It's good to be home!

Although we had a great week with family at IOP, there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. Especially after a long day in the car!

As much as I like laying on the beach, I think my favorite part of every day was waking up and drinking coffee on the screened-in porch every morning. While sitting in the rocking chair sipping my coffee and watching Riley open and close the screen door 1,000,000,000 times, I would sit and think about how nice it would be to own a beach house. Usually when I have this daydream, I always seem to picture a traditional, Southern-style beach house in my mind. 

Screened-in porches and picket fences,

floor to ceiling windows,

rooftop balconies,

metal roofs and ceiling fans on the porch.

This is probably one of my favorite houses in the area. It sits on the sound side of the island and it is really beautiful. I love the contrast of materials and colors.

And I LOVE the shutters on this house. They look like they are made from reclaimed wood and they go all the way down to the floor on the porch. I love their scale and their weathered look.

However, as we were driving around we saw some unexpected architecture on the islands. This is a beachfront home that is rather unusual - it reminds me of the Jetsons. I would love to see the interior of this house. I bet it is the safest place on the island in the event of a hurricane!

There were also a couple of modern homes that stood out against the more traditional style homes.

Even the Sullivans Island lighthouse has a modern feel. 

I am always surprised by how much I am drawn to modern architecture when I see it in person. I think my beach house daydream is starting to be conflicted - cedarshake shingles or sleek, smooth concrete? Curved balconies and widow's walks or strong, clean lines and sharp angles? Picket fences or stainless steel railings? Maybe I need to start daydreaming about owning two beach houses...and winning the lottery.