DESIGN IDEA, By Cindy Clay Srader
I love the idea of open beams and the light look of this room. It is part of a New England beach house and is only used in the summer. One way we could have this look in our beach houses would be to actually install the beams and wood paneling after the home is insulated! I am sure that if a builder could make a cathedral ceiling using sheetrock then he could create this look also. Adding the boards may not be that hard. If you love this look, it never hurts to ask. Also, please note the elegant touch of the chandeliers. These are quite large but because of the size of the room and the height of the ceiling, they are perfectly in proportion! The only color in this room is the blue pillow on the chair and the beauty of the natural seashells. Another feature is actually something you could easily make yourself. This coffee table is a piece of glass sitting on painted driftwood! If you are a handy person and think you can make this, start collecting the driftwood pieces you find on our beach now! Part of the fun would be finding it yourself. If you are not able to do this yourself, you can always find someone with carpenter skills that could make the base for you! Enjoy the search and happy hunting!

WHAT IS “BEACH CHIC”?
A design style comprised of a combination of clean lines and organic finishes that work together to create a relaxing and inviting atmosphere. The color scheme is inspired by the beach and the natural environment of sun, sea and sand!

How to make a Backyard Fire Pit
There is nothing better than sitting around a fire at night with friends and family at the beach. Just think after grilling a great meal, what better dessert than S’mores on the Firepit. We made our own and it was very simple. We first made the diameter of the circle we wanted. You can do this with a stake in the middle if your circle and a nail with a string on top. As you follow the string around the circle use spray paint so you will know your inside edge making sure the string does not wrap itself around the nail. We went to the nursery by the big store and loaded up our truck with flat stones in about the same size. We followed the outline with the first layer and then kept dry stacking until we got the right height. When finished we put a large bag of sand in the bottom and had our first fire! It is perfect and the stones have stayed stacked for the past 3 years! There are many ways to build your own Firepit, but this was simple and we did it ourselves. Please send me photos of your DIY projects and I will feature them here! Enjoy!

Live for the warmth of the sun on your face, the sand in between your toes and the taste of saltwater on your lips.

Cindy Srader can be contacted at [email protected] or 832-877-2360

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