The good life: a vacation home is the ultimate dream

Custom Home, March, 2004 by Meghan Drueding

Project Credits: Builder: Rhinehart Construction, Winthrop, Wash.; Architect: Balance Associates, Seattle; Landscape architect: Windy Valley Landscape, Brewster, Wash.; Structural engineer: Magnusson Klemecic Associates, Seattle; Living space: 1,420 square feet; Site size: 18 acres; Construct]on cost: Withheld; Photographer: Steve Keating. Resources: Bathroom plumbing fittings/fixtures: American Standard, Circle 159, Americh, Circle 160, Chicago Faucet, Circle 161, and Kohler, Circle 162; Dishwasher: Bosch, Circle 163; Entry door: Simpson, Circle 164; Fireplace: Rais, Circle 165; Hardware: Sargent, Circle 166; HVAC equipment: Buderus, Circle 167, Techmar, Circle 168, and Wirsbo, Circle 169; Kitchen plumbing fittings/fixtures: Arwa, Circle 170 and Kohler, Circle 171; Lift/glide door: Quantum, Circle 172; Lighting fixtures: Ikea, Circle 173; Oven: Dacor, Circle 174; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero, Circle 175; Windows: Window Visions, Circle 176

Beach Treat

In addition to its own considerable charms, this cottage on the Gulf of Mexico possesses an illustrious neighbor--the fabled Don CeSar, one of Florida's grand historic hotels. The Pass-A-Grille, Fla., home's owners, who live full-time in Tampa, reap the benefits of their proximity to the hotel by belonging to its golf club and spa. And spillover from the Don CeSar makes a ready-made rental market for the cottage, Architect Stephen Smith estimates the home is rented out half the year and used by the clients themselves for the other half. * Luckily for the clients, Smith and builder Rick Worley created a house that caters to both situations. Its interiors feature lots of painted wood wainscoting and trim that stand up to the pounding a rental house endures. "It really helps because drywall is pretty fragile stuff," says Smith. "The painted wood takes the abuse of suitcases, kids, et cetera." A lockable closet on the first floor provides a spot for the owners to keep personal items when the home is occupied by renters. With four bedrooms and four baths, the 3,000-square-foot residence works for an extended family or other group. Yet the generous sizes of the bedrooms and closets, especially in the master suite, are more typical of a year-round residence. "The house is unusual in that the owners outfitted it a little more like a permanent home," Smith adds. * Whether it's owner-occupied or rented out, the home must be able to withstand tropical storms, hurricanes, and the rigors of everyday beach weather. Worley built it atop underground pilings of wood encased in concrete. The building's lower level consists of concrete and masonry, with breakaway walls of concrete block to let storm water run right under the house. Continuous steel rods run up from the concrete base through the wood-framed main and second floors, pinning the structure to its site. * Contrary to popular belief, Worley says, mold isn't inevitable in a Florida house. "We don't have mold problems in the houses we build because they're all constructed properly, with windows that keep water out," he explains. Not only are the windows tightly built, but they're also clad in aluminum to prevent rusting. For the same reason, all of the home's exterior hardware is stainless steel, the air conditioning coils are copper and aluminum, and the cedar siding is held up with bronze halls. Just under the standing-seam aluminum roof lies a rubberized membrane for further waterproofing. * Pass-A-Grille is one of the oldest beach communities on Florida's Gulf Coast, and the house's traditional English Caribbean style reflects that history. Smith also chose an old-fashioned way to handle the time-honored challenge of keeping sand out of the house: that beach classic, the outdoor shower.--M.D.