My sister Jo-Jo has always been fond of naming places. Places that live only in her imagination (Shangri la. Come to think of it, I believe she appropriated a third floor getaway in one of our houses), naming things gives it a proprietary air, warding off others that might consider its use, and places that she doggedly brings to reality. We won’t discuss the decades commitment that allowed The Surf Shack to become a reality, but suffice it to say, it’s a well deserved retreat.
Surf Shack Before and After
The Shack began it’s life as a barn. My father, having built it or built on to it back in the ’80’s (barns being a long time obsession), he warmed to Joanne’s vision of a guest house – for her, of course – to visit on weekends quietly away from any hub-bub in what she affectionately refers to as “The Manse”. The Manse being the main house – home to my father’s law practice for over 30 years. The Manse is “rustic” – The Surf Shack is not. It took form as a collaboration – program dictated most definitely by Joanne, design by my father, and interiors carried out by yours truly with a strict budget, and guidelines, with last right of refusal by Jo-Jo, of course.
The primary adjective used to describe what she was looking for was “California”. Clean, white, modern is what I set out to deliver. I am a fan of navy blue and orange – she is not, We settled on accent colors of aqua and yellow, and despite my concern that it would be austere, it is one of my favorite places to be.
Transformed
Breathe easy. It’s the perfect way to kick off summer.