the very first 8K TV on the East Coast. “This is literally the greatest TV ever made,” Patille said.
Not to be outdone, the ground level offers its own fun for the family and their guests. Patille repurposed the garage into a sports lover’s ultimate recreational room — highlighted by an 18-sport simulator, which is the most sophisticated ever installed by Overture.
Nine strategically placed cameras throughout the space capture player movements with precision, to create true-to-life action.
“The kids can play hockey, football, soccer, dodgeball, bowling, lacrosse and baseball,” Patille said. “You can even shoot zombies, while the client can work on his golf game and receive instant swing analysis.”
The climate-controlled space has internet, a TV on the automated arm and a bar with drink rails.
The homeowners also wanted the very latest technologies installed throughout the home, with the convenience of being able to operate everything from their smartphones or iPads — and that’s another area where Overture emphatically delivered. From a state-of-the-art security-and-surveillance system with high-definition cameras to automated interior and exterior lighting and motorized window treatments, this residence has it all. Speakers on each level were custom-made to match their surroundings — including both marble and teak. The house is even outfitted with a whole-home audio-video distribution platform that’s easily operated on the family’s devices to play music, shows, movies, Apple TV+ or Xbox video games in any or all rooms. The entire system is powered through a commercial-grade wireless data network, and its components are neatly contained in a media room.
“This project was a team effort, and it was spectacular to work alongside Lane Builders, Barbara Anderson and the entire crew who played a role in this build,” Patille said. “Best of all, we had clients who completely trusted us, and it created a bond and a friendship unlike any other I’ve experienced in this industry.”