Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Timber-clad Forever Home With Soothing Water Views
A casual, family-friendly lifestyle and respect for the area’s classic beach cottages influenced this rustic design
Architectural designer Tim Tice had lived in Bethany Beach, Delaware, his whole life, but he and his wife had never quite found their dream home. Recently, they decided to search for a plot that overlooked the water and build from the ground up. They bought land along the Salt Pond, an inland, estuarine body of water located about three-quarters of a mile from the beach. The plot had challenges, including bringing water and sewerage services to the site. Tim was also careful to place the home the proper distance from nearby wetlands and to make sure the habitat was protected during the construction process.
As for the house, the couple wanted a home where their children would grow up, but they were also thinking about how it would function for them once the kids flew the nest. As someone born and raised in the area, Tim wanted the design to nod to his favourite “old-school” Bethany Beach cottages while also having a more modern and minimalist design.
As for the house, the couple wanted a home where their children would grow up, but they were also thinking about how it would function for them once the kids flew the nest. As someone born and raised in the area, Tim wanted the design to nod to his favourite “old-school” Bethany Beach cottages while also having a more modern and minimalist design.
“I generally appreciate traditional architecture, but I wanted this house to be more modern and pared down in the details,” Tim says. “I like the simple look of gabled rooflines and did not want complex rooflines on this house.”
But he also took inspiration from the area’s more traditional, original beach cottages. “Old-school Bethany Beach homes have red cedar shakes that are hand-split and rougher than the white cedar shingles seen on newer beach cottages,” Tim says. “So we used hand-split red cedar shakes and went as rough as possible with those.”
Building raised houses like this in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing is no easy feat. Tim addressed that by widening the steps as they go down and adding a front porch covered by a trellis partway up the front facade. This gives the eye something to land on rather than noticing how high the front door is.
The right side of the house is the children’s wing, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rec room. “We have a door that fully shuts this wing off, so when the kids grow up, we can shut off this part of the house when we’re not using it,” Tim says.
Find reviewed architects and interior designers in your area on Houzz.
But he also took inspiration from the area’s more traditional, original beach cottages. “Old-school Bethany Beach homes have red cedar shakes that are hand-split and rougher than the white cedar shingles seen on newer beach cottages,” Tim says. “So we used hand-split red cedar shakes and went as rough as possible with those.”
Building raised houses like this in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing is no easy feat. Tim addressed that by widening the steps as they go down and adding a front porch covered by a trellis partway up the front facade. This gives the eye something to land on rather than noticing how high the front door is.
The right side of the house is the children’s wing, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rec room. “We have a door that fully shuts this wing off, so when the kids grow up, we can shut off this part of the house when we’re not using it,” Tim says.
Find reviewed architects and interior designers in your area on Houzz.
With water views on the opposite side of the house, the front porch doesn’t get a lot of use, Tim says. But it’s a good outdoor retreat when the wind picks up on the water-facing side.
“My wife is passionate about plants,” he says. So he gave her as many spots as possible to tend to them inside and out. At the front, cedar-shake-covered planters line the steps so she can create container gardens.
“My wife is passionate about plants,” he says. So he gave her as many spots as possible to tend to them inside and out. At the front, cedar-shake-covered planters line the steps so she can create container gardens.
Inside the house, the views open up to the water, with a bar to the right and a courtyard to the left. The house looks out on the Salt Pond, located behind Route 1. That road occupies a narrow strip of land between the pond and the beach. The house is about three-quarters of a mile from the beach.
“I designed this house very specifically for the way we wanted to live in it today and for the future when the kids move out,” Tim says. “We live very casually. Our lifestyle is very relaxed and there’s zero formality with our family.”
When the couple entertain, guests can grab a drink here at the bar before venturing farther into the home. The bar has a live-edge walnut waterfall worktop. “This was provided by a local company,” Tim says. “It was a unique piece of wood that’s 18ft [5.5m] long and 22in [56cm] wide.” The soapstone worktop inside the bar also has a waterfall edge on this side for a clean look.
“I designed this house very specifically for the way we wanted to live in it today and for the future when the kids move out,” Tim says. “We live very casually. Our lifestyle is very relaxed and there’s zero formality with our family.”
When the couple entertain, guests can grab a drink here at the bar before venturing farther into the home. The bar has a live-edge walnut waterfall worktop. “This was provided by a local company,” Tim says. “It was a unique piece of wood that’s 18ft [5.5m] long and 22in [56cm] wide.” The soapstone worktop inside the bar also has a waterfall edge on this side for a clean look.
The bar has a fun retro vibe with an eye-catching botanical wallpaper. There’s a full fridge, a bar sink, an ice-maker and a dishwasher. “The walnut and soapstone [worktops] are the only ones that are different from all the other white quartz [worktops] in the house,” Tim says. “They really suit the retro vibe in here.” He recommends always ordering wallpaper samples to see how they look in different lights and to feel the texture.
“We love the bar,” Tim says. “The kids eat pancakes here in the morning when they want to catch a show, or sometimes we’ll have dinner and a movie at the bar as a family.”
“We love the bar,” Tim says. “The kids eat pancakes here in the morning when they want to catch a show, or sometimes we’ll have dinner and a movie at the bar as a family.”
Across from the bar is a small courtyard. “This is a work in progress, but it was another opportunity to give my wife space for plants,” Tim says. “It’s also great to get a drink at the bar and move the group out here.” The fire pit is ethanol-fuelled. Future plans include installing stainless steel trellises on the exterior walls and training vines up them.
This photo also shows the front door, which is sapele wood. “I really wanted something that felt like a heavy-duty door,” Tim says. A sidelight lets in natural light and allows a peek through the house to the water from outside.
This photo also shows the front door, which is sapele wood. “I really wanted something that felt like a heavy-duty door,” Tim says. A sidelight lets in natural light and allows a peek through the house to the water from outside.
Heading down the front hallway, the kitchen, the dining room and a sitting room are in one open space. A large screened-in porch occupies a long portion of the back of the house. Expansive sliding doors forge a strong connection between the large room and the porch, as well as the views across the marsh to the water.
The kitchen has a clean and simple look, with white quartz worktops and streamlined cabinetry. Tim wanted clear views, so he kept the light fixtures relatively simple and didn’t place pendant lights over the island.
The kitchen has a clean and simple look, with white quartz worktops and streamlined cabinetry. Tim wanted clear views, so he kept the light fixtures relatively simple and didn’t place pendant lights over the island.
The ceilings are 3m high throughout the house, except for pitched ceilings in the primary bedroom and the rec room. The large sliding doors that open to the screened-in porch extend all the way up to the ceiling. This allowed for the most expansive views of the marsh and pond.
All the windows and glass doors on the house are by Loewen. They have aluminium frames on the exterior and Douglas fir frames on the interior.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
All the windows and glass doors on the house are by Loewen. They have aluminium frames on the exterior and Douglas fir frames on the interior.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Throughout most of the house, Tim used white-painted knotty pine shiplap on the walls and Douglas fir on the ceilings. “I used the Douglas fir to tie into the windows and doors,” he says. “Because we live very casually, I specified ‘rough side out’ for the wood. This was for two reasons. One, because I wanted to maximise texture. Two, because it ages better. When things look more perfect, any dings will jump out at you.”
The screened-in porch is a favourite with everyone in the family. It has the home’s only fireplace, which is wood-burning, and electric heaters in the ceiling. “We moved in back in February and we fired up all the heaters, built a fire and hung out on the porch. We use it all year except on the coldest of nights,” Tim says. The family often gathers for meals here.
A comfortable indoor-outdoor sofa provides a place to gather around the fire. The door next to the fireplace opens to the pool deck.
On the exterior, Tim mixed the red cedar shakes with white cedar vertical cladding. “I thought using the two would add contrast and a more modern look,” he says. “I didn’t treat either of these materials, so when they age, the white cedar will go grey, while the red cedar will lean more chocolatey. There will be more contrast between the two long-term.”
Tim is passionate about sustainability. The house has a tight envelope and is highly energy-efficient. He put 5cm of rigid foam insulation outside the framing on the walls, under the house and under the roof. The glass is double-glazing. There’s no gas in the house; everything is electric. Tim designated a spot for solar panels on a hidden south-facing roof. “I want to see what my energy bills are for a year before I install them,” he says.
Tim is passionate about sustainability. The house has a tight envelope and is highly energy-efficient. He put 5cm of rigid foam insulation outside the framing on the walls, under the house and under the roof. The glass is double-glazing. There’s no gas in the house; everything is electric. Tim designated a spot for solar panels on a hidden south-facing roof. “I want to see what my energy bills are for a year before I install them,” he says.
The pool and its surrounding deck are also raised off the ground.
The door that divides the master suite from the main living area extends fully to meet the 3m-high ceiling. This sitting area leads to the couple’s bedroom.
“This is my wife’s domain,” Tim says of the sitting area. “I may pass through here, but it’s her spot to take a break, close the door, put on a record, play some video games and chill out. She wanted a retro vibe and lots of plants, so that’s where the green sofa and record player came in.”
“This is my wife’s domain,” Tim says of the sitting area. “I may pass through here, but it’s her spot to take a break, close the door, put on a record, play some video games and chill out. She wanted a retro vibe and lots of plants, so that’s where the green sofa and record player came in.”
The couple’s bedroom was a bit of an experiment. “We both like to sleep in complete darkness without any natural light coming through,” Tim says. The two openings to his wife’s chill-out room can be fully closed off, and there are no windows. “Most of my clients would never go for this in a million years, but we have zero regrets about doing it this way,” Tim says.
The gabled roof allowed for a pitched ceiling. In terms of finishes, the bedroom is the inverse of the rest of the house: it has natural wood on the walls and white-painted planks on the ceiling.
The gabled roof allowed for a pitched ceiling. In terms of finishes, the bedroom is the inverse of the rest of the house: it has natural wood on the walls and white-painted planks on the ceiling.
Tim made sure there was plenty of artificial lighting in the bedroom, including low-voltage light. There are two pendant lights, LED uplighting where the walls meet the ceiling, and downlighting beneath the floating bed.
“The bed is built into the wall and it’s a floating platform,” Tim says. “Our [bedside tables] will also float. The cabinet-maker is still working on those.”
“The bed is built into the wall and it’s a floating platform,” Tim says. “Our [bedside tables] will also float. The cabinet-maker is still working on those.”
The bath and shower in the primary bathroom are contained within a wetroom area, which has a shower big enough for two, complete with two shower heads. A pair of body jets sits beneath each shower head. The slits at the bottom are steam shower outlets.
The entire wetroom is tiled from floor to ceiling in zellige tiles in a gridded pattern. “Everything behind the glass can get wet,” Tim says. “This is also a great room for my wife’s plants. They thrive in here.”
The entire wetroom is tiled from floor to ceiling in zellige tiles in a gridded pattern. “Everything behind the glass can get wet,” Tim says. “This is also a great room for my wife’s plants. They thrive in here.”
Tim’s wife found the floor tiles, which have a beautiful brass inlay. The bathroom also has two toilet rooms, while the glass door on the left leads to an outdoor shower.
The outdoor shower is tucked to one side of the deck.
Tim and his wife have created their dream home on the water. They plan to bring up their children here, then enjoy their retirement in this home.
Tell us…
What do you like most about this home design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like most about this home design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Sponsored
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
Who lives here? Designer Tim Tice, his wife, and their two children
Location Bethany Beach, Delaware, USA
Size Three bedrooms and three bathrooms (318 sq m)
Architectural designer Tim Tice of Greenroom Consultants
Contractor Dion Lamb of CRx – The Cure for the Common Build
Photos by Atlantic Exposure
Here’s the view of the house from the Salt Pond at twilight.
The plot’s location within a flood zone was challenging. Dion Lamb of CRx – The Cure for the Common Build served as the contractor on the project. The building sits atop 1.2m of dirt that was trucked in, and the main floor is 1.2m above the ground. Dion built the house on pylons that extend 4.5m into the ground.