Those outlooks demanded windowsand lots of them.
And that’s when they realized it had a popularity problem.
“It became increasingly frustrating encountering more traffic, less beach, and higher prices,” Jed says.
Credit: Kip Dawkins
“It just wasn’t working out for us.”
Then one day in 2018, their daughter suggested looking intoCape Charles, Virginia.
On the four-hour drive back home after visiting her in Richmond, Pam took a detour.
The Laffertys altered Old Oyster by placing the two upstairs bedrooms at the back of the house for Chesapeake Bay vistas.Credit: Kip Dawkins
Figuring that the town must have great water and beach access, she decided to zip through.
“I hit the bay and stared at the dunes.
Then I turned the corner and saw the LOVEwork sculpture and thought, ‘Wow.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
you could see the bay, the fishing pier, and the harbor.’
" She drove out of the small town convinced.
After a two-week visit, Jed was too.
“A naturalist and I formed a stewardship club, if you will,” he says.
The group helps maintain the area’s scenic beauty and has installed bluebird boxes along the trails.
Jed found a community too.
“That’s where I met some of our neighbors for the first time,” he says.
The Laffertys are still new to this way of life.
The Best Day, Every Day
San Francisco would be a hard act to follow.
A few tweaks like opening the floor plan, creating a mudroom for sandy paws, and carving out storage space made Old Oyster suit the Bernards’ lifestyle.Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, Blufftonthey hit them all and liked them.
But then, on a whim, Mary toured Spring Island.
“When you come out here, there’s a whole different vibe.
Credit: Fritz Kapraun
“The people here are so interesting,” he says.
“They’re fun to be around and learn new hobbies from.”
To bring this idea to life, only one team would do:Allison Ramsey Architects.
For parties, they opened up the kitchen, family, and living rooms to one another.
Enclosing a portion of the other side allowed them to enlarge the main bath and closets.
“I’m a clotheshorse and need Christmas storage!”
Most days on the island run more relaxed than that, though.
Mary and Tim will walk the dogs, stopping at The River House for coffee with friends.
Mary might plan the next event for the Spring Island Floral Guild, which she chairs.
Tim may work for a bit before firing up the smoker and inviting a few couples over for dinner.
One of them could even sneak to the back-porch bed for a nap.
“It’s both a typical day and an ideal one,” Tim says.
A first-floor main bedroom makes this an ideal family getaway; guests have the entire second story to themselves.
Plans start at $900;houseplans.southernliving.com
